Do you wonder about people active in POSCO’s overseas corporations in various countries? POSCO Newsroom presents vivid stories of employees of POSCO’s overseas operations. In Place 2, we will meet Marisol Soldevilla, the leader of the Order Management Team of the Process Management Department at POSCO-Mexico.
Hi, I am Marisol Soldevilla, the leader of the Order Management Team of the Process Management Department at POSCO-Mexico, which was established in the Industrial Port of Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in December 2006. POSCO-Mexico manufactures galvanized steel sheets for automobiles and home appliances using a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet process called Continuous Galvanizing Line (CGL). The production capacity increased from 400,000 tons per year in 2006 to 500,000 tons per year after adding a second production line in 2014 to meet the increasing demand. It now has a total annual production capacity of 900,000 tons. We supply our products to Nissan, Volkswagen, GM, Honda, and Chrysler in Mexico and automobile manufacturers in the southern United States.
POSCO-Mexico highlights the growth of Mexico. We are writing a success story centered around the Port of Altamira, the best logistics center in Latin America, by creating jobs and developing human resources. POSCO is committed to realizing its corporate value of pursuing social responsibility and public interest. We are continuing our efforts for shared growth with local communities and giving back to society, such as creating volunteer groups to improve the quality of life in the local communities.
I joined POSCO-Mexico on October 1, 2010, 4 years after I moved to Altamira, Tamaulipas from another region. Before joining POSCO-Mexico, I worked in the logistics of exporting and importing synthetic rubber to and from Asia, Europe, and the United States at a petrochemical company. I also had experience managing contracts with land and sea transportation companies.
Before moving to Altamira, I only knew that POSCO was a Korean company that manufactured steel sheets for automobiles. Residing in Altamira, I learned that POSCO was the first steel maker in the metropolitan area and that the company provided its employees with various opportunities to develop expertise. Having dreamed of developing work capabilities and skills to become a professional, I was convinced that joining POSCO was a new challenge and opportunity.
After joining POSCO-Mexico, I worked in the purchasing department, managing suppliers and utilizing my previous work experience. My work mostly involved purchasing raw materials such as chemicals, zinc, and packaging. After working in purchasing for two years, I moved to the logistics department, where I was responsible for managing the rail and truck transportation of rolls for export.
I manage the production plan, an important task that establishes work plans based on sales, raw materials, and delivery dates and ensures production without setbacks. I am proud that I am POSCO-Mexico’s guardian to fulfill promises strictly and protect customer trust and high quality.
Once I became a POSCO-Mexico member, I knew my confidence was correct. POSCO provided its employees many opportunities to improve their job capabilities and supported them in working under better conditions. Employees gained confidence and showed positive performance under the support of a stable company and were given opportunities for promotion.
POSCO-Mexico has created a collaborative work environment based on an organizational culture of members being considerate and communicating smoothly with each other. Employees can demonstrate their creativity, autonomy, and flexibility and achieve big and small results in their work thanks to the fun and supportive atmosphere. The company recognizes its employees’ achievements and encourages their continued growth.
I will introduce various programs that POSCO-Mexico carries out every year to support the healthy lives of its employees.
People with diverse cultural backgrounds work together at POSCO-Mexico. Cultural communication skills are the basic requirement for working in such a multicultural environment, and a soft attitude to communicate in situations that require cooperation and efforts to adapt to rapidly changing situations are also necessary. When I first worked with Korean employees, I was refreshed by their attitude of communicating directly and clearly and explaining necessary information efficiently and concisely. It is because Mexican employees tend to share various stories that may have nothing to the necessary information.
If any Korean employee wants to work at POSCO-Mexico, I advise them that it is important to learn Spanish and actively participate in smooth conversation and communication! I am studying more in Korea to improve my understanding of Korean culture. I am also learning the attitude of admitting mistakes and being punctual.
I am especially interested in Korean culture and trying to understand it better. I learned Korean to communicate smoothly without misunderstanding with Korean employees and made frequent opportunities to eat Korean food. Food best reflects the culture of a country! For example, I often drank Americano without sugar, which many Koreans enjoy. I also practice segregated trash collection and recycling like Koreans. As I studied Korean food and culture, I naturally got to understand Korean history, customs, and traditions.
Those in Korea may get closer to their POSCO-Mexico colleagues while eating traditional Mexican food.
I am a working mom who is raising a child while working. Maintaining a life balance takes a lot of effort for a working mom, but it is not impossible. I do my best at work, and when I am home, I think of my family’s happiness first. When my son comes home from school, I work out with him to relieve stress and then have a talk.
As in Korea, family is very important in Mexico, and there are many occasions when families gather. We keep a strong family relationship by gathering for christenings, weddings, and sports such as soccer. I also visit Altamira’s attractions with my family and have a good time whenever possible. I will now talk about the attractions of Altamira.
Altamira is a fairly large city with a population of about 79,000 people in the state of Tamaulipas. Established on May 2, 1749, it is part of the metropolitan area of Tampico and is in a hot region in Mexico. Altamira features the Port Industrial Zone, which was constructed in 1985, a beautiful sea, and many water sports. I invite you to check out my favorite places in Altamira.
① Attractions in Mexico
El Tesoro and Dunas Douradas Beaches are located along the Gulf of Mexico. They feature beautiful scenery, many things to do, and exquisite hotels, allowing you to have fun and experience.
You can enjoy various water sports, nature, and historical treasures such as camping sites and ancient pyramids. Lake Miralta, the best fishing spot, offers a golf course, sports facilities, and walking courses. Miramar Beach is famous for its endless stretches of fine sand.
Lake Carpintero is the only lake in the city center of Mexico. It is a habitat for diverse animals and plants, including crocodiles over 4 meters long and iguanas. You can also see mangrove trees, which are shelters for fish and a shelterbelt to protect against hurricanes.
The old customs building shows a design that combines Mexican and British architectural styles. Its construction was completed in 1827, and the building was converted into a museum in 2004. Moreover, Plaza de Armas, the city’s center, features the cathedral, city hall, and government office buildings that are simple yet beautiful neoclassical Spanish colonial architecture.
② Recommended restaurants in Altamira
Altamira has many family restaurants where you can enjoy delicious food and various events in a warm atmosphere. My favorite restaurant among them is El Asador, which offers delicious steak. I often take my family there to create happy memories. I recommend the place if you come to Mexico.
One of the best-known restaurants in the city of Altamira is ‘Velas 10’, which offers an impressive panoramic view of the Gulf of Mexico with a cool breeze that makes it perfect place to relax and enjoy the best fish and seafood dishes.
Due to the nature of the steel industry, there are many male leaders, but POSCO-Mexico recognized the experience and leadership of female employees like me without prejudice. I set my principles as a female leader and have always focused on them at work. I often communicated with my team members to fulfill my role as a focal point and built solidarity by taking an interest in my colleagues. I also focused on cultivating team members’ emotional intelligence to coordinate relationships among them and developing collaborative competency so that they can cooperate systematically and soundly.
Moreover, I maintained an attitude of thinking and acting in flexible and adaptable ways and kept an open mind about innovations and operational changes. POSCO-Mexico recognized my efforts and encouraged and supported me.
I intend to continue to work hard and become a leader who is a stepping stone for the growth of my team members. I want to create a rational work environment where my colleagues can freely present their ideas rather than just follow my opinions because I am their leader. I will communicate with my team members more often to implement new processes or ideas to increase the company’s profits. Of course, developing my work capabilities further and playing an active role as an expert at POSCO-Mexico is important! I will come out of the comfort zone before anybody and take a challenging path to achieve all these dreams.
In that sense, the Global Leadership Course for New Officials I received from POSCO in Korea this year was truly special.
During this training, I learned how to lead POSCO-Mexico employees and immerse them in their work. The training in Korea took place in May, but I had studied the roles and responsibilities required of a leader and how to adapt since March. I changed my mindset through the daily letter and learned leadership skills in many areas by watching video materials. In Korea, I was able to objectively reflect on how my actions affect my team members, identify improvement directions, and determine the optimum means of implementation in the future.
The leadership training in Korea was an opportunity to meet global leaders from many countries and form a network with them. Understanding each other’s tendencies and exchanging diverse opinions made me see many things differently. Thank you, POSCO Group, for giving me a useful experience and an opportunity to grow into a leader! Please watch as I contribute to creating an even better future for POSCO-Mexico.