With the majority of government funding and career advancement opportunities connected to mining, Maria’s academic experience was well matched. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical process engineering with a specialisation in business from Chile’s top university, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

According to María, studying STEM-related subjects allowed her to understand the mining industry “all the way down to the molecules.” From presenting phenomenological (researching to understand and describe the universal essence of a phenomenon) and dynamic model research for crushing plants during Hydroprocess 2016, an international seminar on hydrometallurgical proceesses, to earning an advanced diploma in industrial automation from the Engineering Institute of Technology in Australia, she challenged herself to learn all she could in mining technology.

She also worked as a project engineer and business consultant at Centro Nacional de Pilotaje de Tecnologías para la Minería, a mining technology testing center, in Santiago, Chile, supporting mining technology companies during the advanced stages of product development. Her extensive background now helps her see things others do not, giving her the unique ability to identify customer needs and technological advancement opportunities.

“When I meet with customers, I’m not just trying to sell a product,” explained María. “I am trying to understand the customer’s problem as a whole, and learn how we can better support them as a company.”

What María loves about her role at Weir is the opportunity to connect with customers face-to-face and deliver award-winning service—literally. In 2022, she was honoured with the WMM Customer Award for leading their global sales growth.

While María’s major contributions make her an integral member of the our team, they are not the only focus in her life. María is a proud mother to her six-year-old son, Gabriel. “Having a dynamic career is important to me, but family is everything," María added.