Influential Woman · Semiconducting Sales

Marie Barboza

EMEA Customer Rep., Plasma-Therm

Tampa, FL

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Biomedical Health Sciences degree Degree University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Degree 2024 Degree French-language education through college Cert Certified Nurse Assistant Cert Activity Coordinating Certification

Her Story

About Marie

My journey has been unconventional. I raised 4 children, and with that, I had to put my career on the side. Five years ago, I decided to go to college for the first time and earned my Biomedical Health Sciences degree. Having four children took me to the healthcare field, which allowed me to have flexible shifts - working weekends and third shift while my husband, a teacher, worked the day shift so we could switch up and take care of the children. We lived in Wisconsin for 20-something years raising the children. When I started looking for positions, I fell into this semiconducting company, Plasmatherm. They were looking for someone who could take care of their EMEA account, primarily speaking French fluently. That's what led me into semiconducting. To be honest, I almost quit. I told myself, you are not a quitter - you have raised children, English is your second language, you went to college, you are not a quitter. I'm not ashamed to say that one day I went home crying because the semiconducting language was not known to me at all. I had to push it through. I believe I am the more normalized woman today, jumping into different things and trying to accommodate our families and our careers at the same time, trying to chase our dream. Just being able to thrive and know that the semiconducting industry is not only for men - that as women, we can thrive into it in a different manner.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Marie

01What do you attribute your success to?

I told myself, you are not a quitter. You have raised children, English is your second language, you went to college, you finish college, you are not a quitter. That's do it. I'm not ashamed to say that one day I went home crying because the semiconducting language was not a known language at all to me. I had to push it through. What really impressed me in my journey is the fact that you can do anything as long as you set yourself into it. The world is gonna be opened up in front of you if you allow yourself to enter through those doors. I believe that it is just a moment, and that moment should lead to a different stage once the children grow up.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Just being able to thrive and know that the semiconducting industry is not only for men. As women, we can thrive into it in a different manner. If it's not being an engineer, it could be having a different position which still helps the company. I want women who are today raising their children to know and understand that it is just a moment, and that moment should lead to a different stage once the children grow up. You can do anything as long as you set yourself into it, and the world is gonna be opened up in front of you if you allow yourself to enter through those doors. I am the more normalized woman today, jumping into different things and trying to accommodate our families and our careers at the same time, trying to chase our dream.

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