Her Story
About Sandra
Sandra Marengo Mrvos, MS, GSP, LSSGB, serves as Senior Manager of Risk and Safety at Prime Meats LLC, where she was brought in to establish the company’s first dedicated safety department and comprehensive safety program within its manufacturing operations. She is an accomplished risk and safety professional with a career spanning industrial engineering, manufacturing, production leadership, and occupational health and safety. Sandra began her professional career in Peru as an industrial engineer and safety lead at a refinery in Lima. Following the passing of her father in 2001, she assumed responsibility for his gas stations and trucking business, gaining valuable experience in operations, leadership, and business management. After relocating to the United States in 2007, she continued advancing her education and professional career, ultimately earning a master’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Throughout her career, Sandra has progressed through increasingly responsible roles in production and manufacturing, including team lead, supervisor, and manager, before transitioning her focus fully toward environmental health and safety. Her ability to develop safety programs from the ground up has become a defining strength of her leadership. At a previous organization, she successfully created and implemented a comprehensive safety program, which led to opportunities to oversee safety initiatives across multiple facilities. Her expertise encompasses risk management, regulatory compliance, safety auditing, incident prevention, employee training, environmental health and safety, continuous improvement, and safety culture development. She holds the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB) credentials and is a member of the National Safety Council and the Women in Safety Georgia Chapter.
Sandra is equally committed to community involvement, professional development, and creating inclusive workplaces where employees feel respected and empowered to work safely. She has supported community initiatives including lupus walks in Virginia, Chesapeake Bay shell-washing efforts, and meat donations to local shelters. Fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian, with knowledge of French, she places a strong emphasis on cultural awareness and communication, particularly when working with diverse, multilingual immigrant workforces. She believes that earning employees’ trust and understanding their cultural perspectives is essential to gaining meaningful buy-in for safety practices. By combining technical expertise, hands-on leadership, cultural awareness, and innovative tools such as AI to help overcome language barriers, Sandra continues to advance safer, more inclusive, and more effective workplaces.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sandra
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of resilience, continuous learning, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to making a positive impact. My journey began as an industrial engineer in Peru, and after moving to the United States in 2007, I embraced new opportunities to expand my education and build my career in occupational health and safety. One of my proudest professional achievements was reducing recordable injuries by 84% at a previous organization, an accomplishment that reflected my dedication to creating safer workplaces and empowering employees. My experiences in both my professional and personal life, including my journey as a cancer survivor and involvement in community initiatives, have strengthened my perseverance, broadened my perspective, and reinforced the importance of serving others with purpose and compassion.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage young women entering the safety and risk management industry to lead with respect, communicate clearly, and never underestimate the value of building strong relationships. Treat everyone with professionalism and understanding, listen to different perspectives, and make your expectations and decisions clear. Respectful, consistent communication builds trust, strengthens teamwork, and creates a foundation for long-term success.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and opportunities in my field is effectively connecting with an increasingly diverse, multilingual workforce and ensuring that safety practices are understood and applied consistently. Safety goes beyond common sense; it requires clear standards, effective training, and communication that employees can understand and relate to. I see technology, including AI-powered tools, as an important opportunity to help overcome language barriers, improve communication, and make safety education more accessible. By embracing cultural differences and innovative communication methods, we can build stronger safety cultures and create workplaces where everyone has the knowledge and confidence to work safely.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect for different cultures is one of the most important values in both my professional and personal life. I believe that when we genuinely respect and appreciate cultural differences, it creates a strong foundation for clear communication, understanding, trust, and collaboration. In my work, especially with diverse and multilingual teams, I strive to listen, remain open-minded, and understand different perspectives so that everyone feels valued and included. These principles guide how I build relationships, lead teams, and create an environment where people can work together safely and effectively.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.