Sofia Vila

I attribute my success to determination, taking risks, and believing in myself. Taking chances has been crucial for me. But equally important has been my network - my coworkers and my bosses who trusted and believed in me. That was so important for me. If not, I don't think I would have the attitude that I have right now. Having people who support you and believe in your abilities makes all the difference in building your confidence and pushing forward.

The best career advice I've received is to take risks. Even if you are young, if your gut is telling you that you can do something, just go for it. Don't be ashamed of your decisions, and don't let yourself be brought down because of your age, your limits, or because you are new in the industry. New minds are always valuable. You have to trust your instincts and not let external factors like being young or inexperienced hold you back from pursuing what you believe you can achieve.

Just persevere and don't give up. The relationships that you make, the friends in the industry, that's amazing, and it comes with challenges sometimes, but just keep going because the rewards are great. I know it's a male-dominated industry - I'm always the only woman in the conference room - but that shouldn't stop you. I actually left the industry the first time I entered it because I didn't see growth opportunities for women, but I came back because I found a boss who supports me 100% and is confident in what I'm doing. That support is important. So find the right environment and keep pushing forward.

The biggest challenge for the oil and gas industry right now is exploring and bringing in different products, and seeing how you can include them in your portfolio. We have a lot of exploration in different energies, like renewable energies for instance. You need to see how to increase your portfolio, how to collaborate, and how you can be a big player in that space. For us right now in my company, which is a startup, it's about including different products and involving technology. We're involving a lot of technology - for instance, we know in real-time how our tanks are filling, what's their rate, when the tanks are being discharged or loaded. That's very important for us. It's about how to use the AI, use the data, and become a partner of it, so we can increase our productivity and be better at work and focus on other things, like strategies on renewable products that we don't have right now.

Collaboration is very important to me. We are not alone, and you never know who can help you, or where you are going to be in life, and who you need to ask for help one day. So building those relationships and working together matters. Respect is also crucial - you need to respect everyone, whether they are above you or wherever they are in the organization. Just respect and listen. That's important. These values guide how I interact with people both professionally and personally.