Maura Abad, Global Director of WIRAM, and Karolina Szymanska, PR-Marketing of WIRAM UK Chapter, spoke with Daniel Del Piccolo on his asset management podcast MAS-POD, to discuss issues around women in leadership in the context of International Women’s Day.
Leadership is one of the most important aspects of organizations that achieve the greatest success. Having leaders who not only carry out complex processes, but also inspire others to reach high levels of professional and personal development is one of the best defenses for any organization, company or human group that aspires to endure over time. These issues were addressed by Maura Abad, Global Director of WIRAM, and Karolina Szymanska, PR-Marketing of WIRAM UK Chapter, during the interview conducted by Daniel Del Piccolo in his podcast MAS-POD.
Asset Management is a cross-cutting issue: it encompasses all levels of any organization and is therefore closely linked to leadership. Women in Reliability and Asset Management (WIRAM) is the organization that, under the umbrella of the Association of Asset Management Professionals (AMP), is dedicated to elevating and highlighting the role of women within the Asset Management industry, as well as promoting their professional and personal development in an industry that is predominantly female. To mark International Women’s Day, Daniel Del Piccolo, IBM Maximo Technical Specialist and host of the MAS-POD podcast, spoke to Maura and Karolina to find out their perspectives on the evolution of the role of women in the industry.
Women in engineering: A question of numbers
MAS-POD is a space created by Daniel Del Piccolo to discuss issues related to asset management and the application of the MAXIMO Suite. As part of the celebration of International Women’s Day, the conversation revolved around the momentum that Women in Reliability and Asset Management has given to women’s leadership, and how these new approaches can improve work and results.
WIRAM has more than 1,500 members worldwide and aims to provide a safe space for professional women in order to ensure a more equitable and innovative future. Despite its nature, this organization does not only talk about asset management: WIRAM webinars cover topics that concern everyone, from industrial safety, the ecosystem, and mental health.
The gender gap in the asset management industry, reliability and industrial maintenance was something that the host himself addressed at the beginning of the conversation. “I am a man working in this industry, and the numbers are not really the same, which is why we are having this conversation,” said Del Piccolo.
Roles, references and inspiration
Maura Abad and Karolina Szymanska talked about their beginnings in the industry, and the deep commitment that Women in Reliability and Asset Management means, whose webinars cover a wide range of topics, from digitalization to mental health, all from an asset management approach.
The low presence of women in STEM areas was the main reason for the creation of Women in Reliability and Asset Management. “There are many imbalances, stereotypes and biases, and we are trying to overcome all of this. That’s why we promote female models of projection and leadership that generate long-term impact and ambition,” said Abad.
With a structure made up of chapters around the world, Women in Reliability and Asset Management (WIRAM) continues to open more spaces for more women. In addition to webinars and on-site conferences, the chapters organize hackathons where they can connect and share in order to strengthen ties and continue to project the organization.
