In honor of National Business Women's Week in the USA, we're showcasing and celebrating some of AR Metallizing's fantastic female talent from around the world. We'll be explaining more about what some of our colleagues do, and the amazing skills they bring to our business us each day...

Gabriela Santos Ribeiro

Gabriela is an R&D Manager at AR Metallizing in Brazil. She has a background in Application Engineering in polymers, adhesives and coating.

Today, Gabriela works in AR Metallizing’s R&D Department, but she didn’t start out knowing exactly what she wanted to do professionally. Well before she was an application engineer, she started her career by working at a kindergarten. ‘When I first started my studies at university, I thought perhaps after my studies I’d go to work with my father, who worked in a local milk pasteurization facility. Then I discovered the amazing world of polymers, and I totally fell in love with understanding more about them. Ultimately this led me to the more technical and scientific side of packaging,’ explains Gabriela.

Gabriela’s love of science and chemistry led her to focus on learning more about different aspects of polymers, adhesives and packaging. She is also passionate about innovation and applying her extensive skills to some of the everyday challenges that can change the world.

‘I take pride in applying my expertise to try and solve some of the pressing issues of today, and I view what I do from the perspective of how it can help society, all while doing my everyday job. A perfect example is how I use my skills to help reduce food waste. For instance, at AR Metallizing, we are looking to use sustainable materials and improve the shelf life of edible products and reduce waste at different points in the supply chain,’ says Gabriela.

Tine De Cleene

Tine is a Plant Controller. She is based at AR Metallizing’s premises in Genk and is also a part of our global finance team.

Tine has a mind for numbers, figures and data, and she is also keen on embracing digital transformations which can help companies in becoming more streamlined and efficient.

‘Currently, I’m involved in an exciting project which will bring us better analytical oversight of AR Metallizing and will automate different processes which support data analysis. Through this analysis, we can support other areas of the business to become more efficient and productive,’ explains Tine. 

Working closely with other teams and collaborating with internal partners, Tine is continuously learning and evaluating areas where there might be productivity opportunities for the company.  

Outside of the office, traveling and spending time outdoors are important pastimes for Tine. ‘I love to travel, and I am a keen hiker – I love to walk wherever I am in the world! Cooking and baking are also hobbies, and what better to do on a rainy weekend than spend time in the great company of friends!’ says Tine.