Sabrina van Winkel (32) chose a career in a technical sector. She talks about her choice, ambitions and the role of zinc in a sustainable future. ‘When a vacancy became available here, I was immediately very enthusiastic.’
As a child, Sabrina van Winkel was fascinated by the building plans of her father, who worked in the construction sector. When she was 14, her maths teacher predicted she would become an engineer. Which is what happened. After studying industrial engineering, she went on to obtain an MSc in materials engineering and a PhD.
I like the technical work, but could also see myself in a managerial position.
Sabrina Van Winkel,
Process Technologist at Nyrstar
‘During my studies I always worked on metals, a very interesting subject. So when a vacancy became available at one of Belgium’s largest metal processing companies in Belgium, I was immediately very enthusiastic.’
She has been working as a Process Technologist at Nyrstar's leaching plant for almost two years now. ‘Despite being a large, international company, the atmosphere here is friendly. Here you can just have
a chat with both the operators and the management, and it doesn't always have to be about work.’
Working atmosphere
As a process technologist, she monitors the processes in the leaching plant, where zinc oxide is converted into zinc sulphate. ‘We make adjustments where necessary. If something doesn’t go as we expected, we investigate what the cause might be. We’re always looking for ways to improve our processes.’
At 32, Van Winkel is young, but not the youngest on the floor. Many technical profiles at Nyrstar have just left school. They receive additional training to continue their growth. Thanks to her PhD, Van Winkel already had quite a bit of experience. Yet she also benefits from the internal training. She has received training in project management and is part of the leadership programme.
Nice goal
This says a lot about her ambitions. ‘I like the technical work, but could also see myself in a managerial position. Today I don't really manage people, but as technologists we do say what has to be done. That suits me.’ General Manager Inge Schildermans also started at the leaching plant. ‘That’s very ambitious,’ Van Winkel says laughing. ‘But it’s a nice goal of course.’
Nyrstar's commitment to sustainability was an important
factor for Van Winkel to choose the company. ‘Zinc plays an important role in a greener future. It’s widely used to place a protective layer on steel. This prevents corrosion, making the materials last longer. Zinc is also endlessly recyclable, which improves sustainability.’
