Diversity in the workplace is a louder conversation than ever and brings real business benefits. Silvia Simon, LATAM Procurement Senior Manager at Mercedes-Benz Brazil, explains why, as well as how the company’s flexibility has steered it through the pandemic…
Mercedes-Benz is a name synonymous with quality, all over the world. To maintain that, it needs quality people – like Silvia Simon, LATAM Procurement Senior Manager of Mercedes-Benz Brazil. Simon’s resume is certainly impressive. She has over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, working across purchasing and sales. She spent 15 years with another passenger car-making company, and the last seven with Mercedes-Benz Brazil in Trucks and Buses. Simon currently oversees direct materials with a decade worth of senior leadership experience at her fingertips – and a deep passion for professional development.
Due to the nature of the economic and political landscape in Brazil, procurement is generally a mixed bag and can be challenging. As such, Mercedes-Benz has to be agile, even in an industry where achieving agility can be difficult. “Our buyers are diverse, and we’re always trying to see multiple perspectives,” explains Simon. “But the automotive industry is very process-driven, very organised, and heavily regulated, meaning agility can get lost. We always have to find new ways to be flexible, to think differently, to align with the results-driven nature of procurement. Brazil is not a stable market – we are always facing volatile situations – so pushing flexibility in the company is vital.”
