2021 Influential Businesswoman Awards

48 Acquisition International - Influential Businesswoman Awards 2021 Best Textile Container Co-ordinator (Brazil): Elaine Uehara anwey is a pioneer in themanufacture of flexible polypropylene fabric containers (big bag) with its brand, Sanbag in Brazil. Sanbag is designed to withstand the most severe conditions of handling, transport and storage and is prevalent in several countries, in the sectors of food, chemicals, agribusiness, mining, and petrochemicals. Elaine Uehara has been working at Sanwey for 21 years and started in the shipments department on expert operations, before moving into market analysis and, finally, as a Textile Container Co-ordinator – the role she currently holds. “When I started there weren’t many women in this sector,” Elaine explains. “But in this decade the number has grown, including in the manufacturing area. Time has shown that women have been prepared for the job market in general.” Prior to working at Sanwey, Elaine worked in auto parts industries where she gained experience serving large automakers such as Volkswagen, General Motors, Ford, Mercedes, Honda, Yamaha, New Holland, Maxion, and Toyota, in addition to large distributors in Brazil and South America. “When I started my career, I didn’t think about the possibility of having a leadership position. At that time the maximum that women could achieve in the administrative area was to be the executive secretary of a CEO. The accumulation in the search for knowledge and being willing to work with new challenges makes you see that you are capable of occupying better positions.” Acting in foreign trade in Brazil requires being always up to date with tax, customs, technical regulations and being open to new developments. Also, keeping track of the countries’ economics and politics is essential. “Knowing the structure of these companies facilitated the service of companies from other economic sectors, whose volume of movement of goods is not small; to get an idea, our packaging transports 500 to 2500kg of goods.” So far, 2021 has been a great year for Sanwey, and Elaine tells us that plans for the future include to expand its production capacity, however with great care, given the current situation of the national and global market. S For Elaine, the next step in her career involves opening a foreign trade consultancy, promoting and helping micro and small companies to export and import products so that people have access. Having recently been awarded Best Textile Container Co-ordinator (Brazil) in the Influential Businesswoman Awards 2021, Elaine is an inspiration to businesswomen everywhere. “I try to pass on my knowledge and experiences within my circle of relationships,” she explains. “I also share my projects for the future, so that they can imagine that it is possible to make their dreams come true, just work a little each day. “Don’t wait for others to tell you what you need to do, observe and think about the points for improvement. Sometimes, to measure your employability level, ask yourself if you leave the company today, would your qualities meet current market demands (be honest with yourself).” Despite a tumultuous past 18 months, Brazillian-based Sanwey is flourishing. We speak to Elaine Uehara about her role within the firm and how she is an inspiration to businesswomen the world over. Jul21552 Contact: Elaine Uehara Company: SANWEY INDUSTRIA DE CONTAINERS LTDA. Web Address: www.sanwey.com.br