Noelia Vázquez Coronel is the HR & Communication Director at ELIX Polymers since September 2012. Beginning her professional journey as an employment consultant, Noelia serviced clients from all kinds of business sectors which helped her gain substantial experience in labor law and its application. However, Noelia found herself most intrigued by another department at the company: human resource management. Luckily, the opportunity presented itself sooner as a vacancy for HR technician at ELIX Polymers. Continuing her training in the HR and people development area, she paved her way to become the HR Director and thereafter the Communication Director at ELIX Polymers.
“No mistakes are made, but sometimes decisions are made that are not entirely correct. I have learned in such cases that a mistake is an opportunity for betterment and improvement.”
ELIX Polymers is a member of Sinochem, a Chinese conglomerate that primarily regulates the production and trading of chemicals, fertilizers, and exploration and production of oil. A leading manufacturer of ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resins and derivatives in Europe, ELIX Polymers is a specialist provider of tailor-made solutions for high-quality thermoplastics applications. Adding more to this, Noelia exclaims, “With more than 40-year track record, ELIX Polymers is an expert in ABS polymers, and it has the resources, the expertise and the experience to create value for its customers through highly individual solutions.” ELIX Polymers offers a broad range of material solutions for a variety of industries and applications, meeting the stringent requirements of the healthcare, automotive, appliances, electronics, toys, and other industries. The distinct features of ELIX Polymers that make it a benchmark company in terms of good market practices are:
Their head office and plant are located in Tarragona, Spain, at a distance of 100 km from Barcelona City and 10 km from Tarragona Port, one of the busiest ports on the Mediterranean coast.
They are part of the Southern Industrial Park of Tarragona, one of the largest petrochemical areas in Spain that represent 44% of all Spanish plastics production, 25% of the Spanish chemical industry and 35,000 related jobs. Together with the North Industrial Park, this area contains a total of over 31 companies that occupy 1,200 hectares and produce 20 million tons of different products, mainly fuels and plastics.
They have ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications and are firmly committed to corporate social responsibility in due of which they put all their effort into maintaining a strategic sustainable management line that helps them obtain prestigious certifications such as EcoVadis Gold.
ELIX Polymers is also a leader in Prevention Culture which has led to its mention among the Top 10 companies in the second edition of the MEPS2 ranking (Business Monitor of Excellence in Prevention, Safety, and Health) developed by PRLInnovación.
Their key areas of focus include continuous improvement, innovation, state-of-the-art technology, high-level expertise in the sales and technical marketing departments, and the human capital of ELIX Polymers. Moreover, they are highly dedicated to environmental sustainability while upholding the responsibilities of the chemical sector as well.
The trail of attainment
Noelia describes hard work and effort as the basis of her professional career. When Noelia first joined the HR department, it mostly consisted of female co-workers who had been in the company for many years. She mentions, “My first challenge was to find my place and earn the team’s trust. My colleagues played a key part in welcoming me from the first and supporting me in adapting to and positioning my role. I managed to reverse the situation by listening closely and learning from those who knew.” Quite evidently joining the company provided her opportunity for growth in professional terms. But personally, it also gave her a new space with contemporary challenges and deeper learning which helped her evolve herself as a whiz in the HR industry. Her support system throughout her voyage was majorly her family who always supported her career change and personal life decisions. Nevertheless, there is a balance that has to be established between work and family. Speaking of it, she tells Aspioneer, “My family has been the pillar of my strength to continue my training. Over the years, I have formed my own family and so, conciliating my private and professional life was another aspect to be considered during my career.”
“Though, I would not define it as a barrier. It is just that sometimes it is harder to form a family and have children, as, at some point, you have to sacrifice the time that you would be able to spend with your family in another post or job,” explains Noelia. “In my case, this is resolved with the understanding and support of all those around you, and the conviction that what you are doing makes you happy, and so you contribute that additional happiness to your environment.”
Being a person built from hard-work, sweat, and constant learning; Noelia always stays true to her principles and has always interpreted the breakdowns as an excuse to improve and learn better. She asserts, “No mistakes are made, but sometimes decisions are made that are not entirely correct. I have learned in such cases that a mistake is an opportunity for betterment and improvement.” Like any true professional, she is always concerned about being of benefit to the company and serving its purpose. She measures her success as a grade of satisfaction in her everyday routine which she believes comes from fulfilling her personal values, the company’s values and supporting her team at all times. She smiles to add, “If a person is happy doing what they do, what greater success could there be?”
When not at the office, Noelia likes to spend her time on the beach and enjoying the good weather with friends and family while having a nice meal. Apart from that, she engages herself in physical training at least thrice a week to stay fit and loves listening to music when she needs to unwind.
Pursue your conviction
As a female leader, Noelia has a bit of straight-forward advice for fellow women professionals. She says, “They should not condition their aspirations and dreams to the mere fact of being a woman. Rather they should trust in their possibilities and fight for their dreams.”
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