Daniella Souza Miranda

As a chemical engineer, I started my career 25 years ago at a Dow manufacturing facility in Guaruja, close to São Paulo, Brazil. At that time, I never imagined that I would still be with Dow all these years later. But I have grown diagonally, degree by degree, to where I am now, as global marketing and circular & renewable solutions business director at Dow.

I had the chance to work in different functions and business units across the company – purchasing, operations, supply chain, commercial, marketing. In this variety of roles, and moving across regions and locations, I have benefited from a wealth of experiences. Dow has opened a world of possibilities where I could learn from new people, be curious and test my skills.

I’ve enjoyed and stayed in my role in packaging because of the ‘moment’ we are in currently in– the innovation that is allowing the industry to reinvent itself. We are learning how to reinvent what packaging is through the evolving eyes of the consumer, adapting to their needs while also minimizing carbon emissions and thinking circular. By working in packaging, I am at the center of the challenge, and I love being part of this disruption.

I believe women bring an intrinsic nature of empathy and caring that starts with our focus on our community. In caring about the future of society, about the environment, it’s a logical next step to be concerned about protecting my own family and looking at how their food is protected, the sustainable goods we use in our own household, and the end life of the packaging of our waste. My perspective as a consumer and a mother is shaping how I approach every facet of my job today.

When I look to my peers in the sustainable packaging industry, I see a lot of women, and I think it’s because this industry has a purpose. It’s more than selling a product; we are providing solutions that are positively impacting the lives of others. As a mother, sister, daughter, I am thinking about my legacy, and how can I leave the world a better place for my children, and their children.

As women currently in the STEM and packaging industry, we have a duty to inspire the younger female generation to find their ‘purpose’ and serve in a way that creates a positive impact and legacy. Whether they are in a lab driving the research, or selling product as part of a commercial team, they need to be empowered to lead initiatives with meaning.

At Dow, we are engaged with advocacy and awareness groups like the Society of Women Engineers that not only support our goals to foster the next generation of sustainable leaders, but also as an internal talent pipeline and driving diversity goals. To have a truly inclusive workplace, I believe we must be intentional in seeking and hiring talented women.

A lack of representation has historically been the primary barrier. We had to break the wall to understand that there was space for us in the packaging industry.

Yet there still exists a deficit of women in visible leadership positions. I recently attended an industry event on circularity, and of the 20 panelists on stage throughout the day, there was only a single featured woman speaker.

And as we think about larger goals of a balanced workforce, we need to examine the ladder from bottom to top, which includes a diverse succession plan for organizations, while paying close attention to attrition rates. We have a responsibility to show the possibilities in career pathways for women in the sustainable material science industry and enable the accelerated ascension of talented female candidates up that ladder.

I’m inspired to see some of my female colleagues, like my leader Karen Carter, President of Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics operating segment. Karen has broken barriers and along with other leaders like Haley Lowry, Michelle Sauder and Izabel Assis, are creating room for future women leaders to have a seat at the table.

We are in this moment in history where sustainable and innovative packaging solutions are more important than ever. Being a woman in packaging in 2023 has been remarkable as I am able to work with many talented female colleagues that are making incremental change to make this world a healthier one.

One moment in my early career that I will never forget, was when I walked onto my first manufacturing site and learned there was not a women’s restroom onsite – only a bathroom for my male colleagues. It was not an inviting culture, and I was seen as an outsider. I have had to prove myself over and over again that I was worthy to be in the same room as some of my male counterparts, and when any project came up (big or small), I raised my hand high, understanding that I needed to go the extra mile to overcome any biases about my age or gender.

I also experienced cultural barriers as I moved many times throughout my career. Anytime you move, you must adjust to new ways of working, identify different ways to connect with colleagues and in social situations, and integrating with varying leadership styles.

But these barriers have allowed me to grow throughout my career, pushing me out of my comfort zone. As I reflect on my career, I can see small changes that I made that I believe have impacted my organization and my industry.

We can support women by inviting them to be part of the wider conversation when it comes to business development, leadership and talent development planning, and where the industry is headed as a whole.

Soft skills are also critical to ensure that there is flexibility for women throughout their careers as it relates to personal milestones – like having children or becoming the primary breadwinner in a family unit - that may impact their professional dynamic in certain periods of time. There was a period in my career where I had a young child, and it was difficult to travel three days per week around the country. In a situation like that, managers can evaluate a sales portfolio to see where changes in a customer base may relieve unnecessary pressure on women who are also bearing the load of “invisible labor” at home. There are moments in your career when you need to balance priorities in different ways.

As we learn and grow throughout the different career stages, you will come across many different mentors who complement a skill or action that launches you to the next level of your life or career. Sometimes a mentor can support you for a short-term change or a season, while others may help you throughout the duration of your career path.

My advice is to identify a mentor who complements you in contrasting ways. Seek someone who has attributes that you want to grow and develop.

One mentor of mine is Pedro Suarez, the former president of Dow LATAM, who was instrumental in my growth. He was an incredible inspiration, because he saw something in me that I could not see and pushed me to reach higher than I ever imagined. He encouraged me to never limit myself.

The best advice I could give is to pause, breathe and stop overthinking. Reframe your ‘plan’ as a vision, and don’t box yourself into a specific lane or set of choices. I always say, there are many paths that end at the same destination.

When I became a mother, I wish someone would have told me, “Relax, he will be okay!” There were times during my son’s life where I missed different milestones, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to be present both as a mother and as a professional, which was a constant tension. To the mothers, I will be the one to tell you, “Your child will be okay if you are okay!”

In the very near term, sustainability must be embedded at the very core of business to generate real and needed transformation. I believe that sustainability will be ingrained in all aspects of life, whether it’s transportation, clothing, cosmetics, furniture or technology, and resilience will be essential in this process.

As we innovate and develop new products, we must shift our mindset to integrate sustainable practices and materials through every step of the R&D and design process to meet the consumer’s needs of tomorrow. This includes lowering carbon emissions as we work collectively to mitigate climate change. Big picture – we must be committed to altering our daily habits and ways of living, so we can protect the planet for thousands of years to come.

There is no future without a sustainable society – and this requires sustainable industries and value chains.