photographer: annelies vollmuller © | make-up artist: uliana matkovska
larissa terdu(she/her)
civil engineering team lead at shell
about
i am larissa terdu, civil engineering team lead at shell energy and chemicals park in rotterdam and mother of two young kids. i grew up in a multi-cultural neighborhood in southern rotterdam, and where i visited a manufacturing plant in my primary school years. this triggered me to pursue a technical career. over the years i learned that only i am in charge of my development, growth and creating career opportunities. being bold and ambitious is not something to be scared of. i also learned to never give up and be patience, focus on adding real value to your workplace and your colleagues.
why do you think it is important that role models need to be visible?
in my youth and early career, i also relied on great role models and supporters along the way. i would like to be that role model for a future generation, and hope to inspire all those girls out there who might think being a engineer is only for men. it is not, and often it’s even the female perspective or communication style that is needed to bring a team together. don’t be intimidated, it is exciting and fun. being a engineer is all about being creative, looking for solutions and find a way to get things done.
shell
shell has the ambition to become one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world – where everyone feels valued and respected, where the richness of perspectives helps us to create strong connections wherever we do business. our role models can inspire women to take on the exciting challenge of stepping into tech, take on leadership positions or become entrepreneurs. in this way, we can power progress together.