Pioneers in Novonor Group: meet women of our history

These women have overcome challenges and made important contributions for more than 75 years inside Novonor Group.

In honor of those who have been, are, and will still be part of our history, we have gathered some examples of pioneering women in the Group.

Ruth Evangelista and Norberto Odebrecht

1^st female employee:

Ruth de Oliveira Evangelista was the first woman hired by Novonor Group in the 1950s. She started as a telephone operator and also worked as a secretary. Ruth left the company to live in the United States and study english in July 1963. She was married in New York and had two kids. She lived with her family in Miami for many years until her passing on July 3, 2017.

Maria Helena Cardoso Giuliani

1^st female to complete 40 years in the company:

On August 4, 2006, Maria Helena Cardoso Giuliani has completed 40 years of work with the Group, becoming the first woman to celebrate this achievement. Her career began in 1966 as secretary at Companhia Brasileira de Projetos e Obras (CBPO), a subsidiary of Construtora Norberto Odebrecht at the time. Maria Helena was also one of the first women hired, as only five women worked in the entire company when she arrived.

Ana Carolina Farias and Juliana Mesquita Monteiro Gamba

1^st Female Contract Directors:

At just 32 years old, Juliana Mesquita Monteiro Gamba was the first woman to hold the position of Contract Director at OR, in 2011, in addition to being the youngest among the company’s directors at the time.

At the former Odebrecht Infraestrutura, the first contract director was Ana Carolina Farias, who joined the Group as an intern and grew until she became director of the Expressway Highway Complex in Suape (PE).

Viviane Arantes

1^st female welder for submarines in Brazil:

Viviane Arantes joined Itaguaí Construções Navais (ICN) in 2012, which hold interests in the former Odebrecht Defesa e Tecnologia. She was the only woman working as a welder and, with the company’s support, she became the first in Brazil qualified to work with 80 HLES Steel, the material used in the main hull structure of submarines built for Prosub-EBN.

Juliana Baiardi

1^st Business Leader:

Juliana Baiardi has been with Novonor Group since 2011 and was the first female Business Leader in our history when she took over the position at former Odebrecht Ambiental in 2016. Later, she was also BL for OTP and Atvos in challenging programs and today she is advisor to the CEO of Novonor S.A.

Ieda Gomes Yell

1^st Board Member:

The arrival of the first woman to the board occurred in 2018. Ieda Gomes Yell, a chemical engineer from Bahia, got the position at the age of 62. Her résumé showed more than 30 years of international experience in natural gas, energy, and infrastructure projects, as well as acting in international company boards. Ieda is also the founder and still a board member of Will Latam, a non-profit organization focused on developing women leaders in Latin America.

Tip: Our Novonor Memory Center (CDR) gathers the entire historical archive of the Group in a digital bank. Click here to access.