They believe in the power of cooperation

23 Dec 2024

Here is the third post, in which we present two of the ten nominees for the female engineer of 2024. The ceremonial announcement of the selection of the first among equals will take place on January 16th, 2025 in Cankarjev dom. In this third post, we are presenting Karmen Košutar, construction engineer and Katja Škof Žavcer, informatics engineer. They both share the same believe, that mixed teams in which women are included are more efficient and successful.

Karmen Košutar

Karmen Košutar, who supervises the execution of construction works and coordinates activities between the client and the contractors for the Second track project, believes that her work has a positive impact on the lives of many generations. As a construction engineer, she obtained her master degree at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Maribor, because as she says, construction fascinates her because it is »A multidisciplinary industry that you never get tired of. «

The beginning of her career was marked by the decision to move to Mozambique, where she first worked as a volunteer in an orphanage. Later, she got a full-time job in a construction company, in which she headed the internal quality control department, especially in the construction of road infrastructure, and achieved great success with the accreditation of the testing laboratory: »At that time, the construction industry was booming in Mozambique, so there were many opportunities to work there. « Although this African country took her in, she returned to Slovenia due to difficult living conditions and the desire for a safe environment for her family.

Karmen emphasizes that construction is a profession for everyone, regardless of gender: »Women bring different perspectives, balance, and know how to push boundaries to the teams. « Even the biggest challenges, such as participation in the mega project Second track, the new railway line Divača-Koper, encourage her to explore new routes and find solutions.

She advises young girls to follow their dreams: »Never allow yourself to be told that you cannot do something, especially because you are a woman. It is true that it is more common that a builder, machinist or sailor is a man, but you can also be a female builder, machinist or sailor. « With her dedication, innovation and heart, Karmen proves that construction can be a profession that combines technical excellence and humanity.

Katja Škof Žavcer

Katja Škof Žavcer is an informatics engineer who has been successfully working in the IT industry for over twenty years. She received her education at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics in Maribor, and currently heads the quality assurance department at Comtrade Gaming. Her team consists of more than 50 engineers in six different locations.

Katja's career path began in 2000, when, as an informatics student, she explored the IT world while programming and testing. Her belief that “a good leader leads with the power of love, not with the love of power” has led her to success in leading and motivating her team.

At first, she did not imagine that her profession would be related to computers. In high school, she considered studying tourism or criminology, but when her parents bought her first computer, she was completely taken over by technology. Since then, she has steadily built her career. »One of my most important life lessons is that the key to success is persistence. When faced with challenging projects and deadlines, I always believed in my abilities and the power of collaboration.

Katja designed an internal mentoring program in the company and gave the opportunity also to women with education in non-technical fields, such as art history or communication. They were trained for technical roles with a special program. She believes that cooperation and transparent communication are key to success. »Plan with your head, lead with your heart, « is her life motto.

She told young people: »There is a lot of knowledge on the market that you can take advantage of. Don't pay attention to the opinions of those around you, but listen to your heart."