Meet Marcos Nascimento: Championing safety, collaboration and community
“I believe a company that values and encourages employees to strive to be better makes it a great place to work. This fosters a mindset that we can make a positive impact both externally and internally, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration,” says Marcos, when asked what makes Hydro a great place to work.
Marcos is known at the Alunorte plant in Brazil for his attention to safety and procedures, as well as actively seeking out and addressing vulnerabilities to protect people and equipment. Known to be an attentive colleague who cares about people, Marcos has taken on the role as a guide for younger engineers, fostering a supportive work environment.
Marcos spends a significant amount of his free time volunteering, especially to encourage students to learn and love physics, mathematics, and chemistry. By arranging competitions in his local community, Marcos has encouraged student participation and improved performance within the technical disciplines among local students.
Each year Hydro asks employees to nominate colleagues who go the extra mile for the annual Hydro People that Matter Award. The nominations are based on efforts that reflect Hydro’s values of Care, Courage and Collaboration, in or outside the workplace.
Described as a colleague dedicated to safety and collaboration, who is committed to his volunteering work to promote education in the local community, Marcos is described as highly engaged, both in and outside Hydro’s fences.
Keep reading to learn more about Marcos and what it is like to work at Hydro.
Congratulations on receiving the People that Matter Award! Can you describe what receiving this award means to you?
Receiving this award is something I never imagined happening, and it symbolizes the company's recognition of my efforts. It strengthens my commitment to continue engaging in activities that benefit society. I believe we can all strive to do a little more by putting ourselves in others' shoes, imagining what we would like to receive, how we would like to be treated and what opportunities we would like to have. With this mindset, I try to collaborate with others, offer help and create opportunities for others.
You exemplify the Hydro values beyond your daily work, what motivates you to go the extra mile?
What motivates me is trying to put myself in other people’s shoes. It's as simple as that. I always consider how I would like to be treated, what opportunities I would have liked to have, what I would have liked to learn and what I would have liked to do. The answers to these and many other questions guide my decision making. So, if my answer is that I would like to be treated well, it is my duty to treat everyone well.
When I realized that education is a path to transformation, I thought, I would like to have received extra activities to help me better retain the knowledge from school. So, I sought to do something that helps students and helps people maximize their learning. Hoping these are seeds planted and good seeds for society. And one day, as these seeds germinate and bloom, they will bear fruit. So, what drives me to go further is believing we have a bright future, but we have to build it today, now!
Which of Hydro’s values mean the most to you and why?
I would have to highlight Courage. Courage, because I understand it as believing. Believing things can change, believing everything can improve. Believing I can achieve, I can care, I can collaborate. To me, this is the value that lays the foundation for all the others. And it drives me to always move forward, to always strive to give my best.
As a true ambassador for Hydro, what do you think makes our company a great place to work?
I believe a company that values and encourages employees to strive to be better makes it a great place to work. This fosters a mindset that we can make a positive impact both externally and internally, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration. So, the fact that I feel the company values me as a person makes it, in my opinion, a great place to work.
How would you describe our company culture?
It is a culture focused on genuinely caring for people and the places they live. I believe it is a very sound culture and a very sound strategy, because when you take care of those who generate results, you are not just doing something good for someone, but you are also ensuring the foundation to achieve the best possible result. People who feel cared for and valued generate much more positive outcomes. And this creates a virtuous cycle of growth for both people and the company.
You recently visited Oslo with your fellow award recipients. Any key takeaways from your Oslo trip you’d like to share?
All the moments I experienced were truly incredible. Getting to know each colleague, their stories, the units they come from, visiting Hydro's headquarters, meeting more people and exchanging so many ideas. Everything left a mark. But if there's one part of the trip that stood out to me, that will remain strongest in my memory, it was the moment of receiving the award from our CEO Eivind Kallevik. Coincidentally, at the very moment he arrived to present the awards and speak with us, my wife had just entered the exam room for her first ultrasound. It would be the first time we would see our first child on the way. I excused myself and stayed in a separate room to experience that moment live with my wife, seeing our baby. I was very emotional, I cried and everyone celebrated with me. Mr. Kallevik waited until I returned and composed myself to then start the conversation with everyone. I felt respected, cared for!