From Intention to Impact: How Heavy Industries Can Build More Women Leaders presented by Marijana Hajder, Regional Head of Talent Europe, Holcim on October 30 at Women in CemCo EMEA 2026.
For years, we have talked about the need for more women in leadership. But what happens when we move beyond the intention?
In heavy industry, Marijana has seen first-hand that women do not lack ambition, capability or potential. What can be missing are the opportunities, visibility, sponsorship and deliberate talent decisions that allow that potential to become leadership.
After more than 20 years in People and Talent roles across the cement industry, Marijana has learned that building more women leaders is not about lowering the bar or creating a separate path. It is about looking differently at potential, opening access to experiences that build credibility, making succession decisions more intentional, and creating leaders who actively sponsor the next generation.
This session is a practical and personal look at what it takes to turn “we need more women leaders” from a good intention into something you can actually see — in the field, in our plants, executive teams and boardrooms.
About the Speaker
Marijana Hajder is a People and Talent leader with more than 20 years of experience in the cement and construction industry, specialising in leadership development, talent, succession and organisational transformation.
Today, she is Regional Head of Talent at Holcim Europe, working across 20 countries and partnering with country CEOs and senior leaders to build stronger leadership pipelines. She leads regional talent reviews covering more than 250 senior leaders, working at the intersection of business strategy, leadership potential and people decisions.
Marijana’s perspective on women in leadership has been shaped by more than talent processes. Throughout her career in a traditionally male-dominated industry, she has seen the difference that deliberate opportunities can make — and the limitations of simply assuming that talent will naturally rise to the top.
Register to meet incredible women leaders, you can have a 20% discount if you register to our newsletter here – or write to us at Mariana.gheorghe@industrylink.
Her focus today is on turning potential into impact: making talent decisions more intentional, creating access to experiences that prepare people for leadership, and challenging the assumptions that shape who gets seen, selected and sponsored. Come meet her, and you can also choose to attend CarbonZero or Cementitious Congress held on 28-29 October at the same venue. We will keep your 40% discount for all the events!
Want to know more about decarbonization, sustainable industry trends, and the breakthroughs driving real change? Explore the complete lineup of Industry Link’s 2026 events below:
Cementitious Materials International Technical & Trade Congress – Europe
28–29 October, Brussels, Belgium
A leading EMEA gathering on cementitious materials, market trends, regulatory updates, and regional opportunities.
Women in Cement and Construction International Congress 2026 – EMEA
30 October, Brussels, Belgium
A dedicated forum advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the cement and construction sectors.
Sustainability Conference and Exhibition to include Industry 5.0 – Smart Solutions for Cement and Construction Conference and Exhibition 2026 in São Paulo (World Trade Center)- will convene leading voices from across the global construction, engineering, and infrastructure sectors to address the urgent challenges of decarbonization, embodied carbon reduction, and climate resilience. As the sector undergoes a massive digital shift, this event also focuses on the technologies defining the next generation of building: AI-driven operations, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and human-centric industrial transformation.
Speakers include:
Luciana Arouca – Head of Sustainability Services Brazil & LATAM, JLL
Ana Lúcia Grizzi – Senior Independent Consultant; Coordinator of the Sustainability and Innovation Committee, Votorantim Cimentos
Josilene T. V. Ferrer – Senior Analyst of International Cooperation and Climate Change, CETESB – Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo
Carla Leal – CDP Market Director for LATAM | Board Members
Michal Zuk, Research Hydrogen Specialist, London Stock Exchange Group
Juan Padial – Managing Partner, Digital Supply Chain, KPMG
Felipe Salgado – Managing Partner of Decarbonization, KPMG
Rejane Afonso – Technical and Commercial Director, Monitore
Túlio Henrique de Oliveira Silva, EMBRAPII
Camila Ramos – CEO, CELA – Clean Energy Latin America
Alberto Lima Santos – Digital Technologies Manager, SENAI-SP
Larissa Mello – Sustainability Specialist, Supremo Secil Cimentos
Rodrigo Ramos Tosta – Environmental division, BNDES
Cementitious Materials International Technical & Trade Congress – MEA
8–9 December, Morocco, Radisson Blu Hotel
The premier MEA event for cementitious materials, innovation, and regional trade opportunities.
Speakers include:
- Hicham Safi – Novacim
- Dr.-Ing. Hanane Yaagoubi – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
- Dr. Shashank Bishnoi – Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
- Medhat Mostafa – CEMEX Egypt
- Dr. Mahmoud Abu Elenien – Royal Cement
- Hejji Aljuraysh – Yamama Cement
- Mohammed Elhaddad – LafargeHolcim Maroc
- Rachid Hakkou, Professor Université Cadi Ayyad
- Dr. Hanane Yaagoubi,PhD laureate of Mohammed V University in Rabat, former Resident Researcher at IAS, UM6P.
- American Concrete Institute (ACI)
- Arabian Cement Company Egypt
- Ciments du Maroc
- Sara Dallasta, CEO, Dallasta Consulting
- A³&Co.
- Meta Group of Companies
- NRMCA
Cementitious Materials International Technical & Trade Congress – Americas
11-12 march, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA – Hilton Bahia Mar Hotel
