Alumni Success Story - Virginia Hué Sanmartín, MDSC 2024 and Procurement & Logistics Director at PRODESA BIOMASS GROUP

Alumni Success Story - Virginia Hué Sanmartín, MDSC 2024 and Procurement & Logistics Director at PRODESA BIOMASS GROUP. See profile on Linkedin

"The master's program has allowed me to name and delve deeper into ways of working, many familiar but also new ones, while pushing me to think from a different perspective."

Virginia, tell us a little about your extensive professional background and what made you choose to study the Master's in Supply Chain Management at ZLC last year.
Although I started my professional career focusing on technical tasks, after a few years, my work evolved into management, always within a technical environment, and since 2007, in roles related to industrial purchasing and logistics.
My professional development in this field has been parallel to the development of the purchasing function at PRODESA, in a very practical way, so I felt the need to complement it with a more theoretical or academic input. PRODESA's strategic decision to begin a strong vertical integration of its supply chain was the turning point and the push I needed to go back to studying.

What aspects of the master's program do you consider most valuable for a senior profile like yours? How has the master's helped in your professional development?
Personally, I was looking to theoretically validate concepts I had acquired more empirically and to learn about newer or different aspects from what had already been implemented in the company. The master’s allowed me to name and deepen the ways of working, many of which were already known, but also others that were new, and it forced me to think with a different approach.

As a chemical engineer, you have always been very committed to contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint. Could you briefly explain the environmental challenges that the supply chain faces and how they are being addressed?In my opinion, the two most relevant points facing supply chains regarding carbon footprint reduction are emissions from transportation, as demand is increasing at a dizzying pace, and the search for energy efficiency, which, in addition to reducing direct or indirect emissions across the supply chain, will also optimize prices.
These are two complex aspects, with many facets, with plenty of room for improvement, and although progress is being made, it is necessary to increase our efforts.

Prodesa Group, where you have been for more than 17 years, is a leading company in the design and supply of biomass pellet production plants. What are your main responsibilities as Director of Purchasing and Logistics at Prodesa?
The main responsibility of the Purchasing and Logistics department, and therefore mine, is to ensure the delivery of what our clients, both internal and external, need, on time and in the correct manner, optimizing the available budget. This translates into coordinating and guiding the different area teams towards this goal, defining the policies to follow, identifying stock levels, participating in the homologation of new suppliers, evaluating existing suppliers, negotiating framework agreements, and establishing and monitoring performance indicators, among others.

Furthermore, the company stands out for its commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency in all its projects. How does Prodesa integrate sustainability into its purchasing and logistics strategy?
We are concerned with balancing sustainability and competitiveness, which is not always easy. To achieve this, we like to establish long-term collaborative relationships with suppliers who offer guarantees, as well as work on optimizing the design of our products in order to, for example, replace materials or reduce transportation needs.

Finally, what message would you like to share with alumni and potential candidates for the master’s program who are considering balancing work and studies, as you did?
I would encourage them to do it, of course. Although, let’s not fool ourselves, it is a period of great effort (it’s not easy to balance work, studies, and personal life), in the end, it is a very enriching experience, not only because of the knowledge acquired but also because of the good times spent with classmates, it becomes a period of personal and professional growth.