Maria Lushina, Global Product Marketing Manager at ABB, holds a Master’s degree in Power Energy. The Eurovent Team asked her how she pursued her career in the HVAC sector and gave some points on how she inspires others.
What made you decide to pursue a career in HVACR?
In general, I was always passionate about engineering, construction sites, buildings, factories, technical processes and manufacturing. I was always amazed by how people design something complex, containing many parts and how everything finally functions well together. My mother worked in the area of energy supply, so I knew a bit about what it was, and I went on to study Energy Technology. I ended up in energy generation and distribution and furthermore focused on heating and cooling as by-products of power generation. Then it was easy to move to the building side because you generate, transmit and then distribute it in buildings.
How do you inspire others?
If you are passionate about what you are doing, people see it right away. If you are open and willing to share your knowledge and help others on their way without criticising them, it inspires people. If you are eager to learn and are seeking knowledge, it also inspires. It might not necessarily inspire the person to dive deeper specifically in the HVACR industry, but it will inspire them to finally find something that they will love as much as HVACR professionals love the industry they are part of.
What has been your most memorable experience in the HVACR industry?
Visiting massive construction sites where HVACR systems are being deployed. Also visiting heating and cooling generating facilities. One of those was CopenHill heat and power plant in Copenhagen, not only producing clean energy from waste, but also being one of the city attraction points with a skiing slope integrated in its design. Yes, it’s not Alps, but it is a nice step towards making HVACR and district energy closed to a wider audience and a chance to tell people more about how HVACR can become more sustainable.
Do you ever feel like you are being underestimated or undervalued? How do you deal with it?
It happens very often to women, especially young professionals, in men-dominated technical areas. I am not trying to prove my expertise right away and argue for technical solutions. I respect, listen, ask questions and end up being listened to as well as respected when sharing my view on a subject matter. Even though my professional experience is under ten years of work in the industry, I have managed to learn truly a lot and have much to tell. Another factor is that it does not matter how young you are or what gender you are, it only matters how open you are to sharing your expertise and helping to solve a problem.
