Meet our people: Leticia Frata

A good challenge makes my eyes light up

The reason I chose to become an engineer was not because I was the best in the field of exact sciences. I decided to study engineering because I knew it would be a challenge for me, and challenges make my eyes light up! I figured that this choice would be an opportunity to encourage my mind, so I wanted to choose a difficult field and see how I could master it. 

My Hitachi Energy journey 

I started as an intern for Hitachi Energy in 2018, doing bid support for Power Consulting here in Brazil after I completed my electrical engineering degree. I was responsible for technical and commercial proposals, cost estimation, contract evaluation, and occasionally sales support. I worked full-time while getting my master’s degree. 

In 2021, I asked for and received the opportunity to move to the engineering area and today I work as a Power Consulting engineer. In this role I develop different studies from the feasibility analysis of the project to the conceptual phase and basic design, model the network simulating and evaluating the results of electrical studies to define the best, most appropriate solutions for our clients. 

It's interesting to me because we combine practice with theory on a daily basis. It is an area of engineering in which we learn in depth how the studied phenomena occur, being able to verify in practice the effects of different solutions to the same problem. I see Power Consulting as a team where curiosity, flexibility and adaptability are keys when we address new roadmap solutions for our customers’ needs.

In diversity there is strength

Our team is very, very diverse! We have different opinions and different characteristics, and we are all given the same access to opportunities; Hitachi Energy’s commitment to diversity is real, not a marketing tactic. In addition, our manager gives the team the support it needs, and Hitachi Energy invests in our knowledge and development.

I love learning 

Learning something every day is a personal value for me! I moved from technical proposals to engineering because I wanted to learn more. A similar desire was behind my most recent assignment, in which I was chosen as the technical leader for an HVDC project - one of Power Consulting Brazil’s largest-ever projects. 

It was challenging because we had four different stakeholder groups: the client, our internal customer (a team from across the world), and the grid operator. We had to balance these very complex relationships to deliver a solution that pleased the customer and complied with all the requirements.

I am proud to be a power consultant in Hitachi Energy 

Another thing that makes me happy and proud is the team culture which is really tangible! We know that we only grow and stand out in the market if we are together and aligned and always learning from each other. And yes, many people in our team have a unique talent, but the consistent results we build every year are only possible when everyone is on board.

My future

The projects I worked on so far highlighted for me that as much as I like engineering, I like problem solving even more! I am happy when I guide a complex situation - with many people that sometimes are not on the same ground - and I get to work on facilitating harmony and understanding among the different points of views. When I am in this position, this is when I feel my best. 

I don’t know what challenges are ahead, but in Power Consulting we always have the opportunity to tailor innovative solutions for our customers and help them meet their goals while at the same time together we advance a sustainable energy future for all. These are active elements in our work which I love. That is clear to me and motivates me a lot!

 #MeetOurPeople #ProudToBeHitachiEnergy

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