Joy, tell us a bit about your professional journey. How did you get into the world of Asset Management?

I started in the world of asset management in 2018, working as a Certification Coordinator for Reliabilityweb.com. In 2020, I started working for the Association of Asset Management Professionals (AMP). Previously, I worked as a Customer Service Representative for several organizations.

You are currently the Training & Certification Leader at the Association of Asset Management Professionals. What is your role within the organization, and what impact does it have on the industry?

My role consists of organizing and facilitating certification exams (both live and virtual), assisting Asset Management Chapters and Women in Reliability and Asset Management (WIRAM) Chapters worldwide, and also leading the Domain Belt/Black Belt Program (prestigious award for Certified Reliability Leaders - CRLs) and the Uptime Element Badge program (accelerated training for CRLs) for AMP. All of this spreads the knowledge of asset management throughout the world, thus advancing the careers of people in reliability and asset management.

What are the main challenges the sector faces in terms of training and certification?

I think that one of our main challenges as an organization is to take our message further to more organizations and professionals and to make them understand the importance of the certifications we offer. Asset management is a complex discipline that brings many advantages to professionals and organizations. It is a global, strategic, and long-term approach to an organization. It generates stability, updating the financial development for organizations while regularly incorporating the advances that are typical of the industry due to new technologies, digitization, data analysis, and everything that Industry 4.0 and 5.0 encompass. It is a dynamic process; it is not a certification that you take and simply add to your résumé. This is because asset management is constantly advancing, so updating is mandatory. Our Certified Reliability® Leader and Certified Maintenance Manager™ certifications, the Badges, and the Uptime Elements Domain Belts Projects and Black Belts are designed as a pathway that allows professionals to constantly improve and organizations to achieve high levels of operational excellence, financial robustness, safety, and stability.

Over the years, how have you seen the role of women in Asset Management evolve?

It has been very interesting and motivating to see how more and more women within the industry are growing in asset management and reliability. Within the Association of Asset Management Professionals, we have Women in Reliability and Asset Management (WIRAM) Chapters, created and directed by Maura Abad, a program whose main objective is to elevate and highlight the role of women within our industry and the contributions that women make. I think it is necessary to continue creating spaces for professional development for women, so that every day there are more of us in the industry and we can close the gender gap. We also have Asset Management Global Chapters, spreading knowledge of asset management in their territories throughout the world.

What do you think are the biggest obstacles that women still face in this field?

Traditionally, it has been a male-dominated field. Women in engineering worldwide are still in the minority. There are fewer female role models than male ones in the industry, and for a long time, there have been gender biases against women and science in general. So, it's a question of constantly working to change stereotypes and, especially, of encouraging the next generations of girls and young women to further their education and take an interest in science, math, and engineering. Diversity is so important and can impact an organization greatly. It's something we can achieve with everyone's cooperation.

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What advice would you give to women looking to pursue a career in asset management and reliability?

I would say: go for it. There really is nothing to stop a woman who wants to venture into engineering, science, asset management, and reliability, or facility management. In the WIRAM forums and summits, we find brilliant and successful women who, by themselves, are excellent references of everything a woman can achieve with the right training. There is no real barrier between women and asset management, or at least no barriers that a woman cannot overcome. They must study, prepare, enter the business, get their certifications, and know that asset management and reliability are a path of continuous improvement. They must focus on learning, developing skills, advancing, and creating important changes in their organization through projects… there are no limits. The women I have met in this field are such a great influence and are willing to share their experiences and offer mentorship to any woman entering this field.

Based on your experience, what skills do you consider essential to stand out in this industry?

Several skills are required. I think one of the most important is the ability to assertively communicate the requirements of the job and the objectives that must be met. In our business, there are teams that work in industrial plants, managing complex equipment in industrial or manufacturing environments and complex organizations, and it is very important to have a language that everyone understands, a clear flow of information for everyone, and to always work in line with the objectives of the organization. Leadership is another essential skill in asset management because inspiring work teams to do things differently from the way they have always done them in order to achieve reliability can be a very complex issue. That's why the first certification we have is Certified Reliability Leader®, because we know from experience that it is an essential skill. Our second certification is for Maintenance Managers. Often, maintenance workers are promoted to managers without the skills needed to manage—I highly recommend the Certified Maintenance Manager Certification, as this will teach the skills needed to manage people and assets.

Where do you think the future of Asset Management is headed in terms of training and standards?

Obviously, certifications and quality standards are going to be maintained as a necessary condition for competitiveness, and more adaptations and updates are also planned. Technology, digitization, and AI are advancing rapidly, thus constantly changing the way we do business. Strategies are expanding and enriching themselves; the panorama of what can be achieved is also expanding, markets are increasingly complex, and audiences are increasingly demanding. That is why standardization, training, and certifications are so important, because they guide organizations and professionals through a technological, economic, scientific, and service landscape that is constantly evolving.

What message would you like to share with those considering joining the Asset Management industry?

I would tell them to take the leap as quickly as they can because asset management is an activity that encompasses all industries and organizations, whatever their nature: from public utilities to large factories, hospitals, recreation centers, or customer service. There is no organizational activity that cannot be improved and brought to its highest level of excellence thanks to asset management. The set of strategies that make assets yield their maximum value for the longest time, in a safe way, with excellence and high profitability, is something that everyone wants—everyone values that. Asset management and reliability professionals will be in high demand and appreciated in the job market in a very short time, more than they already are. AMP offers global chapters worldwide that offer vast knowledge in asset management—this is a great place to both learn and share your knowledge. WIRAM LATAM is offering a Virtual Global Summit in November—feel free to join and see how asset management is doing in LATAM. All information can be found on our website at assetmanagementprofessionals.org.

Finally, we know that work can be very demanding. How do you balance your professional and personal life?

When I have free time, I like to spend it with my family. It is important to me to spend time in nature and enjoy outdoor activities.