On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an initiative set up by UNESCO, ACC wanted to highlight the work of three women in positions within its Supply Chain team. Three accounts of their experiences, which we hope will resonate both with the hundreds of women who work hard every day at ACC and with all those who excel in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

 

Chehrazed Ahcine, Supplier Performance Manager:  ‘To pass on my knowledge by using my analytical skills and my understanding of the various players, whatever their differences!’ 

Can you tell us a little about yourself?  

My name is Chehrazed Ahcine, and I've been in charge of the Supplier Performance department and the Upstream Traceability project at ACC since 2022. My role is to strengthen ACC's partnership with its suppliers to achieve collective success. 

I studied chemistry at university for 8 years before spending 15 years in industry (petrochemicals, mechanical engineering, etc.). 

 

What made you want to work in science? 

A passion for chemistry (and science in general) developed thanks to several people around me. 

When I was very young, I used to watch my father creating paint colours on demand for his customers, and my mother sublimating each ingredient in her recipes. The importance of mixing, proportioning and processing with great care and detail. 

Secondly, with the doctors and scientists I met along the way, who always took the time to answer my questions. The fact that intellectual curiosity is welcomed in the field of innovation was a decisive factor for me. 

And having grown up in the 90s/2000s, we can't forget the pop culture references Buffy (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Scully (from X-Files), the first female fictional characters with no decorative roles and a certain mastery of destiny and science. 

 

What message would you like to pass on to women and young girls who are hesitant about taking up science? 

When someone tells you that something isn't for you or that you can't do it: ask them why and what you are lacking to succeed.   

If you get a response, you'll have some leads to explore to reach your goals. If you don’t, it means this person was just trying to discourage you, and it's best to move on.  

It's important to know who's not playing in your team. 

 

What has been your greatest challenge or success as a woman in this field? 

I try to get my ideas across, not by force, but by using my analytical skills and my understanding of the different players, whatever their differences. It's much more challenging! 

 

Mihaela Botis, Supply Chain Digital & Business Manager: ‘Confidence is essential to success!’ 

Can you tell us a little about yourself?  

Mihaela Botis, trained as an engineer. I began my career in IT over 20 years ago. Interaction with the production system brought me closer to the industrial environment, thus entering the field of Supply Chain. Here, I had the opportunity to practice all the B2B Supply Chain professions (raw materials procurement, IN and OUT logistics, flow management, planning and production, S&OP, management control, SC management), as well as a large part of the Central Supply Chain professions (Project Manager, information systems for SC and Finance, performance improvement, training and skills management, coaching and support for Customer Service Progress Plans, S&OP, industrial strategy). All this was done for a major French industrial group with worldwide operations.  

I joined ACC over 2 years ago, attracted by the opportunity to participate in the creation of a Central Supply Chain department in a still new company. 

 

What made you want to work in science? 

Since my childhood, I've always been passionate about science, having an intense curiosity and being motivated to understand how everything I observed around me worked. My inclination towards the exact sciences such as mathematics and physics offered me the opportunity to graduate from the Polytechnic School of Engineering. Later, I entered the industrial field. 

 

What message would you like to pass on to women and young girls who are hesitant about taking up science? 

It's important to trust their own abilities if they're interested in this beautiful but demanding field. Confidence is essential to success, and it's also imperative to acquire the necessary knowledge, and apply it without hesitation. It takes a lot of time to be prepared and to demonstrate your skills and values. Opportunities will arise, and sometimes it will be necessary for them to step out of their comfort zone to obtain them and seize them fully. 

 

What has been your greatest challenge or success as a woman in this field? 

My greatest achievement was to create a high-performance Industrial Supply Chain team, appreciated for its results, and to integrate all the businesses around it effectively. This success had a huge impact on my subsequent career at Central level. 

The biggest challenge was getting out of my comfort zone and into an unfamiliar environment, by joining the Supply Chain/ACC team. 

 

Lyne Debuisson, Logistics Service Provider Coordinator: ‘Don't hesitate, and don't have any regrets!’ 

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

Lyne Debuisson, employed since March 2024 as logistics service provider coordinator. I'm in charge of operations and the smooth flow between the external warehouse and the Gigafactory. 

 

What made you want to work in science? 

Encounters with women who have made a name for themselves in a rather male-dominated field (over 20 years ago, mentalities have since changed). 

 

What message would you like to pass on to women and young girls who are hesitant about taking up science? 

Don't hesitate, and don't have any regrets. The only limits are the ones you impose on yourself. 

 

What has been your greatest challenge or success as a woman in this field? 

Having to prove myself every time was very energy-consuming. I'm lucky to be in a team with a majority of men, and that this difference doesn't matter.