Talents Y - Get to know the other side of Sandra Ferreira

Tell us a little bit about your journey, where you come from, what your background is, where you studied, and how long you have been with Yunit?

I come from Póvoa de Varzim and I have a degree in Economics. My professional journey is quite diverse. I started my career in the commercial area, where I remained for 8 years, focusing on client management and coordinating sales teams. Subsequently, I worked for 10 years in a large group in the textile sector, accumulating experience in accounting, financial management of investment projects, and tax incentives. In the last 3 years in that group, I took responsibility for the quality management system, which provided me with a solid capacity for organisation, (re)structuring of processes, calculation and analysis of KPIs, and monitoring of process efficiency, in addition to coordinating internal and external audits. After that experience, I accepted a challenge in a financial and tax incentives consultancy firm, where I served as Director of the Project Management Department.

Currently, I have been working as a consultant at Yunit for about 2 years, where I apply my know-how resulting from my accumulated experience in team coordination, quality management, project management, and tax incentives, as well as accounting, enhancing and optimising the projects I am involved in.

Tell us about a project or moment that particularly motivated you or challenged you in an unexpected way.

A particularly motivating and challenging moment was monitoring a client's project that faced several obstacles during its implementation. From the beginning, it became evident that, although the project had been approved, its execution would not be straightforward. The client encountered immense constraints, even considering giving up on the project. It was in this challenging scenario that I had the opportunity to intervene decisively, by adopting a proactive approach. Each of the problems was thoroughly analysed, properly framed, and acted upon accordingly in order to overcome them.

What initially seemed like a critical scenario quickly turned into a learning and resilience experience. Our commitment to ensuring that the client not only proceeded with the project but also achieved all established objectives became our priority.

The final result was surprising: the client not only executed all investments but also had a significant impact on their activity. This case reaffirmed the importance of rigorous monitoring and the need to always be attentive to market changes and needs. Furthermore, it highlighted the value of proximity and the partnership that Yunit establishes with its clients, demonstrating that, even in the face of challenges, it is possible to create a positive and significant impact. This experience not only motivated me but also strengthened my conviction in the transformative role we can play in the trajectory of SMEs.

How would you describe Yunit's culture?

Informal, innovative, and collaborative.

What advice would you give to someone who has just landed at Yunit? 

Try to understand the company culture, networking, be proactive, have a critical opinion, know how to listen, and maintain a positive attitude.

If you hadn't gone into working at a Consultancy, is there any other sector of activity you would have chosen?

Perhaps in the textile sector in an industrial company, as it is an enriching challenge for me to understand their production processes, organisational structures, methodologies, and adopted procedures, allowing me to understand the organisation and contribute to the optimisation and enhancement of its projects.

Tell us about a hobby you have or an activity you really want to do one day!

Regarding hobbies, I like riding a bike with my son. In the future, I am interested in exploring the practice of a more extreme sports activity with him, although I haven't defined which specific activity yet.

What book, trip, or other activity recommendation was memorable for you and would you like to share with us?

Book: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever - Julia Quinn
Trip: Samaná

SIDE B

What is your idea of happiness?  My idea of happiness involves simple things like enjoying joyful moments in the company of my family, especially my son.

What is your most striking feature? Persistence.

Which trait do you like most in yourself? Focus on the objective.

Which trait do you like most in others? Transparency.

If you could choose a superhero power, what would it be? Telepathy.

What can't you live without? Without the joy and positive energy of my son.

Tell us a song you love and that has accompanied you in recent months? 

Alive - Pearl Jam