For Two Women, Stepping Out of Their Comfort Zone Was a Stepping Stone to Success

Challenging yourself can be scary. For Damaris Aracil, Kimberly-Clark's logistics and distribution manager for Northern Europe, it’s just another day at work.

“Moving from your comfort zone, moving countries, changing jobs – it’s scary at the beginning, but then your body gets used to it, knows what to expect and you feel comfortable again,” said Damaris.

Hiromi Nakamura Svensson knows the feeling. Her Kimberly-Clark career has taken many twists and turns.

“It’s important to continuously improve and develop, while also being a good role model for others,” Hiromi explained.

Hiromi started in the company’s supply chain graduate program in 2013, where she had the opportunity to experience transport, planning and warehouse logistics.

“I was very interested in a career in manufacturing when I finished the graduate program and found my way to research and development as a stepping stone. With the right introduction to manufacturing, I moved to Italy and started working as a process optimization and cost transformation leader at our Romagnano manufacturing facility.”

After three years at the facility, Hiromi wanted to experience the one function in the supply chain she hadn’t been exposed to yet -- procurement. She now serves as the procurement manager for management services and travel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Damaris joined Kimberly-Clark in Spain as a key account manager in 2009, and after three years in sales, she moved her family to the U.S. to seek out her next challenge – manufacturing.

“This was an amazing and super hard experience,” she said about her role as the lean coordinator and asset leader for Kleenex at Kimberly-Clark’s former manufacturing facility in California. “But my determination to make it successful helped me move along the learning curve.”

After three years in the U.S., Damaris came back home to Spain and joined the supply chain team for the Middle East and Africa. She’s now serving as the distribution and logistics manager for Northern Europe, covering for a colleague on maternity leave.

Both Hiromi and Damaris believe their career paths at Kimberly-Clark prove that the company has a clear focus on supporting women, and Hiromi says that Kimberly-Clark “encourages and supports women to expand their careers, whether the goal is a lateral move or a promotion.”

She’s also grateful for the strong sense of community amongst her female colleagues. 

“The way that we support and encourage each other every day allows us to be stronger together.”

At Kimberly-Clark, we know that our differences make us unique, and they also make us stronger as a company. As we recognize our incredible female leaders like Hiromi and Damaris who work in a diverse array of functions around the globe, we celebrate what makes us different -- and work to ensure that regardless of these differences, everyone has the same opportunity for success.