Meet Maria! Verification & Validation Engineer at AKKA Benelux

Your role in AKKA

I had different roles during my experience at AKKA and I worked for different countries in the last two years.

My first role was in Toulouse, as a Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Specialist for AKKA France, I then moved to Japan to expand our task for a new, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.

After few months, I accepted a new role in AKKA Japan for a new project as V&V (Verification and Validation) Engineer with the same client. It was my chance to be involved in a new department and acquired new skills and responsibilities.

Thanks to this new role in the company, I got my recent project in AKKA Benelux, within Signaling Department, for a big International company within the Railway sector in Belgium.

Your background

I have a background in Aerospace Engineering. I did my studies at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

I started my engineering career in projects for Airbus in Madrid as Ground Support Equipment (GSE) specialist. This role involved performing chores as stress and mechanical design. GSE is a department dedicated to design and develop tools for the maintenance of airplanes’ fleets.

In 2018, I moved to France, first to Lyon and later, to Toulouse. Over there, I keep my role, (projects for Airbus Operation within GSE) but I increased my skills in management.

In 2019, I joined AKKA in Toulouse and they proposed me to move to Japan to expand our task for a new client, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. I got it like a great opportunity: new client, new continent and new culture, so I didn’t hesitate for a second.

During my time in Japan, I lived in Nagoya for a year and I performed two missions, one as a GSE specialist where it was my first time coordinating a project between two countries. It was an amazing experience to live the challenge of emerging to different cultures with large differences and work methods. When our mission was achieved, I took part in a new project in the airplane certification as a V&V engineer where I had the chance to develop my career in something different to design and stress engineering and increase my responsibilities.

In 2020 I was proposed to move to Belgium, Brussel, to get the role that I recently have in AKKA Benelux.

Your achievements

I can say that my first and important achievement in my career was finishing my studies at the University. I was in charge of my university fees by working in different opportunities, to be able to achieve my studies. It was my dream to be Aerospace Engineer, so I did my best, no matter how hard the challenge was. And indirectly, this period showed me that if you put in work and passion you can make your dreams true.

My second achievement was getting an opportunity to get out of my country to live new experiences, learn new languages and see the world at the time that I was developing my career in the Aerospace field.

I could add as achievement my adaptability to new environments, new cultures, new sectors, new countries, etc. For example, the last one, my change from Aerospace Sector to Railway. From I was younger it was clear that I wanted to be Aerospace Engineer and I wanted to develop my career in this field. But for life reasons this pandemic gave to me a bigger change.

It was a challenge to decide it but now, I’m so glad to have this chance. I’m in a great country, learning a lot from a sector that I just discovered.

How do your friends describe you and your spare time?

My friends repeat to me that I’m crazy because in few years I moved three times and between different countries. They add that I’m courageous and I spread the passion for what I’m doing as well.

Before Covid I tried to spend my spare time traveling as much as I could, practicing outdoor sports (hiking, cycling, climbing…). I usually tried to do all those activities surrounded by friends or new people. In addition, I used to be a volunteer in associations related to immigration, integration, etc. And recently, with this special period, I travel more within new books, and I go to “Covid free” places with my bike to enjoy the nature and to discover all I have around me in this new country.