Women in Operations: Meet Maëlliss Cropsal

Maëlliss Cropsal joined Ahlstrom four years ago, right after finishing her studies. She came to La Gère to work on her final-year project and then stayed on as a process engineer. This is her first job.

Every day is different

Maëlliss’ days start with vigilance. Process engineers have to identify deviations early, which means monitoring standards and measured values in real time every day. In addition, she follows trials of new raw materials and new paper grades. She also spends a significant amount of time on the shop floor with the operators, observing how they work and identifying areas for improvement in the process.

What drew her to operations was the absence of routine. “There’s no routine in production,” she says. “Every day is different, and there’s so much to learn.” Production also sits at the center of the site, so the job requires close collaboration with every department, particularly quality and maintenance. She finds this to be one of the most rewarding aspects of her role.

Maëlliss most enjoys the detective work: analyzing the data behind a problem, presenting her findings to the operators, coming up with an answer, and ultimately finding a solution. 

“I’ve never been treated differently."

Manufacturing has long been a male-dominated industry, but Maëlliss is clear that this has not shaped her own experience. “I didn’t feel any difference because I’m a woman. In the field, that’s never been a problem.” Her advice to young women considering the same path is brief: be confident and don’t assume things will be different because you’re a woman. They aren’t. The route into the job is the same for everyone. She adds that having a woman as Ahlstrom’s CEO sets a good example.

The skills that matter most, she says, have little to do with technical knowledge: be a good listener and honor your commitments. That’s how you earn the trust of operators. Building that trust is an important part of the job.

For now, she wants to stay with the process team. “This is my first job, and I still have a lot to learn.” In the longer term, she’s curious about other parts of the business