Mônica Soares — Strategy, Leadership, and Engineering in Practice 

Full Name: Mônica Soares da Costa

Tenure: 5 years

Role: Accommodations SpecialistLocation/Office: Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

Favorite Song: Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

Hobbies outside of work: Going to the movies, watching series, and going for walks with my daughter.

What is your day-to-day like at Longitude?

I work on multiple projects simultaneously, which makes my daily routine quite busy—whether I’m executing designs or providing technical support to new employees starting out in this field. I work in the Naval Architecture department, specifically within the Accommodations section.

What inspired you to pursue this career?

My father. In 1975, he began his career in the Naval industry as a Mechanical-Electrical Engineer, eventually becoming the Superintendent of the Ishibrás Shipyard. I’ve lived among ships my entire life. When I was 16, my father took me to see the Condoleezza Rice, a vessel they had just finished building for Chevron. I fell in love instantly! In 2004, I started as an intern at Kromav—a naval engineering firm that no longer exists—where I worked with one of the best architects in the field, Olga Pires. She was the one who introduced me to this line of work. Since then, I’ve had “n” mentors who have taught me so much and helped me along this journey.

Can you share something exciting you’re currently working on?

At the moment, we are working on increasing the personnel capacity for two SBM platforms: Cidade de Ilhabela and Cidade de Paraty. This work has been challenging for me because, until now, I was more accustomed to ships and fewer platforms. This project is providing an opportunity to revisit activities I did over 15 years ago, such as the P-51 and P-52.

Among my current projects is the conversion of the Supply Parcel for the Mero fields. I am working on the layout for installing line-handling equipment. I love this type of activity because it’s a challenge to predict the installation of onboard equipment based on the specific operations it performs.

Looking to the future, what do you consider essential to drive sustainability in your sector?

New opportunities for 100% Brazilian projects that start and finish here—from design to construction. Having worked in a shipyard, I know how important it is to build in Brazil and “keep the wheels turning.” This is what allows the country to grow and develop.

Beyond work, what do you enjoy most about being part of ABL Group?

Without a doubt, the feeling of being part of a big family. People here are always willing to help, support one another, and grow together. That makes me very proud and motivates me to learn every day from each professional in the company. And of course, I can’t forget to mention our pagode group—always a great excuse to get together, have a good laugh, and further strengthen bonds outside the workplace.