The recipe for a fulfilling career may look different from one person to another.

Debora Venturi is a Brand Management Analyst at Volvo Trucks Brazil. For her, in her career, three things are important: curiosity, daring to fail, and embracing challenges. While working at Volvo, these things took her halfway across the world: to an assignment at Volvo Trucks’ headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.

From a young age, Debora was encouraged to be curious and open for adventures. This has followed her throughout her career, and together with her favorite phrase – “if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you” – it has taken her to many places and several roles within the company.

Although Debora has worked at Volvo Trucks for 13 years, her connection with the company began long before her professional journey. “My family in Brazil owns a sawmill with a big Volvo fleet. As a kid, I loved going there to see the trucks. Applying for a position at Volvo was both an emotional and rational decision and it’s safe to say that my family is very proud of my job,” she says.

An adventure halfway across the world

Driven and with a desire to grow, Debora was looking for a new challenge when a colleague told her about the opportunity to go to Sweden for a Short-Term Assignment (STA). “I immediately reached out to the hiring manager,” she says. “My future manager explained that she was actually looking for someone to stay for six months. I wasn’t prepared to be away from my family for that long. However, I also didn’t want to miss out on such an incredible experience. After many conversations with my husband and kids, I decided to accept the opportunity.”

When asked about where her bravery comes from, she says: “It comes from the desire to be a role model for my children - to teach them to follow their dreams. I wanted to show my daughter that she can do whatever she sets her mind to, and to show my son the importance of supporting his future wife’s dreams.”

Getting new insights

The assignment became an adventure for the entire family when Debora’s kids and husband came to visit her. “The kids saw snow for the first time, and we also saw the Northen lights,” she remembers.

When reflecting on her journey, she says that “Every challenge in my career has enhanced my self-awareness and given me even more strength to face new experiences. Being at the Headquarters and close to all the decisions about our business was amazing and I loved learning more about Swedish culture, especially regarding gender equality and work-life balance.”

And when asked about her plans for the future, Debora concludes: “I will stay curious and aim to learn something new every day. In five years, I hope to hold a leadership position within Volvo.”