At Wood, our remarkable individuals push boundaries and spark change both inside and outside the workplace. Valentina Depetri, a Principal Technology Process Engineer in our Milan office, is a shining example of this, and we caught up with her to find out about her dedication to growing her career and her passions away from work.
Thanks for joining us, Valentina. Could you start by telling us about your role and your work at Wood?
I moved to Milan at the age of 20 to study at the prestigious Politecnico di Milano where I gained a chemical engineering master's degree. During my studies, I chose to specialise in process engineering, and this is now the focus of my daily work.
I joined Wood in July 2016 and since that time I have had many opportunities to grow my expertise and career. I have worked on all project phases from feasibility studies, basic design development and FEED (front end engineering design) for national and international clients, as well as authoring technical papers and participating in hydrogen technology marketing activities and technical conferences around the world.
In 2020 I joined Wood’s technology and products team and our shadow leadership team to support our hydrogen and decarbonisation work which have also been great opportunities to expand my horizons.
You’re very well known for your work on low carbon intensity hydrogen solutions. What makes you so passionate about hydrogen?
A lot of opportunities are arising around hydrogen. The world is asking for low carbon solutions to decarbonise the markets and sectors which are traditionally based on fossil fuels, and I have the good fortune to work in the centre of expertise for syngas application technologies. I am passionate about my work in hydrogen because the sector is continuously developing through our ideas, improving the solutions we bring to market. I also enjoy working with my team to create and share ideas because there are no unique answers to the same problems.
You were recently recognised as one of the top 50 Women in Hydrogen in the world, congratulations on that achievement. Tell us about the reception you attended in London.
Thank you, this was a real honour for me. The reception was a wonderful opportunity to meet other people involved in the same field and reconnect with those I had met previously at conferences- our world is not as big as it seems! It was also lovely to spend some time sightseeing in London.
What advice would you give to graduates who want to explore a career in energy transition engineering?
I would tell them to stay curious about the engineering market, keeping up with its evolution, and stay adaptable. There is so much to learn, so keep up to date with academic and industrial research and always have a research orientated mindset.
Can you tell us about any of the projects you are working on just now?
I am involved in the coordination of different hydrogen investment projects ranging from proposal feasibility to basic design developments. Within this, there are many requests for hydrogen and methanation technologies to support both new and existing industrial facilities and I am working on most of them.
All these projects that we work on at Wood are a key part of our mission to design the future. Can you tell us what that means to you?
This is an interesting question and a hard challenge. Designing the future means crafting solutions that align with the world's ever-changing needs. It also means creating a better workplace and a sustainable environment, merging industry and nature and elevating both in the process. I believe that advancing technology while maintaining high industry standards is key to a better tomorrow.
Your work obviously keeps you very busy so what do you like to do to switch off and relax?
On the weekends, I love to get outside and stay fit by trekking in the mountains surrounding Milan. Alternatively, I enjoy attending art and design exhibitions in the city. I also like traveling and would love to visit the United States next.
Thanks for your time, Valentina. We hope to see you in the U.S. very soon.
Learn more about Wood’s hydrogen expertise.