Contact the Technical Sales Support Office of Performance Coatings in Jotun Italy, and you may be surprised to find a woman on the other end of the line. 

Breaking barriers as one of the few women in this sector, Verena Zeriul approaches her role with enthusiasm and attention to detail. The 33-year-old has been in Jotun for five years. 

“While I live and work in Trieste, Italy, I am Slovenian by culture and by heart. I grew up not far from the Slovenian border and went to Slovenian schools”, says Verena Zeriul.  

“My multi-cultural heritage, along with my studies in Economics in the UK, Germany, and Austria has helped me find my place in the multinational company Jotun”, she continues. 

Verena has a technically demanding role and finds herself in a male dominated work environment. She provides assistance from start-to-finish through all stages of the design, build and maintenance phases for both the marine and industrial protective sectors. 

“I have found everyone I collaborate with, both within Jotun and outside in shipyards, to be very pleasantly surprised that a woman is part of the team. They appreciate the qualities that I bring to the table both as a woman and as a professional”, she says, and continues: 

“I have never been made to feel out of place, something I thought may happen as occasionally the lone woman walking into a shipyard. In fact, the reaction has been exactly the opposite”. 

Jotun is well known for having loyal employees that stay onboard for years and years. Verena can easily relate to this.  

“There are no other companies I know of that are investing so much in their employees’ development and training”, she says. 

Verena refers to herself as a “sponge that loves to learn” and lists several completed trainings. Some are technical, others have to do with general workday related issues, such as managing stress and creating a better work/life balance.