Good chemistry: Zhanna and her all-female crew of scientists

Exercise is a big part of Zhanna’s daily routine. She is a trained fitness instructor and also teaches a water aerobics class in her spare time.

“I love exercise because I don’t like standing still. I’m like that at work too – I like learning, developing and reading new things to help improve myself.”

Coming from a family of railway workers, it was Zhanna’s parents who suggested she become a chemist. She has now been working in chemistry labs for over twenty years, twelve of which have been at Glencore’s Kazzinc, a large-scale, fully integrated producer of zinc, lead, copper and precious metals located in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. 

Zhanna manages the chemical analysis group at Kazzinc’s research centre and leads a team of all-female chemists. She oversees her colleagues’ work in the lab and is responsible for making sure everyone is working safely to produce quality chemical analysis results. 

“Our results are used by other teams to make decisions related to production processes at Kazzinc, so a lot depends on our numbers,” Zhanna says.

Zinc, lead and other commodities produced at Kazzinc are important for advancing everyday life. As Zhanna explains: “The metals we produce here are very important to the world and used in a number of different products and industries. Zinc can be used to galvanise steel and iron to protect them from corrosion. Lead can be used by the automotive, electronics and aerospace industries, and copper can be used in electronic products and wiring – to name just a few examples.”

At work and in her personal life, Zhanna is a big believer in the power of a positive mindset. She believes that positive thinking has brought her successes at work, shaped her confidence and helped to empower her team.

“As a leader I work on bringing energy and lots of support to my team. Each morning starts with a meeting where we assign tasks, but the best moments are when we come together again to catch up on how the day is going,” she says.

In the future, Zhanna is determined to keep progressing: “I want to strive to be better and develop myself in the future, both at work and as a fitness trainer. I believe the most important thing is a positive attitude – that’s when the best results come.”