Anca’s Story for International Women’s Day

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we spoke with one of the (many) inspiring women contributing to the PALLAS project: Construction Manager Anca. She shares her journey into the nuclear sector, her experience leading complex contract batches, and her hopes for the next generation of women pursuing careers in engineering and technology.

Could you introduce yourself and tell us more about your role at PALLAS Programme?
I am Anca, Romanian, and graduated as a civil engineering in Romania. Having lived in Romania, Finland and France before moving to Alkmaar three years ago. I started at PALLAS in the Procurement Department, being part of the tender team for the selection of the General Contractor. Moving on to the construction team for the next stages with the general contractor (FCC) seemed to follow naturally after the tender was finalized. Therefore, in 2023 I joined the Construction team as one of the project managers for the 14 contract batches that will lead to the completion of the PALLAS-reactor and surrounding buildings.

How did you get started in your field, and what drew you to this profession?
Following the studies of the civil engineering university was not necessarily a straightforward choice. However, the idea of working on real-world, tangible projects was what brought me to this choice. In general, in Romania, but I am sure not only there - this domain  was perceived as a “men’s world”. It would have been more appropriate for a girl to follow studies in domains such as economics or medicine. And this proved to be the case: the ratio of women to men at my university was roughly 1:5.

During my studies, I had the opportunity to start working in a large construction company called Skanska, first as an Intern at the construction site and later in various departments in the company. I truly enjoyed the whole dynamic, problem-solving attitude and of course all the challenges that are part of the construction process. Prior to my start in PALLAS I had the opportunity to contribute to another exceptional project in Switzerland, CERN, the particles accelerator. That was another rewording experience that I am very proud of.

Nuclear technology and engineering are traditionally male-dominated fields. How have you experienced working as a woman in this industry?
This is certainly the case, however I don’t find this as being a challenge anymore. The less you think of this as being an issue, the less it would impact you. I consider that the way you position yourself towards the others has a very big impact on how they perceive you. We are, in most of the cases, our own worst enemy.

PALLAS Programme is working on the future of medical isotopes, impacting patients worldwide. What does it mean to you to be part of a project with such a global health impact?
It probably sounds like a cliché, but I am very proud and it is truly rewarding to be part of a project that makes a difference and has a direct social impact.

Thinking about your own journey, what achievement or moment are you most proud of as a woman in your field?
There are more moments worth mentioning, but probably the first moment I am certainly very proud of is my graduation as a civil engineer. It was the first proof that misconceptions that exist in society should not represent a limitation for what you want to do or for the goals you want to achieve. This enabled the rest of the next “proud” moments that followed since then.

What are your hopes for the next generation of women in the workplace?
What I hope for in general, is the idea and concept of a women in a certain role or domain not to be considered as exceptional anymore.

Gender equality is an important topic within NRG PALLAS and part of our broader philosophy, where inclusivity and diversity are highly valued. We offer equal opportunities and appreciate the contributions of our employees, regardless of religion, culture, ethnicity, gender, age, or sexual orientation. If we can improve in any of these areas, we address it with each other. In this way, we create an environment where people can work with joy and to the best of their ability.