This article has been supplied.For Lerato Ntuli, becoming the first woman to lead Engen's Langlaagte Terminal was about more than reaching a personal career milestone. It marked an important step in her career and demonstrated what can be achieved by women in an industry where they remain underrepresented.
The 44-year-old Terminal Manager has spent 15 years at Engen and has built a career spanning five different roles across the business. With more than 22 years of working experience and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice from Henley Business School, Lerato says adaptability, perseverance, integrity and continuous learning have been central to her journey.
Her Engen career began in May 2011 as a Dispatch Supervisor in Lubricants and Chemicals at Isando DC. Two years later, she moved into the role of Relief Depot Manager for Fuels in Inland East. In 2014, during an organisational restructuring, she accepted a Plant Supervisor position in Chemicals.
Although it represented a step back in her career progression at the time, Lerato says the experience reinforced the importance of being adaptable and persevering through change.
In 2018, she returned to the Fuels business as Depot Manager for Alrode, a joint venture tenant operation. Three years later, she applied for the position at Langlaagte Terminal, based in Johannesburg, a role she had once viewed as the "giant" of the business.
