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At the head of a high-tech company, CEO Sophie Zurquiyah was recently interviewed by Marie-Claire Capobianco on ‘SMART WOMEN’, a program on the French B SMART business channel, highlighting women in leadership across diverse sectors.

In this inspiring French-language interview, Sophie shares what sparked her passion for engineering, the mentors who shaped her journey and the importance of being a visible role model matters, especially for women in STEM.

“We need to show role models. We need to explain what engineering jobs are — because they can seem abstract — and inspire girls early, like in 8th or 9th grade, when they’re thinking about their future.”

She also reflects on her leadership of Viridien since 2018, particularly through its recent transformation to become a high-tech company specializing in geoscience, digital, and Earth data, helping its clients to develop natural resources responsibly.

“Currently, 90% of our revenue comes from oil and gas — and we are market leaders, with over a 50% share in two of our three core businesses, globally.
We’re also developing new markets that now represent 10% of our revenue: low-carbon solutions like carbon sequestration, mining, high-performance computing, and infrastructure monitoring.”

She also explains Viridien’s approach to ESG and sustainability: “We have measurable targets in all areas. Since 2019, we’ve cut our emissions by over 70%. And even in absolute terms, we have a relatively low footprint.”

Click here to watch the original SMART WOMEN interview with Sophie Zurquiyah (in French only) (© B SMART)