Bárbara Donoso Silva became the first female manager of a terminal at D&C Group, following her taking on the challenge of enhancing the operability of the Terminal D&C Punta Arenas and, with this, opening it to new productive sectors in the extreme south of Chile.
Donoso is an engineer with a master’s degree in Transport, with more than twenty years of experience in companies such as Ultramar, Sitrans, CMPC and Codelco.
Her arrival “marks a milestone within the group, as she becomes the first woman to hold a terminal management position, also opening a stage of reactivation and expansion for the operation,” the company remarked.
For her part, Donoso stated that “being the first woman in this role is a great responsibility, but also an opportunity to demonstrate that female leadership can transform this industry and open space for new forms of management.”
According to a 2024 study by Gartner and Awesome, women represent 41% of the logistics workforce globally and 26% of senior management positions. In the case of Chile, according to 2023 data from the Observatorio Logístico, the participation of women in logistics reached 18%, a proportion that has remained relatively constant over the last 5 years with values between 16% and 18%.
The Terminal D&C Punta Arenas, located just 5.1 kilometers from the port with direct access to Ruta 9 Norte, has more than 1,800 square meters of built area, six cold storage chambers and five loading docks, capable of reaching temperatures of up to -25°C. These facilities, together with their high-tech infrastructure and equipment, allow them to offer comprehensive logistics solutions beyond refrigerated storage.
In this regard, Donoso explained that “although this terminal was conceived for the salmon industry, we want to broaden the horizon to include whitefish, retail and other products. We aim to operate mixed chambers, not just aquaculture ones, with proper segregation and sanitary control.
The professional also highlighted that this diversification will allow them to make the most of the installed capacity. “The idea is to start up our first chamber with a mixed system that gives us fluidity and dynamism in operations,” she added.
The plan also includes the enabling of new complementary services that expand the terminal’s scope. “We want to achieve a comprehensive model that goes from storage to transport, consolidation and container depot. The goal is for clients to be able to export from Punta Arenas in the most expeditious way possible,” stated the executive.
The above will help decongest the port and offer a more efficient and economical alternative for the regional industry. With strategic vision, Bárbara Donoso “seeks to position the Terminal D&C Punta Arenas as the logistics benchmark of the extreme south, combining innovation, sustainability and new job opportunities,” the entity emphasized.
