By Grupo Porres, México –
Context and Objective
This note summarizes the success story of Selene Ramos Solís, the first leader of an all-female mechanized harvesting crew at Grupo Porres. Her example highlights the operational, social, and strategic impact of this initiative, as well as its contribution to gender equity, sustainability, and cultural transformation within the organization.
Background
Selene Ramos began her career at Grupo Porres working in the maintenance and housekeeping area. From the outset, she demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous learning and a genuine interest in understanding agricultural processes and field machinery operations.
Four years ago, she made a pivotal decision: enrolling in a sugarcane harvester operation course, a field traditionally dominated by men. This step marked the beginning of a professional development journey that would eventually position her as a benchmark for operational leadership.
Breaking Stereotypes and Advancing Female Leadership
Two years ago, the agricultural management team identified in Selene not only technical talent, but also clear leadership capabilities. As a result, she was entrusted with creating and leading the company’s first predominantly female crew dedicated to mechanized cultivation and harvesting operations.
Selene assembled a team of 10 women and 1 man, whom she trained in agricultural practices, technical procedures, field operations, and — most importantly — confidence-building and teamwork. The crew quickly became recognized as a model of discipline, commitment, and workforce stability.
Operational Results and Performance
The team led by Selene successfully completed two consecutive harvest seasons, meeting and surpassing the established operational performance indicators.
As part of optimization measures implemented during the 2025–2026 harvest season, the crew operated with only 7 members while maintaining efficiency and strong performance, demonstrating effective management even under resource-constrained conditions.
Key Indicators
- 99.7% team commitment
- 100% retention rate
- Productivity increase:
- 2024–2025 harvest: 1.6 recovered tons/day
- 2025–2026 harvest: 2.69 recovered tons/day
- Accumulated tons harvested:
- 2024–2025: 2,527.45 tons
- 2025–2026: 2,748 tons
These results confirm the operational excellence of the work model implemented by the team.
Social and Cultural Impact
The success of the female harvesting crew has generated positive impacts that extend far beyond technical performance:
- Inspiring other women to participate in mechanized agricultural activities
- Improving perceptions of equity and inclusion both within and outside the organization
- Breaking social and cultural barriers in a historically male-dominated sector
- Reinforcing gender equality as a factor that creates sustainable business value
Strategic Conclusion
The case of Selene Ramos Solís demonstrates that diversity and female leadership are not only matters of social responsibility but also sound strategic decisions.
This experience positions Grupo Porres as an organization committed to sustainability, social innovation, and cultural transformation, proving that inclusion generates measurable and replicable results aligned with the company’s long-term objectives.