As the Purchasing director for Spac (the networks subsidiary of Colas) with 25 years in the Bouygues group under her belt, Isilda Josso is no stranger to challenges. Today, her focus is on international markets, as she develops her company’s export activities. Back in the 90s, she joined Bouygues Offshore, the Group’s former oil services subsidiary. "I’ve often asked myself why I accepted that job! I was one of the rare women in a world dominated by men and engineers, and we were working in a hostile environment, often in countries affected by geopolitical tensions." But she refused to be discouraged and, buoyed by the support of her colleagues and her own perseverance, she successfully completed missions both in France and abroad. She took part in large-scale projects like the construction of an FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading unit) and gas terminals. Among them: the Canaport LNG terminal in Canada, where she relocated to live with her family for three years.