Mariana Jiménez Valverde

WinGen

Administrative manager

What 3 to 4 professional and/or personal accomplishments are you most proud of?

• I used to work in the food industry, so at the beginning it was very challenging to understand the company’s activity and its interaction in the horticulture market, so I am proud to have learned so much and to be able to suggest and implement solutions.
• Creating a clearer administrative and operational structure within WinGen Costa Rica with the collaboration of an excellent team of people passionate about plants has definitely been fulfilling. I think it has been a great help to the growth of the company and the professional development of people within WinGen.
• The relationships I have managed to build, both with my family and friends, as well as within my work life. For me it is very important to keep a balance between personal life and work, and I feel very happy to actually have it.

What led you to work in the horticulture industry?

• I studied agribusiness engineering, and I always wanted to work with plants, mainly with flowers because I love them.
• I remember that when I saw the job offer it said that it was a position for a logistics manager for an ornamental plant company. I immediately applied, even without knowing very well what exactly it was about because it is not a very common activity in Costa Rica. I never imagined that I would get to see such beautiful plants with such different flowers. The area of horticulture is very broad and diverse, and I love having that dynamic in my work.

What’s the best thing about your job? (Please select one)

• Co-workers

Describe to a 6-year-old what you do in life?

• I work with people who love plants so much that they create new flowers and we send them to different parts of the world so that people can choose their favorite flowers.

What are your favorite hobbies?

• Walking, running and swimming 
• Making pottery and painting (I’m not very good, but it’s very relaxing) 
• Gardening while listening to music
• Spending time with my cats, Cahuita and Selva

When you’re not working, what are 2 to 3 things we could find you doing?

• Sharing with my family and friends
• Enjoying my free time at home and watching movies
• Visiting my favorite places in Costa Rica, Monteverde and Puerto Viejo

Do you have any unusual talents, or can you tell us something interesting about yourself that other people may be surprised to find out?

• I read music and play the clarinet.

One thing you can’t live without?

• Breakfast. I can’t start my day without having a good breakfast and coffee.

What are you (un)secretly good at?

• I learn the lyrics of the songs very easily.

What are your top three bucket list items?

• Learning to scuba dive
• Seeing some of Costa Rica’s wild cats in their natural habitat
• Seeing the Baobab trees

What’s your favorite plant variety and why?

• As a houseplant, philodendron because the leaves have beautiful colors and shapes and they are easy to keep in good condition.
• For the garden, evolvulus ‘Blue My Mind.’ I love that it is usually covered with blue flowers and that its flowers are also attractive to bees.

You’re buying a vacation package to anywhere in the world without a budget, where are you going?

• I would love to travel to Australia and Madagascar.