For more than 30 years, Hege Gunnerud has been a key technical resource at Protan. With a master’s degree in metallurgical engineering and a career spanning product development, technical documentation, application technique and laboratory management, she has played an integral role in building Protan’s technical excellence.
Hege graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Technology (now NTNU) in 1988, but as a newlywed woman entering a male-dominated job market during an economic downturn, landing a permanent position was far from easy. It took several years — and two children — before she secured a full-time job relevant to her education.
In 1994, she joined Protan as an engineer in the Application Technology Department. At the time, Protan was producing roofing membranes under license from Sarnafil in Switzerland. When the licensing agreement ended in 1995, Protan was finally able to market its own brand – Protan roofing membranes. Hege took responsibility for technical documentation and product certifications for new European markets, and was soon trusted with tasks like product and system training.
She went on to lead the technical department, which was later renamed Technical Services. After some years as Product Manager for Roofing and Membranes under the R&D department, she now manages Protan’s laboratory and supports international markets with her in-depth roofing expertise. Hege also represents Protan as chair of the Norwegian Roofing Manufacturers’ Research Group (TPF).
Hege recalls how being a woman in a male-dominated industry brought its challenges. While she quickly earned internal respect at Protan, external meetings often came with assumptions — including being mistaken for a secretary.
– I started wearing my engineering ring from NTH. It was a symbol well recognized in the industry — and left no room for doubt, she says.
Being a young woman in this environment also meant being highly visible. Mistakes were noticed more, and success was often taken for granted. However, Hege also experienced respect and inclusion, particularly when working with international customers — and found that being a woman could even be an asset in some settings.
Today, much has changed for the better. Equal opportunities are increasingly the norm. Still, she notes, women remain underrepresented in leadership and production roles — and there’s more to be done.
– I’m not a fan of quotas, but I do see the value of gender balance in any workplace. Diverse environments are stronger, and more dynamic. And even now, I believe it’s still harder for women to build a career at Protan than it is for men.
As leader of a diverse team in the lab, Hege sees the benefits of inclusion every day.
– I’m a strong believer in diversity because it enriches the work environment. When a team reflects the world around us, it’s a strength. We all have different perspectives, and we learn more from each other. In the end, we’re just people working together – and success comes from knowing each other’s strengths and using our combined competence.
Her closing message is simple – and important:
– Let’s keep working toward more inclusive and diverse workplaces where everyone has the same opportunity to succeed.
