Corrosion is a crucial worldwide problem that strongly affects natural and industrial environments. Today, it is generally accepted that corrosion and pollution are interrelated harmful processes since many pollutants accelerate corrosion that causes rusting of material and impacts structural integrity, which in turn pollutes the environment and causes an adverse effect on the quality of life of people.
With more than 100 collective years of experience directly related to Integrity and Corrosion Management Infinity Growth is leading the charge toward more Sustainable Management of Assets, all while contributing to Circular Economies practices and sustainable operations.
Established by founder and CEO Monica Hernandez, Infinity Growth has two main streams. The first is technical, where experts take care of the Sustainability, Corrosion, and Integrity issues in industries and the second one is Leadership. “Above all, we believe in approaching challenges with an open mindset, creating partnerships with a purpose, and always striving for significant outcomes. When you work with us, you should expect a collaboration with transparency and consistency,” states Monica.
Headquartered in Canada, the organization has been in business since Jan 2019 and has recently opened a branch in the UAE – Infinity Growth FZCO.
A Global Need
Accidents and incidents due to Integrity Management continue to make the headlines of the newspapers, like the storage tank that fell off the crane into a ship in a Jordan port; killing 13 people, and injuring at least 250, while releasing a huge cloud of toxic chlorine gas during the summer of 2022.
In addition to that, it is no surprise that the cost of corrosion continues to raise eyebrows globally. As an example, the Cost of Corrosion Report that was recently published in Canada suggested an outstanding $52 billion USD, almost 3% of the country’s GDP is estimated to be spent on corrosion treatment Annually.
“Would you like to be responsible for paying 342 USD a year to cover the direct cost of corrosion? Well, using the data produced by the Global IMPACT study, if we analyze the corrosion costs presented; it would mean that every man, woman, and child around the world will need to pay around 342 USD/year to cover these costs (assuming 7.3 billion people). In other words, the cost of corrosion is equivalent to 3.4% of the 2013 Global PIB, and that is a comparable number to the 2016 United Kingdom PIB.”
Not to mention, these costs are only the direct ones, there are also other economic transversal impacted areas that are not quantified yet, like health and safety, near misses, incidents, small accidents, unexpected downtime, production impact, available production time, and many others.
Addressing the Issue
“There’s a saying that if you want different results, you must do things differently, and that’s exactly what we must do,” states Monica. Based on her own experience and research, corrosion, integrity, and sustainability remain more closely linked than one would think, “and having proper management programs that are understood, monitored, and updated will not only ensure the success of your company but also lessen the financial and human overload,” she explains.
At Infinity Growth, Monica’s objective is to not only develop the best Corrosion, Integrity, and Sustainability Management practices, but also to maintain, and regularly re-evaluate the integrity status with a focus on the effects on the environment and society in general.
Monica states, “At Infinity Growth, we wanted to do something significant, and in doing so, start contributing towards closing the gap on the SDG (sustainable development goals). We have chosen, SDG numbers 4, 5, 8, and 17, to start working on, and our way of contributing is to connect people with knowledge.” To further spread their message, the company also invested in the acquisition of a Newsletter: Materials.Business. “The next step after the acquisition was to include a podcast to it, so we can reach more people. This acquisition greatly aligns with our Vision and corporate/personal values,” explains she.
Today, the newsletter has a reach over Canada, the USA, Europe, and Latin America. Monica is now working on strengthening the participation in other areas like the MENA region, from where they have received a lot of inquiries and interest in the last few months. “The audience is very wide and conformed of people from Academia, Industry, and some from Government agencies,” states Hernandez.
Prioritizing Sustainability
A well-maintained Asset Integrity/Corrosion Management Program ensures that people, systems/processes, and tools that enable an asset to deliver its function are well aligned throughout the life cycle of the asset(s), while simultaneously maintaining Health, Safety, and Environmental compliance to local, regional, national and international regulations.
“On top of that, we like to integrate solutions, so the company does not have to spend extra on a new project for a different area. As an example, when selecting materials, we ensure we select the material with the “sustainability” chip in mind, so, we ensure that the piece of equipment will perform its intent and will have a plan for when it reaches its end of life, so we are taking all the life cycle in consideration while providing services,” states Monica. In short, ensuring a better corrosion/integrity management system, one that integrates sustainability at its core, not only helps minimize failures, and environmental and health incidents, and saves money, but it also helps focus resources during the entire life cycle of an asset.
Unlike other technical consultancy firms, Infinity Growth ensures that the owners receive the product they expected as per their standards. Furthermore, the Infinity Growth team ensures that each client they work with is provided the tools, the technical know-how, and the necessary training to ensure sustainable integration for the long term.
On the other hand, Infinity Growth Leadership is also a certified member of the John Maxwell Leadership Academy. “I make sure not only my team develops to their best abilities, but I also train, speak, and coach outside of the role. In all these years of experience, working in the industry, I have learned that the best teams are the ones that are coherent and work together for a common goal… In summary, I love helping people and teams increase their consciousness, and realizing that WE can do something different, and, BE the change we so much want in the world, through individual and corporate coaching, speaking, workshops and seminars, and leadership assessments,” says Monica.
Monica’s Journey
“My journey into this career has been quite an incredible adventure. With ups and downs, one thing that has been given to me always is plenty of personal and professional growth opportunities. That is why, my company’s name is Infinity Growth because I believe we owe ourselves to learn every single moment of our lives. I believe we come to this earth to learn and that is what has become my number one thing to do, infinitely grow,” shares Monica.
Hernandez immigrated to Canada in 2005 from Colombia, with a bag full of hope, clothes, and her hair styling perks, which helped her earn a living for the first weeks of her new life. Over the years, she developed from a Metallurgical Engineer with a deep thirst for technical subjects, to a successful entrepreneur that leads multicultural teams on different continents all while helping others in their personal growth journeys. “I absolutely love the ability to help the growth of each one of my team members, peers, mentees, delegates, colleagues, clients, and friends,” she states.
Words of Resolute Leader
“I am fully aware that I have full control over my life. I can always turn the page, start writing a new chapter and succeed. The power resides within me, so I am all for it! And so are you. You own your life, your decisions, and the consequences that come out of them.
I will embrace what is coming, the challenges and opportunities, highs and lows, laughs and tears. LIFE, after all,” concludes Monica Hernandez.
