WGBI Member Spotlight Series – Marianella Cabanillas
Our next WGBI Member Spotlight shines on Marianella Cabanillas, a trailblazing general manager whose bold career pivot and passion for innovation have made her one of Peru’s most influential leaders in the battery industry.
đ Career Journey: From Security Services to Battery Pioneer
 Marianella’s path into the battery industry was anything but conventional. After more than 14 years in the private security sector, a former colleague invited her to interview for a General Manager role at a newly created distribution company for Enerjet, a Peruvian manufacturer of lead-acid automotive batteries. The transition from selling services to overseeing a highly specialized product was a leap of faithâone she embraced wholeheartedly.
The turning point came through Carlos Ortiz, Enerjet’s founder, who shared his vision for the industry and ignited in Marianella a lasting passion for batteries as a key driver of mobility, transportation, and economic productivity in Peru. In 2012, she joined EGA, Enerjet’s national distribution company, and quickly made her mark by expanding the product portfolio with the motorcycle battery brand Zero and building a nationwide distributor network. EGA later launched its own retail chain, Battery Plaza, giving Marianella firsthand insight into the competitive landscape of the Peruvian automotive market.
By 2017, EGA’s rapid growth led to a full merger with the Enerjet factory, forming CorporaciĂłn Enerjet S.A.âwhere Marianella assumed the role of General Manager of the fully integrated operation, the position she holds today.
đĄ Industry Insights: Innovation, Traceability, and Sustainability
Under Marianella’s leadership, CorporaciĂłn Enerjet has become synonymous with quality and forward-thinking innovation. Her team developed the ID Code, a traceability system that tracks every battery from manufacturing to commercialization, and a laser-printed QR code that guarantees product authenticity while giving consumers direct access to quality test results and key specifications.
In 2020, Enerjet launched GARDIâthe first digital warranty system in the regionâwhich records vehicle data, battery user information, and maintenance history to monitor real-world battery performance. “This data feeds directly into our R&D team for continuous improvement and new product development,” Marianella explains. These innovations have been so impactful that other manufacturers in the region have adopted them, reshaping post-sales service across the industry.
Marianella is equally committed to sustainability. Despite the absence of specific recycling regulations in Peru, she has championed responsible battery recycling practices across all of Enerjet’s sales channelsâsetting an example for the industry at large.
As a leader who has spent most of her career in male-dominated sectors, Marianella brings a powerful perspective to her work: “Diversity multiplies achievementsâthe most powerful energy is born from diversity.” She encourages her teams to focus on impact over appearances, and is a firm believer that attention to detailânot the spotlightâis what truly transforms outcomes.
đ€ WGBI Involvement: Energized by Community
When Marianella first learned about WGBI, she didn’t hesitate. “I researched and joined immediately,” she recalls. “I saw it as an inspiring opportunity to expand knowledge, foster connections, and collaborate with fellow women leaders in the sector.” The events she has attended have lived up to that expectationâfull of what she describes as “chemistry, connection, and shared purpose.”
Looking ahead, Marianella is eager to register as a mentor in WGBI’s mentorship program, having missed the most recent cycle due to prior commitments. Her enthusiasm to give back reflects a core belief that lifting others is as important as personal achievement.
đ Advice and Inspiration
Marianella’s advice to women considering a career in the battery industry is both practical and memorable: “We should never consider ourselves a ‘finished battery.’ We must continuously seek new knowledge, rethink how we learn, and be willing to unlearn and relearnâbecause everything changes, and our industry evolves at an even faster pace.”
To women navigating gender stereotypes or self-doubt, she offers this: “Remember, the achievements that truly matter are not measured by what they show, but by who you become while building them.” Clarity of purpose, she says, is what empowers women to commit fully to the right opportunitiesâand walk away from the wrong ones without guilt.
đ Life Beyond Work
Outside the boardroom, Marianella stays active and grounded. She plays volleyball twice a week and goes swimming on weekendsâa routine that keeps her energized for the demands of leading a national manufacturing and distribution company.
But perhaps what fills her heart most is mentoring small entrepreneurs and leading youth leadership workshops. “It’s one of the activities I enjoy most,” she saysâa natural extension of the same passion for developing people that defines her leadership at Enerjet.
Marianella Cabanillas’ story is proof that an unexpected career pivot, guided by purpose and an open mind, can spark a decade of industry-defining impact.