María Corina Machado is an industrial engineer of Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB.) She performed a special sudy in Finance at IESA. She is the Vice-President of NGO Súmate. She was the founder and CEO of Atenea Foundation and chair of Oportunitas Foundation. She worked as a teacher at the UCAB School of Industrial Engineering.

1.- How do you view women's takeover of key positions?
It is a clear indication of the new times. In the professional field, particularly in the managerial one, we could talk about equal opportunities and successes in proportion to efforts. In the political field, however, it continues being the exception to the rule, despite encouraging signs.

2.- Is there any difference between management by women and men's management?
Yes, indeed. Generally, women are much less authoritarian and hierarchical, and more conciliatory. They are ready to grant recognition to "the other" and these elements mark a management style.

3.- How do you feel about the way your male colleagues treat you?
Their treatment has always been very polite, respectful and friendly. This does not mean that they treat me exactly as they treat their male colleges.

4.- What prompted you to embark upon a traditionally male field?
My interest in public matters.

5.- What do you recommend to women who wish to replicate your track record?
Study and work doing your best. Make your biggest effort and use all your capacities. And when you think that you deserve a position or recognition, do not let anybody to set you aside.

6.- Do you have time for household chores?
I have always had time for my daughters and my house. Maybe because I have never accepted jobs that I could not interrupt partially or definitely.

7.- Any hero?
Indirectly, yes. My mother always preached equality between men and women at home.

8.- Is there anything you regret not have done in your life?
Yes. I regret not having studied more history and literature.

9. - Have you ever thought about giving up?
Whenever I had the chance, I never thought about giving them up or handing them over. Today, I am not interested in them anymore. I prefer to leave spaces to younger people.

11.- Do you have any weakness for a beauty treatment or standard female activity such as aerobics, manicure, pedicure, beauty shop, care products, shopping?
Nowadays, I love something that I never did before: face treatments.

12.- Are you jealous of any men's -emotional, psychological, physical- condition?
No. I think that apart from the physical power, women are superior in the psychological and emotional fields; and in the intellectual scope, we are equal. Regarding the physical aspect, I would like to have not their strength, but their resistance.

13.- Do you think that for some reason women are superior to men?
Yes… But I do not use this opinion as a flag, as the radical feminists would do.