Baker Hughes Engineer Joins Humanitarian Mission in Africa
Chiara Antonelli is a test bench leader at Baker Hughes’ turbomachinery manufacturing facility in Massa, Italy. Alongside her engineering career, she recently took part in a humanitarian mission in Africa, where she used her photography skills to document the work of an Italian charity. Her experience brought together her professional expertise, passion for photography and long-standing interest in humanitarian work.
Leading Turbomachinery Testing in Massa
Antonelli currently works as a test bench leader for the turbomachinery string test cell at Baker Hughes’ Massa facility, one of the company’s major turbomachinery manufacturing sites in Italy. She coordinates and supervises testing activities, a position she began about nine months ago after previously working with the department’s planning team.
She also serves as a local hub leader for the company’s Women’s Network Employee Resource Group and its People First culture initiative.
A turbomachinery string test is a factory acceptance procedure in which a complete machinery train is assembled and tested as a single system. The setup typically includes a turbine or motor, gearbox and driven equipment such as a compressor or pump. Testing under conditions designed to replicate those at the customer’s site helps verify mechanical performance, vibration and thermal behavior before installation.
The process can reveal issues such as vibration or misalignment before equipment reaches the field, reducing the risk of costly modifications after installation. The test program covers equipment including gas turbines, compressors, motors and auxiliary systems, while monitoring factors such as bearing temperatures, rotor dynamics and vibration at full operating speed and load.
Testing Equipment Before Delivery
The Massa team tests new turbomachinery manufactured at the Massa and Florence plants, as well as upgrades to existing equipment. The test bench is one of the final stages in the supply chain before equipment is packaged and shipped to customers.
Customers can also request additional testing for new equipment or upgrades. The objective is to verify the equipment’s performance and quality before it is installed at the customer’s facility.
The units tested include gas turbines and compressors. Testing covers the main skid and its auxiliary systems, with configurations designed to reproduce customer-site operating conditions as closely as possible.
Antonelli oversees the operational activities of a 15-person team divided into mechanical and electrical groups.
A skid is a modular steel-framed platform that houses auxiliary systems supporting equipment such as gas or steam turbines and compressors. These systems can include fuel conditioning, lubrication and cooling equipment. By treating, controlling or transporting fluids and gases, skid-mounted systems support equipment performance and help protect sensitive components.
From Engineering to Humanitarian Work
Antonelli is a management engineer who graduated from the University of Pisa. She joined Baker Hughes in 2022 as an intern focused on continuous improvement and continued her master’s studies while working.
The company enabled her to pursue her academic and professional development simultaneously.
Her interest in humanitarian work has personal roots. Since 2009, she had watched her father, an anesthetist, prepare for humanitarian missions and return with stories about the people and places he encountered.
Over time, she became increasingly interested in participating herself. Her brother, who is now a nurse, could pursue humanitarian work through his profession, while Antonelli’s path as an engineer made finding a suitable opportunity less straightforward.
Photography provided the connection.
She has long practiced photography as a hobby and also worked as a freelance photographer during her studies, including assignments involving product marketing and weddings. Even after becoming an engineer, she continued to pursue photography whenever opportunities arose.
The opportunity finally came when her father contacted her about a forthcoming mission organized by Emergenza Sorrisi, an Italian humanitarian charity. The organization needed a photographer to document its mission in the Republic of the Congo. Antonelli submitted her résumé and was selected to join the team.
A Week in Brazzaville
Preparing for the trip involved several logistical challenges, including last-minute travel arrangements, vaccinations and safety checks related to the geopolitical situation.
Once she arrived in Brazzaville, the experience became a reality. The sights, sounds and emotions she had previously heard about through her father’s stories took on new meaning as she experienced them alongside him.
Antonelli spent one week in the Republic of the Congo, taking annual leave from Baker Hughes.
Her days generally ran from morning until evening. After breakfast, she went to the hospital, where she photographed and documented the mission while medical professionals carried out operations. She also spent time with families and children waiting for treatment before returning for dinner and rest.
Language presented an occasional challenge because many local residents spoke French, which Antonelli did not speak. Team members helped translate conversations, allowing her to meet patients, hear their stories and learn more about their culture.
Emergenza Sorrisi's Humanitarian Mission
Emergenza Sorrisi ETS, also known as Doctors for Smiling Children, has provided free specialized surgical treatment and medical assistance to vulnerable children in areas where healthcare access is limited or unavailable.
Founded in 2007, the organization operates in more than 31 countries and relies on the voluntary contribution of more than 300 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. According to the organization, its missions have helped more than 8,000 children.
Its work focuses on serious craniofacial conditions, complications from burns and disabling injuries, including those resulting from armed conflicts. These conditions can affect fundamental functions such as breathing, speaking and eating and can also contribute to social exclusion.
Documenting the Mission Through Photography
The charity receives support from corporate organizations, the Italian government and individual donors. Antonelli’s photographs help document the organization’s activities for its website, social media channels and presentations to prospective supporters.
The images also provide a record of the experiences of children and families and demonstrate the impact of the medical missions.
During Antonelli’s week in the Republic of the Congo, 43 children underwent surgery—approximately twice the number initially expected, helped by additional support from local personnel.
Patients traveled from across the Republic of the Congo to the Brazzaville Children’s Hospital. The mission team carried out screening and specialized treatment for craniofacial conditions while also using the opportunity to train local healthcare workers.
A major objective was to leave behind knowledge and processes that could continue to benefit local staff and the wider community after the visiting medical team had departed.
Lessons That Extend Beyond the Mission
Returning to her role at Baker Hughes, Antonelli reflected on the experience through the company’s values of grow, collaborate, lead and care.
For her, care was one of the strongest lessons. The experience reinforced the importance of remembering that colleagues and other people may be dealing with circumstances that are not immediately visible.
She also highlighted the value of making connections and moving beyond familiar surroundings. Although she was not part of the medical team, she was able to support patients and their families while they waited for treatment. Photography and conversation provided a welcome distraction during an otherwise stressful situation.
The experience showed her that she could contribute in meaningful ways despite working outside the medical profession.
The mission also strengthened her understanding of collaboration. Supporting others, learning from them and sharing knowledge can create benefits that extend beyond an immediate task.
Antonelli believes the experience also reinforced the importance of leadership and sustainable knowledge transfer. The medical mission was designed not simply to provide treatment during one week but also to help local personnel develop capabilities that could support future operations.
She sees a similar principle in her engineering work: when introducing a process or skill, it is important to help colleagues learn how to carry it forward independently. This approach is relevant both when coaching others and when learning from colleagues.
Finally, Antonelli says the experience helped her grow, both professionally and personally. Seeing the relief and gratitude of parents after their children received treatment left a lasting impression.
The combination of intense emotions, humanitarian service and personal memories made the mission a transformative experience—one that continues to shape how she approaches leadership, collaboration, learning and relationships at work.
Leading Turbomachinery Testing in Massa
Antonelli currently works as a test bench leader for the turbomachinery string test cell at Baker Hughes’ Massa facility, one of the company’s major turbomachinery manufacturing sites in Italy. She coordinates and supervises testing activities, a position she began about nine months ago after previously working with the department’s planning team.
She also serves as a local hub leader for the company’s Women’s Network Employee Resource Group and its People First culture initiative.
A turbomachinery string test is a factory acceptance procedure in which a complete machinery train is assembled and tested as a single system. The setup typically includes a turbine or motor, gearbox and driven equipment such as a compressor or pump. Testing under conditions designed to replicate those at the customer’s site helps verify mechanical performance, vibration and thermal behavior before installation.
The process can reveal issues such as vibration or misalignment before equipment reaches the field, reducing the risk of costly modifications after installation. The test program covers equipment including gas turbines, compressors, motors and auxiliary systems, while monitoring factors such as bearing temperatures, rotor dynamics and vibration at full operating speed and load.
Testing Equipment Before Delivery
The Massa team tests new turbomachinery manufactured at the Massa and Florence plants, as well as upgrades to existing equipment. The test bench is one of the final stages in the supply chain before equipment is packaged and shipped to customers.
Customers can also request additional testing for new equipment or upgrades. The objective is to verify the equipment’s performance and quality before it is installed at the customer’s facility.
The units tested include gas turbines and compressors. Testing covers the main skid and its auxiliary systems, with configurations designed to reproduce customer-site operating conditions as closely as possible.
Antonelli oversees the operational activities of a 15-person team divided into mechanical and electrical groups.
A skid is a modular steel-framed platform that houses auxiliary systems supporting equipment such as gas or steam turbines and compressors. These systems can include fuel conditioning, lubrication and cooling equipment. By treating, controlling or transporting fluids and gases, skid-mounted systems support equipment performance and help protect sensitive components.
From Engineering to Humanitarian Work
Antonelli is a management engineer who graduated from the University of Pisa. She joined Baker Hughes in 2022 as an intern focused on continuous improvement and continued her master’s studies while working.
The company enabled her to pursue her academic and professional development simultaneously.
Her interest in humanitarian work has personal roots. Since 2009, she had watched her father, an anesthetist, prepare for humanitarian missions and return with stories about the people and places he encountered.
Over time, she became increasingly interested in participating herself. Her brother, who is now a nurse, could pursue humanitarian work through his profession, while Antonelli’s path as an engineer made finding a suitable opportunity less straightforward.
Photography provided the connection.
She has long practiced photography as a hobby and also worked as a freelance photographer during her studies, including assignments involving product marketing and weddings. Even after becoming an engineer, she continued to pursue photography whenever opportunities arose.
The opportunity finally came when her father contacted her about a forthcoming mission organized by Emergenza Sorrisi, an Italian humanitarian charity. The organization needed a photographer to document its mission in the Republic of the Congo. Antonelli submitted her résumé and was selected to join the team.
A Week in Brazzaville
Preparing for the trip involved several logistical challenges, including last-minute travel arrangements, vaccinations and safety checks related to the geopolitical situation.
Once she arrived in Brazzaville, the experience became a reality. The sights, sounds and emotions she had previously heard about through her father’s stories took on new meaning as she experienced them alongside him.
Antonelli spent one week in the Republic of the Congo, taking annual leave from Baker Hughes.
Her days generally ran from morning until evening. After breakfast, she went to the hospital, where she photographed and documented the mission while medical professionals carried out operations. She also spent time with families and children waiting for treatment before returning for dinner and rest.
Language presented an occasional challenge because many local residents spoke French, which Antonelli did not speak. Team members helped translate conversations, allowing her to meet patients, hear their stories and learn more about their culture.
Emergenza Sorrisi's Humanitarian Mission
Emergenza Sorrisi ETS, also known as Doctors for Smiling Children, has provided free specialized surgical treatment and medical assistance to vulnerable children in areas where healthcare access is limited or unavailable.
Founded in 2007, the organization operates in more than 31 countries and relies on the voluntary contribution of more than 300 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. According to the organization, its missions have helped more than 8,000 children.
Its work focuses on serious craniofacial conditions, complications from burns and disabling injuries, including those resulting from armed conflicts. These conditions can affect fundamental functions such as breathing, speaking and eating and can also contribute to social exclusion.
Documenting the Mission Through Photography
The charity receives support from corporate organizations, the Italian government and individual donors. Antonelli’s photographs help document the organization’s activities for its website, social media channels and presentations to prospective supporters.
The images also provide a record of the experiences of children and families and demonstrate the impact of the medical missions.
During Antonelli’s week in the Republic of the Congo, 43 children underwent surgery—approximately twice the number initially expected, helped by additional support from local personnel.
Patients traveled from across the Republic of the Congo to the Brazzaville Children’s Hospital. The mission team carried out screening and specialized treatment for craniofacial conditions while also using the opportunity to train local healthcare workers.
A major objective was to leave behind knowledge and processes that could continue to benefit local staff and the wider community after the visiting medical team had departed.
Lessons That Extend Beyond the Mission
Returning to her role at Baker Hughes, Antonelli reflected on the experience through the company’s values of grow, collaborate, lead and care.
For her, care was one of the strongest lessons. The experience reinforced the importance of remembering that colleagues and other people may be dealing with circumstances that are not immediately visible.
She also highlighted the value of making connections and moving beyond familiar surroundings. Although she was not part of the medical team, she was able to support patients and their families while they waited for treatment. Photography and conversation provided a welcome distraction during an otherwise stressful situation.
The experience showed her that she could contribute in meaningful ways despite working outside the medical profession.
The mission also strengthened her understanding of collaboration. Supporting others, learning from them and sharing knowledge can create benefits that extend beyond an immediate task.
Antonelli believes the experience also reinforced the importance of leadership and sustainable knowledge transfer. The medical mission was designed not simply to provide treatment during one week but also to help local personnel develop capabilities that could support future operations.
She sees a similar principle in her engineering work: when introducing a process or skill, it is important to help colleagues learn how to carry it forward independently. This approach is relevant both when coaching others and when learning from colleagues.
Finally, Antonelli says the experience helped her grow, both professionally and personally. Seeing the relief and gratitude of parents after their children received treatment left a lasting impression.
The combination of intense emotions, humanitarian service and personal memories made the mission a transformative experience—one that continues to shape how she approaches leadership, collaboration, learning and relationships at work.
Companies