Following her PhD in English literature and additional studies in law and business administration, Mrs Hebestreit worked for 8 years for the European Aluminium Association for communication, EHS and marketing. Then she became the EHS manager for Eurometaux (non-ferrous metals) and in 1997 she took over Euromines as the director of the organisation for 22 years.

In 2000 she additionally became the Secretary General of the European Carbon and Graphite Association which she has been heading since. From 2001 onwards she also became Secretar General of the International Barytes Association.

At the end of 2020 she left Euromines and The Barytes Association and since then has been heading the European Carbon and Graphite Association as Secretary General fulltime.