Spotlight on our amazing and inspiring women in business!
International Women’s Day is the time to reflect on the incredible achievements of women worldwide, as well as the chance to understand the steps we can continue to take on the journey to equality.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, we caught up with Havelock One’s tenured women employees to discuss all things career, learn from them about what keeps them motivated, and hear about their experience working in a predominately male-dominant industry.
Susie Mendoza, Setter-out
Susie is a strong independent woman and has a confidently beautiful heart. She has been working with our Hospitality setting-out team since 2006. Susie has put in a lot of hard work and perseverance to balance work and life. According to her, acceptance of any situation, patience, learning, and dedication can work the magic towards leading at the workplace. Susie’s family is her pillar of support, motivating her to excel in her career.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) Working within a male-dominant environment is very challenging. But being raised with five male siblings and having my engineering background serves helpful in work and in building rapport with my male colleagues. We communicate openly and share expectations on how we should treat each other respectfully. Aside from that, I believe in what I can do and always contribute my best.
Q) Whom would you consider your biggest role model, and why?
A) I consider Queen Elizabeth II as my role model because of her great sense of responsibility and leadership. She is the epitome of women’s empowerment.
Hamida Alhubail, Senior Manager Administration and Government Relations
Hamida started her career at an early age in the Retail sector with Alshaya Group; she was part of the opening team for the first Debenhams in the Middle East at Seef Mall – Bahrain. After working with Alshaya for a decade in different locations between Bahrain, Riyadh, and Kuwait, she decided to change her career from retail and show business to Administration and joined Havelock AHI (now known as Havelock One). “The irony is that when I joined Havelock in the year 2006, that same year Havelock got acquired by the Alshaya Group”, says Hamida with a laugh.
Hamida is our greatest asset as she was able to progress and build a successful career in Havelock One’s Administration and Government Relation Department, managing all administrative functions and governmental-related aspects for the Company across all locations in the GCC. People who respect time, work, and boundaries and always look for ways to improve are the biggest role models to her.
Q) What does a typical day in your life look like?
A) I like to take some time to myself in the mornings before a hectic day, so I wake up shortly before 6 am and spend some time journaling, reading, or practising meditation. I usually get into the office at 9 am. Each day can be completely different. I may have calls with my teams in other countries and catch-up meetings with other departments on various subjects and reviews. Much of my time is spent managing people, be it team meetings or 1:1s. Some days can be very reactive, so I may need to focus on our strategy for new inquiries. My day usually ends by 7 pm – so after work, I usually go straight home, and then it’s my time to relax, have dinner, and watch TV, and I aim to be in bed by 11 pm.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) I believe Teams should collaborate and work together, not against one another. It’s not a case of men vs women. I think it’s important to recognise different skill sets and be confident in your value. We don’t all need to take the same approach or have the same skills, as combining different working methods often makes the most potent teams. At Havelock One, we work as ONE team and are always willing to help and learn from each other.
Q) What motivates you in your career?
A) I’m motivated by delivering results – in a broader sense, I’m driven by achieving success, whether that’s completing high-impact initiatives or improving a process. For me, it is important to feel that I have contributed to the best of my capacity I always want to feel proud of my work, this gives me self-satisfaction.
Q) Do you find it easy to balance work/life?
A) Finding a healthy balance between work and personal life can be tricky. Some days/weeks are easier than others, so during such times, I make sure that I use the downtime to do things that I enjoy.
Maria Gallardo, Lead Setter-out
Maria has been working for over 15 years in Havelock One’s Retail setting-out department. She was referred by a former colleague for the role of a junior setter-out. This vivacious corporate climber is in a lead position today because of her passion and dedication to creating impressive retail store interiors. Her family, especially her spouse, is her biggest strength, and Maria never gives up on any problematic situation.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) In my view, having the self-confidence to communicate, express your opinion during collaboration and respect your colleagues. I forget to notice a gender difference while working at Havelock One. And in all fairness to my colleagues, I feel so blessed as they are very professional and treat me the way they like to be treated.
Q) What advice would you give to young females at Havelock One?
A) Choose to stay happy because our life is our choice. Do what you want to do, follow the career path you want, be with the person you love, and stay positive.
Aysha Majeed, Assistant Manager-Accounts & Taxation
Aysha joined us in 2008 as an assistant in Finance team. Over the past 15 years, Aysha has been working and growing in different roles within the Finance team. Today she manages our Accounts payables and Taxation section. Aysha believes there is no space for comparison between men and women as the difference brings in diverse skills that will be unique for each gender. Aysha is sure that her professional achievements will serve as an inspiration for her kids. Aysha sees the bigger picture of the business and the post-pandemic growth in our portfolio, which keeps her motivated to perform duties with more focus and diligence.
Q) What does a typical day in your life look like?
A) My day usually starts around 5:00 am with a positive affirmation for myself, prayer, and managing the kids. I reach the office by 7:30 am and start going through emails, focusing, and planning. I steer through the day shuffling between cognitive decision-making to repetitive multitasking and managing the teams through meetings and one on ones.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) I believe there is no comparison between men and women. Women are confident in their value and contribution to the workplace; we can take a different approach or have the same skills; combining different ways of working often makes the most potent teams.
Q) Whom would you consider your biggest role model, and why?
A) My parents raised me in a way I could attain my potential and spread my wings to fly high without fear of falling!! And some of the strong women in my life who inspired me to choose kindness and survive every storm.
Gloria Barroga, Lead Estimator
15 years ago, Gloria (aka Iya/Yang – as called by her family and friends) fancied having a job overseas and, to her extreme joy, got hired into Havelock One for a role initially targeted at male candidates. Self-described as a fun-to-be-with person who loves nature and singing, she also lends her shoulder for emotional support. Gloria has a confident personality, and she encourages women around her to be brave and to stay strong. In order to balance work and life, Gloria religiously follows a checklist of things to do on weekdays, and on weekends she enjoys time with family, watching movies, sports, and documentaries. Any hardships and hindrances that come along the way are dealt with by staying in complete control and finding ways to tackle them.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) If you feel intimidated – practice being assertive, focus on the other persons feeling, talk firmly from your heart, and try to learn from them. Remember that women can also do it, if not better. With the right amount of hard work and determination, women can succeed.
Q) Whom would you consider your biggest role model, and why?
A) I look upon my parents and how they made everything possible. I have seen them work hard and sacrifice to raise my siblings and me, and this I will be forever grateful for. (Special mention to my mom, who is strong, loving, sensible, and responsible – A VERY SPECIAL WOMAN IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD)
Geraldine Cuya, Estimator
We call her by the short name “Gigi”. Born and raised in the southern region of the Philippines, Gigi is a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. She worked in the interior fit-out business for several years, and Havelock One has been the first overseas company for Gigi since 2008. She joined Havelock One as part of the Company’s recruitment drive in Manila, which allowed her to apply for her production planning and estimation skills. According to Gigi balancing work-life is definitely attainable by giving proper attention to time and taking steps to manage stress.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) Working in a male-dominated environment is sometimes challenging; being myself with an all-in attitude and believing in my worth greatly helped me overcome tough situations. I focus more on the positive side and have confidence in every decision that is made. Other women’s support and mentoring opportunities in the workplace play a significant role in adjusting to a diverse environment.
Q) What motivates you in your career?
A) It’s the drive for improvement through continuous learning or improving on something unexplored. And the ability to work harmoniously with others and overcome challenges.
Q) Whom would you consider your biggest role model, and why?
A) My former Production Manager in a garment factory – as she can achieve our quota/target at a lesser cost without compromising the quality, thus making our department highly awarded. Her management skills are commendable.
Q) What advice would you give to young females at Havelock One?
A) Love your job and strive to be the person that the Company counts on and expects of you. Be eager to learn new things that will develop your skills and help you grow. Make Havelock One proud of you!
Charuta Patel, HR Business Partner
Charuta is an aspirational soul, truly biophilic at heart, and a lover of the sea. After a decade of professional HR experience, she has been exploring a new life in Bahrain since 2022. Her secret to work-life balance is her happy home, including spouse and kid, staying collaborative, and sharing household responsibilities. Charuta’s piece of advice for the female employees at Havelock One is to have their long-term and short-term life goals sorted, revisited, introspected often, and create the best out of the present.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) I have never felt dominated by males in my career and home; it’s been hand in hand with any major life decisions, projects and work life.
Q) What motivates you in your career?
A) Learning new things daily motivates me, and I look forward to adding value to the organisational goals in everything I do. My biggest motivator is part of my job, where I am every day exposed to human nature, styles, nationalities, diversities, cultures, and practices. I believe in giving my best shot in every single thing I do.
Ferial Sabbouh, Business Development Manager
Ferial is a supportive wife, mother of two, and a reliable woman. Prior to joining Havelock One, she worked in the banking sector within various departments. At work, Ferial is a collaborative and energetic person who likes to work and support everyone around her.
Q) What does a typical day in your life look like?
A) My typical day starts at 5 am with 45 minutes of sports. After having my coffee, I head to the office to look after my schedule – calls/meetings/emails/project follow-up, etc. are the rest of the day’s activities. My evenings are meant to stay close to my family and friends.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) Putting the needed efforts in any working environment paralleled with respect to my colleagues is the perfect recipe for success.
Q) Whom would you consider your biggest role model, and why?
A) At a personal level, I look up to my mother who raised us in my father’s absence, and I am also so impressed by the Guardian Zaha Hadid and her achievements.
Manal Jamal Sandougah, Design Coordinator
Manal works as a design coordinator, and she is based in our KSA branch. She is a graduate of Princess Noura bint Abdul Rahman University, KSA with a first-class honors degree in interior design. She was also one of the 3,000 contestants nationwide who won first place in the MBC Academy competition as a special effects makeup artist. Manal is one of the first Saudi professional monster makers for movies. Prior to taking up employment with Havelock One, she worked as a set designer on the first Hollywood movie – Dessert Warrior which was shot in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Manal was passionate about joining Team Havelock One during her studies and fortunately for the Company too her qualifications were the best fit for consideration as a reliable resource for our expanding team. Manal sees Havelock One as a stepping stone to greater and better things in her professional life. As she is committed to growing as a person and becoming the best version of herself, she says – “Never mind whether you have a role model. Learn and acquire good things from the people you meet, regardless of who they are”.
Q) What does a typical day in your life look like?
A) I usually get up early and begin preparing a healthy breakfast so I can concentrate on my work all day. After that, proceed to work and begin by checking my emails. I then review my to-do list and begin working on the tasks that are most important to me. Mornings are when I feel most creative, so I try to start working on projects as early as possible. After lunch, I take a break to check the latest news online before heading back to work. Before I leave the workplace, I can get a coffee with my coworkers to discuss some interesting topics. After that, I usually go for a brisk walk, or if I’m equally exhausted that day, I substitute brisk walking for Netflix or reading. My dinner time is 8:30 p.m., and my bedtime is usually 11:00 p.m., indicating the end of the day.
Q) How do you succeed in a generally very male-dominated working environment?
A) I never faced any issues in my workplace. Moreover, I am always focusing on the positive which helps me put my problems into perspective. I always keep in mind that I am here because I have the knowledge and skills to do my job. Some of my coworkers may have more experience than me, while others may be at my level. I believe there is no reason to doubt my abilities if I continue to learn and hone my skill. Indeed, we work with men and women in a respectful, professional, and friendly environment and try to help each other as coworkers.
Q) What motivates you in your career?
A) I am motivated by a variety of things, including meeting deadlines, targets, or goals, learning new things, coming up with innovative ideas to improve something, inspiring a team to success, finishing a challenging project and seeing it through to completion, identifying flaws and errors to ensure a project’s end result is as good as possible, and finding a solution to a problem or overcoming a challenge.
Q) Do you find it easy to balance work/life?
A) I accept that there is no such thing as a “perfect” work-life balance. But it does help that I am doing what I enjoy and that prioritising my health first and foremost makes me a better employee and person. Regardless of how hectic my schedule is, I try to maintain control over my time and life.
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