Men and women of the group
One of the main principles of Vima Group is based on the following:
“The men and women of the group Vima represent a necessary value. Our group exists thanks to their implications.”
Our group has 193 employees: man and women.
Their professionalism, rigor and know-how make of them necessary key elements for the group’s welfare.
Each quarter, a personality of the group will be highlighted through an interview.
INTERVIEW
« A woman with a strong personality in a men’s world »
Lova Andrianalinofy Rakotondrabary
Chief Financial Officer of Vima CONSTRUCTION
(Interview taken from the Vimascope July-August-September 2011)
Madagascar is still part of those countries where leadership positions mainly belong to men.
Recently, we have experienced a change in mentality and women start to find their places in a market mainly ruled by men.
Skilled, often more audacious, they are now ready to be heard !
Lova Andrianalinofy Rakotondrabary is part of these women who are both winners and determined.
In the building and public works world, Lova knew how to gain recognition and is not lacking in spice and in character.
Married with a 4-year-old son, Lova graduated in Accounting at INSCAE in 2004.
She also works as an administrative consultant in a company specialized in textile.
Since beginning of 2010, Lova works for Vima CONSTRUCTION’s subsidiary and is proud of it.
(Vimascope ) Would you tell us more about your background?
After my studies, I worked for 3 years and ½ in an audit firm as a financial auditor.
I then became the Financial and Administrative Officer of an export processing zone in the textile industry « TROPIC MAD » for 3 years.
Since February 2010, I have been the Chief Financial Officer for Vima CONSTRUCTION.
You have worked in the textile industry for many years, what led you to start a carrier in the building and public works field?
After many years in the textile industry, I wanted to share my experience in a totally different field. The building and public works field seemed to be the perfect activity to me.
The building and public works field expands rapidly in Madagascar and I wanted to be part of its development. Moreover, this field requires more rigor and dynamism as far as the big budgets, numerous employees and heavy workloads are concerned.
In a year and a half, I understood that to work for Vima CONSTRUCTION, I had to be proactive, ready to pull your socks up (roll up your sleeves) and to not be afraid of working more than in any other field. That is what motivates and pushes me beyond my limits.
What are your responsibilities within Vima CONSTRUCTION?
I am in charge of the financial and administrative department. I feel lucky to manage a yound and energetic team.
During my mission, I have to establish and monitor the annual budget, to provide financial and budget analysis, coordinate and supervise the financial, accounting, management control and payroll departments, and to track billing and debt collection.
I am also in charge of managing the cash flow and monitoring tax issues, controlling the production, the consumption of the labor department, determining the cost-of-goods sold and the margin of each project but also of following the administrative and financial procedures and the projects (on site).
So I have a number of responsibilities and am on all fronts!
On which site are you currently working now ?
We are respectively working on 3 sites :
Regus, the B1 Building of the EBP and RTA.
Regus is a prestigious and very ambitious project for Vima CONSTRUCTION.
With an approximate budget of five billion seven hundred millions of Ariary, this site is a real challenge both regarding the used materials and the point of view of the applied techniques.
Innovation is a must and we are proud to participate in this project.
For me, it's a great opportunity to analyze the differences between the actual and the initial budget and thus to better manage the site but also to apply the procedures set up in 2010.
This project must be delivered in August 2011.
Also, we manage the rehabilitation of the offices on the second floor of the B1 Building within the EBP and the rehabilitation of the control room of the RTA Ankorondrano.
These three sites give me the opportunity to manage the acting head of operations and to closely work with the two supervisors and the Engineering staff.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am proud of all the sites we have made. But to be very honest two are particularly close to my heart and this for different reasons.
First, the City Hall because despite the economic and non- economic crisis, we have built this beautiful building full of history (note: fire on May 13, 1972 that marked the minds and heart of all Malagasy).
The project began in 2009 and was delivered in December 2010.
The construction of the City Hall is a unique reference for Vima CONSTRUCTION and gives us an undisputed credibility.
Prospecting for new customers is easier and requests are flowing from the end of the site.
I also want to talk about the Regus site because beyond the concept of innovation, I have some technical responsibilities. This is far from my original background: finance.
These responsibilities prove to me that as a woman I am capable to accomplish a man's job.
What are the future projects of Vima CONSTRUCTION?
We are on the proposed construction of four private villas spread over Tana and Tamatave.
We also plan to rehabilitate the offices of the Norwegian Embassy, the demolition of the Sully school and the proposed rehabilitation of roofs and gutters of the EBP.
Talking about that, is being a woman operating in a man’s world complicated?
Out of 108 permanent employees, we are 10 women and in opposition with the preconceptions, this situation is not difficult to handle!
The secret to effectively evolve in a world of man is simple: to be strong, dynamic, self-confident, to be endowed with a certain power of persuasion and above all, to be convincing.
With these tips, I can assure you that women can be easily integrated into a male-dominated world.
After all don’t men and women have the same rights? "Mitovy zo."
The nine other women in leadership positions in human resources, management control or as a foreman are all required to work closely with men every day. Their testimony is identical to mine. They, too, managed to gain recognition thanks to their professionalism and know-how.
