Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović
Valerija Prevolšek is the director of the Media Pool, one of the largest Slovenian media agencies. Since Media Pool is the organizer of the Conference on Media Trends SEMPL, Valerija is also the president of SEMPL , which was held for the 17th time in late November in Portorož, Slovenia. SEMPL is the most important event of the year for the media industry and agencies involved in media buying. This speaks volumes about the responsibility that this vital and enterprising woman has taken on herself.
How does Valerija see the relationship between men and women in the turbulent advertising profession? “Personal competency is important. This division at the level of gender seems totally obsolete to me. I don’t look at a job or profession as a male or female category. My sole criterion is whether someone is more or less good at their job. And if the good ones take primacy, I have nothing against it. But one thing is undeniable: we obviously have so many capable women who have succeeded in managerial positions, that they have provoked these questions. In a global survey I read, this was the conclusion: when a company is doing well, the managers are mostly men. And when the company is in crisis, they bring in a woman. Maybe it says something about advertising in the region? Or maybe about the role of women in business? Or both?
Valeria is very cautious when responding to the question of what has happened to men in advertising. Have they become tired, exhausted, scared, or perhaps fed up with everything? “I know a lot of men in the advertising and media business who are still great creators of ideas and business. So I don’t actually notice this phenomenon as you define it. And yes, I hope that there are many women who do not care about ‘patriarchal control’.” But she answers the next question with enthusiasm and conviction: “Is a business miracle possible in Europe, and could the Balkans become a paradise for female entrepreneurship?” Please read her reply carefully, it could contain the seed for the future development of the region: “Yes, it is possible, of course. Women will rule the Balkans, and I can’t wait for that to happen. Perhaps we will then sell our know-how to other countries and finally find a market niche in the economy that will make us rich.”
It is a known fact that the European Union has also not done so marvelously when it comes to gender equality. In March last year, the European Parliament rejected the report on equality between men and women, which called for guarantees of the same pay for the same job. One would therefore think that the situation in the Balkans is perhaps not so gloomy, but Valerija does not concede such arbitrary interpretations. Her comment was brief, sharp and unambiguous: “As my background is in the HR profession, believe me, in this area we are still black as coal!”
Sometimes the differences are undeniable, you can’t ignore them. That’s why we wanted to know what our interviewee thinks characterizes companies managed by women? Is the atmosphere more democratic, is there more innovative work, is there less bullying? She believes that everything depends on the person. “All of the research,” Valerija says, “suggests that so-called soft management principles prove very successful, especially in times of crisis; meaning empathy, a system of values and honest, direct communication on the one hand, and determination and clarity of objectives and strategies on the other. It’s difficult to maneuver between those two and women are especially attributed with success in such maneuvering.”
And with that we get to a situation, colloquially called ping-pong in journalism, where the interviewee is asked a brief question and gives an equally brief, but to the point, reply. What was crucial to your success? “Courage and fair play.” And what is necessary for success today? Probably something completely different from a decade, or even five years ago. As we can all see, business conditions have dramatically changed. “Even more courage and fair play.”
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, EVERYONE CALLS ON WOMEN: One thing is undeniable: we obviously have so many capable women who have succeeded in managerial positions that they have provoked these questions. In a global survey I read, this was the conclusion: when a company is doing well, the managers are mostly men. And when the company is in crisis, they bring in a woman. Maybe it says something about advertising in the region? Or maybe about the role of women in business? Or both?
We wanted to know how she stimulates quality people. Is there a difference in principle between males and females? “Quality people are stimulated and motivated if they do things that they find cool. My contribution is simply that I try hard to ensure that we all know what our goals are and that, while achieving our goals, we have as much fun as possible.”
Then ping-pong again: The jobs of the future are in information and communication technologies. There are only a small number of women in this area, both throughout the world and in our region. Why is that? “Well if you look at the number of students studying these subjects, there is your easy answer. And we all know where and how our influences in choosing our occupations or interests begin.” But that everyone forgets that the first programmer was a woman? “Ha, unthinkable, isn’t it? Obviously she chose to do what was immediate and interesting to her… and she succeeded! ”
More and more frequently, some successful, educated woman breaks out from the background to the foreground, automatically attracting the attention of the public. We could all probably readily agree that our past, dominated by men, is mostly murky, and that it would be nice to experiment with the future by entrusting it to women: “An experiment is appropriate for the confirmation or rejection of a theory if it is done in controlled conditions. So we would hardly confirm either a dark past or a bright future, let alone which sex is responsible for it.”
However, there are also strong retrogressive trends in the world. We ask Valeria for her main criticism of men who defend their own interests and positions of power. “Although I know that it’s not a feminine principle, criticism is not my thing. If some men (or women) still want to live in the past, then let them, be my guest. I’m interested in the future.”
The advertising industry requires imagination, creativity, relaxed informality, democracy of opinion. These attributes are all more female than male. “But if we look at how many women creative directors we have,” Valerija says, with irony, “then it’s obvious that we women don’t have imagination, creativity, relaxation. Perhaps research is needed on the primacy of men in creative positions?”
Who are the most inspiring women of today for you, and why? “All those who risk their lives daily – either alone or with their children, partners, family – in order to achieve and experience their dreams. Unfortunately, there are still too few.” Could we then just conclude this technical part of the conversation: where lies the true power of women, what is it that no male chauvinism can stop or compromise? “Just that. The personal decision of a woman that she will not be threatened by male chauvinism of any kind.”
Favorite movie quote?
Two come to mind. “My name is Bond. James Bond.” And the second: “You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”
Do you have time for sports and taking care of your body?
Just six months ago, I found the perfect gym in Ljubljana, and I go there as much as possible. In addition, in the summer I count the kilometers on a bike, and in the winter on skis.
Who’s the boss in your household?
The lady who tidies up my apartment. Anything I lose, she finds.
And who’s the boss in your company?
The owners.
What piece of advice that you hated the most when you were young, is most useful for you today?
“All in its own time.” When you’re young, you want things to happen to you and get put in place immediately. Today I know that some things take time to mature.
Who are better drivers, men or women?
Whoever knotches up the most kilometers. The deciding factor, therefore, is experience, combined with a love of driving.
And who cooks better?
The absolute champion in this category is my mom (who is quite accidentally a woman). Her greatest specialty is that at least a couple of times a year she prepares something that smells of my childhood. No one else can do that.