With August being the month in which we recognise women for their contribution, we sat down with Endress+Hauser’s external sales specialist, Beverley Govender, to listen to what she has to say about being a woman involved in process automation for the Food & Beverage Industry.
Q: What is your career background and current job description?
Govender: My career at Endress +Hauser started in 1999, as a service co-ordinator. Through hard work and dedication, I moved up and fulfilled different roles in different departments within Endress+Hauser. In 2008 I was appointed External Sales Specialist and I was the first female to embrace such a role at the time. I then progressed within the Sales department and took on the sales role of supporting and advising Plant Builders and EPC’s (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) on instrumentation to be used in process automation. In 2016 an opportunity for an External Sales Specialist: Food & Beverage Industry arose in Gauteng.
Q: How does your typical day look like and what satisfies you the most about your job?
Govender: Pre-corona virus pandemic things were obviously different, and I used to visit customers on site and had a lot of personal interaction, providing customers with innovative solutions to help them optimise their processes. Now our interactions are facilitated digitally via communication platforms such as skype, MS Teams etc. This is quite a big shift, however my goal is to deliver the same service and experience despite the current challenges. Ultimately customer satisfaction is what gives me complete fulfillment in my job and I also love interactions with customers.
Q: What are the challenges faced by women in the Food and Beverage Industry? How could this be overcome?
Govender: Women are underrepresented, especially in senior positions and this is a major challenge. I would encourage the industry to have a transformational agenda to empower, enable and equip women with the relevant tools to enable development and acceleration into senior positions. Women also continue to bear the struggle of balancing home and work responsibilities and the industry should prioritize this also as part of the transformation agenda.
Q: How do you balance work and personal life?
Govender: I am a career woman who is extremely ambitious and aspirational, but my moral compass knows when to stop when I am overcompensating. The correct balance is extremely important for both spheres to survive and be successful. I treat my personal and family life like a crystal ball, if it shatters it will be very hard to replace. So, I take utmost care of my role as a wife, mother, sister and daughter. My work life is like a rubber ball, always bounces back. While work is exceptionally important, we are always faced with different challenges. The trick is to find an objective way to overcome and learn from these.
Q: One word to describe you as a woman, and why?
Govender: Supportive – I am exceptionally supportive and generous with my time in my personal and work capacity to see other women achieve success.
Q: What is most special about this year’s Women’s day?
Govender: I think this year speaks for itself. With the current pandemic and lock down women had to quickly adjust to working from home where they are also surrounded by family responsibilities at the same time. It is difficult but women have once again shown the resilience and rose to the occasion. It is important now more than ever to recognise and celebrate the success of women.
Q: What women challenge would you take on to help or support other women?
Govender: I do not subscribe to the “PHD” (Pull her Down) Syndrome. Therefore, I am forever willing to mentor and support other women to achieve their career aspirations. As a mother of a daughter, I would like to pay it forward knowing that one day another woman will help my daughter achieve success.
Q: What would you say to your younger self?
Govender: Be more confident and take more risks.
Q: What modern convenience could you not live without?
Govender: Definitely…my cellphone.
Q: Your women’s day message?
Govender: Thank you to the incredible and brave women before us who paved the way. Let us all choose to empower, love and support each other. Happy Women’s Day!
