“I believe it is good to have more female presence in the industry”

What are your responsibilities with Alfastreet?
Being a CEO implies the complete overview of the company's operation. The management of the company is divided in two areas: the owner himself is focused on development and design of our products; my role is to supervise all the departments within the structure: sales, acquisitions, development, technical support, storage, human resources, financial controlling... but most of all planning future ventures, the optimisation of  performance and how to attract our clients and provide a superior service not only in the present , but also in the future.

What are your challenges?
To me the greatest challenge is to put valid ideas into practice and implement them into the world's markets, consequently achieving the market position we seek and the recognition of the gaming community.

What’s female influence like in industry?
There are not many women in this industry, we are kind of rare, especially ones in leading positions. I believe the main reason for this is the very nature of the business, it is not a regular “8 hours per day” job but more of a lifestyle; therefore it's hard to find a woman willing to sacrifice certain aspects of her life, mainly the comfort and private life to focus almost exclusively on the job to such extent as men are able to do. However I believe it is good to have more female presence in the industry and we are striving to add more women to determined departments. We get quite a lot of interest in our tenders, but the search has been quite hard so far, as the majority of them see themselves involved for a couple of years which is way too short term to justify the company's investment in them.

Do you have a role model?
I know it might sound strange, but I really don't have a role model. Since I was a little girl I was aware that we are all individuals, depending only on ourselves and responsible for our own path. This is why I believe that we shouldn't strive to be a copy of something or someone, instead we should all strive to be unique. I am a very intuitive person and I don’t like long planning, neither in my personal life, nor in the business. I prefer to follow up on current situations and make only short-term plans, which are usually more realistic and in the end also more productive. Personally, I am very flexible and I can quickly adapt myself and  my ideas to  different situations, which usually brings good results. I think that personal satisfaction is a good indicator, provided that decisions move in the right direction; you do things with enthusiasm, and you apply smart thinking and positive energy to everything you do. These things can  help you  be successful in any field.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?
I believe that if you are well organized, motivated and energetic, there is no problem balancing work and private life. I'm grateful to have a really great, supportive and understanding family which means everything to me. My parents are happy to help and babysit my son, so I don't have any issues balancing all aspects of my life.

What is the best advice for creating a work-life balance?
There is a simple answer to that: positive energy, good will and above all pleasure at work. When someone is satisfied in a working environment, this translates into personal happiness. And, as I mentioned in the previous question I am blessed with a truly supportive and understanding family.

Are women an active part of the gaming industry?
I think it is similar to other industries where there is a high demand for technical knowledge and expertise. Women are predominant in administrative services, whereas in the areas of development, design and management there are still men who maintain a large majority. But as with everything else, things change.

Why do you think that there aren’t so many women working in the industry?
As mentioned above, technical knowledge is really important and it is still more of a “man” thing. They are also willing to devote more time to work than women.

What does the female perspective add?
Personally I think that a mixed team is the perfect recipe for success. Men and women have a different perspectives on determined things and this interaction is what brings the most complete results. I can confirm this from my own results, I coordinate work in a mixed team everyday and we have achieved  great success due to a combination of views from everybody.

If I had to pick the main differences between men and women, I would go with the fact that women are generally more cautious in business and decision making and they are more attentive to a wider aspect of business, as they feel the emotional part better than men do. For example, most men consider everything through the mere facts and technical side; we tend to consider the personality, environment and subtle details that help us determine whether a person is suitable for a job or a business is ready to be made. I believe women bring balance to a predominantly masculine business environment, helping to gain a better perspective on accepting final decisions.