Viviane Ferlay, Production manager, Geodis BM, Méry (France)

"...Women don't approach things from the same angle as men..."

I joined the company at 22 as an operative. In the Operations department I was surrounded by men, most of whom were in their forties. They looked on me as the "little girl" who knew nothing about the job. Some of them now report to me! My role today is to manage around a hundred drivers who, when I first started out, wanted to test my technical merit. That's all in the past.

Women don't approach things from the same angle as men, who often plunge right in. I prefer to defuse the bomb before it can go off.
I have my finger in a lot of pies: production, human resources, sales, etc. It's a constant challenge. I have been able to arrange my working hours to look after my children however, and the benefits are undeniable as the industry opens a lot of doors. Calling all women with energy, determination and team spirit!