At this point in my career, I believe that my motivation is empowering my colleagues because their success is usually the success of the department.
Can you share with us the story of how you became the Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Melita?
I joined Melita way back in 2011 after having worked in completely different sectors, but always as a lawyer. And from legal counsel, I was along the years promoted to senior legal counsel. In 2018, I became Head of legal and Regulatory Affairs.
What does a typical day at the office look like for you?
Usually, I like to come to the office early so it’s all nice and quiet. That enables me to start working before everybody comes in because once the workforce comes in, the day becomes hectic and busy.
What was your key driving force to become a lawyer?
When I decided to become a lawyer, as much as it might sound odd, or possibly maybe not the right motivation, the fact that I am a female meant that at times I felt that there was an underestimation and the idea of becoming a lawyer meant that I would actually look into various aspects and that I would acquire a certain amount of knowledge in various specific subjects.
The idea was that knowledge was key and that is why I really wanted to become a lawyer. And I must say that I was correct because it helps not just in the job but in my daily life as well.
Were there any obstacles since you are a female?
At Melita, I did not encounter any obstacles from the fact that I am a female. I must say that Melita has a 40% workforce which is female, and we have also targets tied to the fact that we encourage having female employees. The legal department is made up of female lawyers only. And also, Melita embraces a work-life balance so there is assistance for any needs that may be in the interest of any family needs. There is a good work-life balance here, and this balance encourages female participation as well.
How do you manage to find the right, maybe the appropriate, balance between the two very important roles?
I must say that I consider that this is one of the main successes now because I think that striking a balance between work and family life is very important. Especially with the hectic lives we lead and with the family life which requires attention as well. Again, Melita has been very supporting in this regard. I can work from home, I work from the office, and the company ‘sort of’ leaves it in my hands how to work my hours. So that allows me also to be present for my daughter.
You also have a small team of lawyers who are answerable to you. how do you motivate your clients, your staff?
To motivate the staff, you need to always provide them with some sort of challenge or goal and make sure that they are always empowered and that they are recognised as well for their hard work.
What’s the one achievement that you consider to be the proudest moment in your career?
Since I was a student, I always wanted to work for a big company. Having managed to reach a senior management role, where I have a say also in the management, and the decisions taken in a company such as Melita, is very motivating for me. As we could see during the years of COVID, nobody can stay without communication services, especially the internet. The fact that I managed to balance having a family and being in such a position within Melita, I believe that it is something I consider as one of my greatest achievements.
What can one do to avoid procrastination?
To avoid procrastination, one needs to remember that whatever you don’t do today is going to be there waiting for you tomorrow. And if it is the most boring thing that you must do, I find that it’s best to get it out of the way when you can. It’s like with food on a plate, I’d rather leave the best for last rather than find it there at the end.
Like a mistake worth mentioning that you might have made until now and you will try to avoid in the future. A mistake which I deem to have made in the past, and which every day now I work and ensure that it doesn’t happen again, is giving in to possible pressures. When you’re working in big organizations, not just Melita but I’ve worked in
other organizations before. Sometimes you get called into a meeting without knowing what’s going on and you’re pressured to give the answer that they want to hear. That is not always the best way forward. It’s good to put your foot down and stick to what you deem is the correct approach.
Can you think of a specific time when you might have relied on your strong work ethic to accomplish a task at work?
I believe that given that I’m a lawyer, whatever I do comes with disclaimers, and therefore it is good to have a strong work ethic. It is also good to try and enable the business by giving an interpretation which the business would like to hear. However, one must always remember that work is not just everybody hearing what they would like to hear but you need to also ensure that the advice you’re giving is correct, whether or not that advice is what others want to hear or not. I believe that this is something which should be part of anyone’s professional ethic, and we need to stick to it and which is what we do and what I always encourage the younger lawyers to do.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
Good question. I’ve always wanted to work abroad so possibly I would evaluate the possibility of working for a telecom company abroad. However, the only difference would be that a company abroad being a bigger company, you would need to see what position you’re going to work in to benefit from what I currently benefit from which is the work variety and we touch on all sorts of subjects and points.
One last question. what’s your advice to anyone who has just started?
To anybody who has just started, I would advise not to try and take the easy way out because it might not be the rewarding way. I believe that you need to work hard and prove yourself everyday and that will lead you to reaching the position and the end goal that you have in mind.
