Young, bright and committed to labtech
Ghazal Voghoui recently bought her first apartment and finally settled in Stockholm again. Last year, she finished her law studies and she is relieved to be back after living in Geneva for four years. On November 10 she will take a big career leap, becoming the new CEO of Swedish Labtech.
The interest in law, purchasing and international relations took her where she is today, and her curiosity will probably be a good tool in her new job.
“I was a bit nervous about not having enough knowledge and experience about the labtech industry and laboratory equipment. But now I trust that I will pick things up along the road,” she says.
A set focus
She is also clear about what Swedish Labtech needs to focus on at the moment. Developing strategic collaborations with the actors that affect the laboratory industry and market is one area into which she will put effort.
“There is no point in us becoming well-known in general. We need to put energy into working with government agencies and organizations in our field,” she says.
According to Voghoui, the most important area for Swedish Labtech is also the one in which she focused on in her law studies:
“I did my Master’s in procurement and for the last year I have been working in that area at Branschkansliet, where Swedish Labtech is a member. I do believe that procurement is a very important issue for our members, and we are looking into ways to affect the prerequisites and improve the industry’s possibilities in the field of sales and purchasing.”
She considers the organization a link between the regulatory actors, buyers and the labtech industry.
“One of our assignments is to create understanding among these players.”
Branschkansliet is an association in which several industry organizations are members, and Voghoui worked there as a legal expert and adviser before she was asked to take over the CEO post at Swedish Labtech from Mats Holme. Previously, she was employed at the Swedsih consulate in Geneva and all in all she spent four years away from Stockholm. Since she came back to Sweden a year ago, things have happened rather fast and, apart from her career leap, she recently bought an apartment in Stockholm. Voghoui describes herself as a true Stockholmer — this is where she grew up and it is where she expects to find herself in ten years.
“I think I have landed now. After all, I spent four years away and at the moment I see my future here in Stockholm,” she says.
Is there also a challenge working in a business when you are young, a woman and have an Iranian name that is hard for many Swedes to spell and pronounce?
Young, female and a CEO
“The age and gender thing might be an issue at times, but I think it is only what you allow it to be,” she says, continuing:
“Walking into a board meeting where everybody is past middle-age and almost everybody is a man, it is only natural that you react to the displacement. But so far this hasn’t been a problem.”
She says that the people she has met have been generous with advice and very welcoming.
“On the other hand, I have many years ahead of me and I wouldn’t be surprised if I met some prejudices somewhere along the road,” Voghoui says.
Her initial anxiety about not having enough knowledge is something she no longer worries about.
“I don’t think that anyone expects me to be an expert at lab equipment — the experts are found in our member companies. My job is to coordinate and find a good strategy for this industry in Sweden and that does not demand specific knowledge about labtech equipment.”
But she also has an interest in learning just for the sake of it and her ambition is to acquire a sense of what companies in diagnostics or analysis typically deal with in their everyday business.
“That type of understanding will help me do a better job,” she says.
Long term commitment
To her, the CEO position at Swedish Labtech is a long-term project and she expects it to take some time to get to know the industry:
“I focus on what’s here and now. I usually don’t make any big plans for the future.”
She is careful about trying to predict what the future holds, but she does foresee a lot of work. In November, the organization will have its yearly autumn meeting and arranging it will be time-consuming. The meeting is also the official date when Voghoui takes over the CEO title from Mats Holme.
“Now is probably the calm before the storm.”
But she seems to be prepared and also has a recipe to manage the hard work ahead: a maximum of two cups of coffee a day and definitely a generous lunch break every day.
“I believe you need that break to do a good job during the rest of the day. On the other hand, I love to work and I don’t mind combining the two,” she says.