Mariam Almaszade is CEO of SOCAR Trading S.A. and member of the board of directors since 2018. Ms. Almaszade began her career in the legal domain, working with UN organisations and NGOs in Geneva, Switzerland and Baku, Azerbaijan. Prior to becoming a Relationship Manager and Member of the Management at De Ceriat, Prensilevich and Blasi law firm in Geneva in 2006, Ms. Almaszade worked at several law firms specialising in the Energy sector. She led teams on the creation of holding and trading structures for Eastern European commodity trading companies.
Why did you choose the trading industry?
I was always very interested in pursuing an international career. I started working with international NGOs in Baku in my native Azerbaijan, and then I moved to Geneva to realise my dream. I was hired by a law firm and was responsible for their international trading clients. Over the course of 15 years, my career evolved naturally from the consulting side to the client side.
Tell us about how you developed your career, climbing the professional ladder until you reached your current position as CEO?
Perhaps it is not a journey that everyone can take, but I have worked very hard to get to my current position as CEO. Over the years, I have also learned the importance of being organised, and of being patient. We must not expect things to happen straight away, nor to succeed from the start. Of course, like most people’s, my career journey was not perfectly smooth. But I learned to be calm, to keep going, stay open to ideas, listen carefully to others, and continually analyse the situation before me - and, where necessary, to change my mind. Such flexibility and openness is very important because the pressure in this industry is huge. And if you can’t learn to make crucial decisions for the benefit of your company while under such intense pressure, then you will not succeed.
How have you, as a woman, managed to succeed in a predominantly male environment?
For me, the most important things required to succeed in any job are common to men and women alike. Primarily, you must work hard to acquire the skills needed to do the job. And you must take every opportunity that comes your way. Of course, the success of women in the workplace can depend greatly on the society in which they live, and how progressive education and workplace regulations are. And we have a great debt to Simone Veil and women like her who significantly advanced women’s legal rights and removed many glass ceilings. We must all continue their battles and strive to raise standards and close the unacceptable salary gap between men and women. However, at the end of the day, I do believe that skill set rather than gender is the main determinant of success in this industry.
What interests you most about your work in commodity trade?
I love the challenge facing me and my colleagues at the beginning of each year. Every trading house starts the beginning of the year from scratch, with fresh targets, new opportunities and perhaps unforeseen challenges.
As a professional, what advice would you give to a young woman about to graduate/finishing her studies?
My advice to everyone - young women and young men - is to work hard, study as much as you can, push yourself beyond your comfort zone, and take every opportunity you can. This industry is demanding and does not suit everyone. And so find a mentor and learn from their experiences, good and bad.
