Kunst meets Aida Rizvo
“It's all about doing what brings you joy“
Aida Rizvo describes herself as a down-to-earth free spirit. Growing up as a child of so-called guest workers in the Ruhr region, she had a steep career at Henkel and C&A, among others, founded her own consulting company in Asia and is now CEO of the medium-sized company JEMAKO in Münsterland. In the “Beyond Gender Agenda” network, she is a strong advocate for diversity in business. VIVID publisher Rainer Kunst talked to the Düsseldorf resident about taking advantage of career opportunities, the challenges of finding a successor, the purpose of women's quotas and her love for the state capital.
Aida, to what extent did you plan such a varied and steep career beforehand and made decisions about which step to take next?
I come from a family of guest workers, so a career in this form was not something I was brought up with. It just happened that way. Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that have been added piece by piece. You can certainly plan a lot of things but not everything. For example, it was clear to me very early on that I wanted to be a marketing manager. And I could always imagine going abroad and when the opportunities arose, I simply took them. Intuitively, you tend to go one way or the other when you have to make a decision. I think you learn something with every career step, every experience has its positive aspects. When I'm old and sitting in a rocking chair, I won't regret having dared to do something that might not have worked out.
„When I'm old and sitting in a rocking chair, I won't regret having dared to do something that might not have worked out.“
Did you have mentors who accompanied you on this path?
I have always had superiors who were really good mentors and supporters, good sparring partners. But these can also be people from the non-professional environment. For me, effective mentoring also means when you can have an intensive exchange on a certain topic together. That simply always takes you further.
What advice would you give to younger people about making a career? What is important?
Even if it may sound banal, the bottom line is to do what brings you joy. To do that, you will always go the extra mile and you will usually do it well. I also think it's important to be courageous and to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. And then to be open, for example, to a new place or a completely new subject. That takes guts and energy, but I think it usually pays off.
Your current employer JEMAKO, a medium-sized supplier of cleaning solutions, has been on the market for over 20 years and is constantly growing. Where does the journey continue to head and which topics are particularly important?
We still have a lot of potential in the existing markets, of which Germany is the largest. There are also some uncharted territories where we don't yet have any distribution partners. JEMAKO products are very durable, sustainability is in the brand DNA. But we want to become even better and are currently in an exciting and far-reaching transformation process to bring the two megatopics of digitalisation and sustainability together and to see: How do they influence each other and what do I need to do first, etc.? In my opinion, this is the biggest challenge for all companies at the moment, regardless of whether they are medium-sized or large.
You were first co-CEO at JEMAKO and have been CEO since October 2021, while the two founders and managing directors now sit on the advisory board. A succession plan like this is one of the biggest challenges a company can face. How did you approach it?
With brutal honesty and lots and lots of communication right from the start! I started in the middle of the Covid pandemic, so we talked on the phone for hours every day and exchanged ideas intensively. I wanted to know exactly: Do I fit in with the company, do I fit in with the employees? Is JEMAKO ready to go down the route of modernisation with me? For me it was absolutely important to understand what the shareholders' vision for the future was and how they wanted the company to continue. After all, having been self-employed myself, I know what it means to run your own business and I have a huge amount of respect for the life's work that the two founders have build together - a company that now employs almost 320 people and has around 4,000 sales partners. And this open communication between the three of us works very well.
You are on the advisory board of Beyond Gender Agenda, the most important network in German business for diversity, equality and inclusion. Your expert opinion: Do female CEOs lead differently than male CEOs?
This question also relates quite well with my previous answer: I actually believe that this succession plan was also successful because I am a woman. Because women tend to be less concerned with being right than with doing the right thing. I'm not saying that men aren't empathetic, but I've often experienced that there is a different dynamic when it's just men among themselves. A woman brings a certain ‘softness‘ to it, but it's good for the cause. You get the same result, but maybe in a more elegant way.
What is your attitude towards the women's quota?
Initially, I was against the women's quota for years. That changed through my work experience abroad. I lived for a long time in Malaysia, which is considered a developing country but is very progressive in terms of diversity: many CEO positions in typically male industries such as banking and insurance or the automotive industry are held by women there. When I came back to Germany from Asia, I realised how far behind we still are in Germany when it comes to diversity. That's why I'm now absolutely in favour of the women's quota, because otherwise it won't happen.
“When I came back to Germany from Asia, I realised how far behind we still are in Germany when it comes to diversity. “
What is your connection to Düsseldorf?
I grew up in the Ruhr region, so not far away, and I lived in Düsseldorf for many years before I went abroad. When I came back, I wanted to be close to my parents, so I chose Düsseldorf again. I still think it's a really beautiful and liveable city that has a lot to offer. Arts and culture are here in abundance, as well as a good network and great transport connections: from my home it's two stops on the city train to the airport and from there I can fly internationally, which is just great. That's why I'm happy to commute to Rhede. I drive anti-cyclically and then need about an hour each way, which is fine. This way I have the best of both worlds: a great city and a fantastic job at the same time! •
About Aida Rizvo
Born in
Sarajevo, Bosnien Herzegovina1998-2009
Marketing and Communication at
Edelman PR, Henkel & Remington2009-2010
MBA, IE Business School, Madrid2011-2012
Regional Marketing Director Asia Pacific, Henkel, Shanghai2012-2018
Own consulting firm in Kuala Lumpur2018-2019
CMO C&A, Düsseldorfsince 2020
CEO JEMAKO, Rhede
About Jemako
JEMAKO is a developer, producer and direct distributor of sustainable premium cleaning solutions. The portfolio includes textiles as well as cleaning and care products for all household needs and beyond. The articles are manufactured to the highest “Made in Germany” production standards in Rhede, Münsterland. With over 300 employees, JEMAKO is committed to a clean performance, clean togetherness and a clean path into the future.
www.jemako.com
Words Tom Corrinth
Pictures CELINE AL-MOSAWI