Pinay in UAE overcomes gender stereotype, becomes CEO

Workplace stereotype has it that women cannot climb the corporate ladder and be leaders. A hardworking overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in the Middle East proved that wrong.

“I arrived in the United Arab Emirates in 1992, which was 30 years ago. I was only 22 years old. I started as a quality control officer in a textile company. I started with a salary of 300 dollars at that time, and the exchange rate was 25 pesos per dollar,” shared Dr. Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi in a Global Pinoy Unlimited episode on GMA Pinoy TV.

Alvero-Al Mahdi said all her earnings were sent to her family in the Philippines to give them a better and more comfortable life.

After seven months, Alvero-Al Mahdi said she left her first job and found the job that really changed her life — a junior chemist at the most famous laboratory in UAE, where she eventually got promoted to chief chemist. 

However, despite her hard work, Alvero-Al Mahdi was terminated due to gender bias within her workplace.  

“They couldn’t believe or did not want to accept that a woman could lead them, so I’ve been forcibly asked to resign, but I said no, I would not resign because I love my job. So, if they do not want me, they can terminate me. I’ve been terminated, but that experience opened a very big opportunity, and that’s why I’m here today,” she said.

Like how she dealt with a gender bias environment, she was also able to overcome every challenge in her life with the help of God, her family, and the people who believed in her.

After her termination from her previous company, a company with only eight employees gave her a chance, and she eventually offered to be the company’s chief executive officer (CEO).

Alvero-Al Mahdi handled big projects and started hiring people from the Philippines. Their company, Geo-Science, has 10 business entities under the Prime Group of Companies.

“I have a dynamic and strong team, a very diverse team. My style of leadership is charismatic, and I always make people feel that I am their mom,” she said.

“My life has always been blessed, and even now, I am really so blessed. I have people who trust me and believe in me. I have bosses who respect my decisions, listen to me, and prioritize me. I have a community that believes in me and that I could help them change their lives,” Alvero-Al Mahdi added.

With her hard work, dedication, and commitment to personal and professional growth, she received a Gold Award in ‘The Rise to Success’ category at the Employee Happiness Summit and Awards 2023. —KBK, GMA Integrated News