"Women shouldn't doubt their abilities" - Ana Gama, CFO

With 20 years' experience in management, Ana Gama has a degree in Economics from ISEG and a postgraduate degree in Management from INDEG/ISCTE. She began her career at Deloitte in 2003 as a management consultant and later joined the Portugal Telecom Group, where she worked for 12 years in different areas - Continuous Improvement, Project Management, Development of new products and services and Digital Transformation, for B2C and B2B segments. In 2018, Ana Gama joined Bizdirect where she took on the role of chief financial officer, leading the Finance, HR, Quality, Internal IT, Facilities Management, Operations and Marketing departments. Following the acquisition of Bizdirect by the Claranet Group in July 2021, she supported the management of the process of integrating the companies and, in January 2022, took over the leadership of Claranet's Financial Department - Planning & Management Control and Treasury.

Three months ago, Ana Gama took on a new challenge as chief financial officer of Nextbitt, a software company founded in 2015 that provides an innovative solution to optimize the management of physical assets and simplify environmental compliance and sustainability reporting. In July of this year she received five million euros from the Explorer Investments fund in an investment round, with the aim of accelerating its growth.

You were at Bizdirect when it was acquired by Claranet and took part in the process of integrating the companies. What led you to leave Claranet after fulfilling that mission?

I joined Bizdirect in 2018, still as the Sonae Group, and in July 2021, the acquisition process by Claranet took place. Integrating people, processes and systems from two companies with such different cultures and realities, especially during a pandemic and in a remote working model, was a challenging and demanding process, but fortunately it went very well, thanks to the involvement and commitment of the entire team. at Claranet, I took on the leadership of part of the financial management and also participated in another integration process of another acquired company, and when I was completing this process, the opportunity arose to join Nextbitt.

In my opinion, any decision to change career is not taken immediately or lightly, not only because it forces us out of our comfort zone, but also because it implies a willingness to readapt to a whole new context.

I have always faced new challenges with great enthusiasm and I saw Nextbitt as a chance to get to know and experience a different reality to the one I knew (corporate environments and large companies/groups), so that I could continue to grow professionally and personally, which have always been the drivers for the changes I have made throughout my career. I'm a great believer in Nextbitt's potential for national and international growth and I was motivated by the fact that I could contribute directly to its development, apply here the knowledge I've built up over the years, and take a more active part in the company's management and professionalization.

Changing job, company or taking part in a company integration process usually involves more pressure and responsibility. What do you think is essential for dealing with these moments of transition?

In my opinion, there are a number of key factors, or competencies if you like, that we need to have internalized in order for the changes to be successful.

First, you need to be motivated to change, to really think about whether it makes sense. I've always done an exercise which is to answer truthfully the questions I ask myself, such as: "will I feel fulfilled?", "will I develop skills?", "will I be able to get to know new realities, do things differently, innovate?", "am I prepared and do I feel capable of taking on the challenge?", "does it make sense at the stage of life/career I'm at?". If the answers are "yes", then the change makes sense!

I also believe that if you take on a new challenge you have to commit to it, in other words, you have to have an intrinsic interest in "making it happen". you have to give in and get personally involved, you have to feel that the company is "ours", which gives you added motivation to deliver more and better results.

Resilience, in my opinion, is also fundamental. Having the ability to overcome obstacles and deal with the most adverse or challenging situations while maintaining a positive, confident, secure attitude and with the certainty that at the end of the day we can achieve the goal we set ourselves. And even if we don't manage to achieve it in full or within the timeframe we set ourselves, not going into a negative spiral and continuing with commitment and positive energy to fight and look for ways to do more and differently.

It is also extremely important to empathize with the people you deal with directly, whether in a new role or a new company. Being surrounded by people who are optimistic, enthusiastic, cooperative, who challenge us and where there is a clear alignment in terms of principles and values, is a crucial factor in maintaining motivation and knowing how to deal with the pressure and responsibility of the challenges that arise.

Nextbitt is Ana Gama's new priority

What are your priorities at Nextbitt?

My priorities are aligned with the strategy defined for Nextbitt over the next few years: strengthening our position in the domestic market and going international. We want to be the national and international benchmark in the area in which we operate (Sustainable Asset Management) and in order to achieve this, as well as offering our clients an excellent technological solution with innovative features, we need to focus on the company's internal development and growth, and that is my aim.

From a financial point of view, my priorities are to ensure Nextbitt's financial viability through efficient and sustainable management, to identify the main growth levers and to monitor performance on a recurring basis. In addition, the priorities also include ensuring the professionalization of our internal processes, strengthening the team and being highly visible and close to the business and its people. I want to look holistically at the company, understand its needs and identify and implement the initiatives that make the most sense for us to achieve our goals.

What qualities and skills do you consider essential to be a good professional in your field?

In addition to the above (commitment, resilience, empathy), I believe that characteristics such as integrity, common sense, transparency, positive energy and humility are fundamental. I would also highlight good communication skills, focus, ability to work and deliver, especially under pressure, proactivity and curiosity.

And finally, and perhaps most importantly, focus on the people who are the most important asset of any company: know how to listen, respect and understand their needs and help find solutions - to be a good professional it's important to have an excellent team and excellent leaders.

I can say that throughout my career, including now at Nextbitt, I have had the good fortune to meet and deal with excellent professionals: very dynamic, proactive teams with immense know-how from whom I could and can learn a lot, and inspiring leaders who have instilled in me a positive attitude, motivation, ambition and constant challenge, and who have clearly contributed (and are contributing) to the person and professional I am today.

The biggest challenge is reconciling career and family

What is the most challenging part of your job?

My job requires a lot of dedication, focus and responsibility, which often translates into long working hours and it's not always easy to reconcile professional and personal life - I think this balance between career and family has always been my biggest challenge.

I'm a professional, I'm a mother and I'm a woman and it's extremely important that I balance these three roles because that's what allows me to maintain my emotional balance and stability. To do this, I try to manage my priorities and time well, although there may be phases when one of these "roles" may require more dedication than the other. And fortunately I have a solid support network, be it leaders, team, family, friends or logistical support.

What would you say to a woman who wants to make a career in your field?

I wish I could answer without any hesitation that I would say the same as I would to a man, but I know that the reality in many organizations and contexts is still not completely equal.

So I would say that a woman should work on her self-confidence, believe in herself and not doubt her abilities, not be afraid to express her opinion, obviously have the technical skills needed for the job she is going to take on, but invest a lot in developing her personal skills. Having a purpose and outlining the path to achieving it, with the courage and humility to ask for help whenever you feel the need.

And don't neglect yourself, be attentive and take care of yourself, take time for yourself and ensure your physical and emotional balance.

Source: Executive

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