FEATURE
Mara Butuza
Regional operations manager of EMEA and Americas at Global Lingo
This still feels so surreal to me! I ended up in this industry primarily because I hated mathematics in school. Ironically enough not only have I developed strong reporting and analytical skills over the years, but I also enjoy fact-based management, as numbers and data always tell a story.
As a student, I dreamed of becoming an EU accredited conference interpreter. I worked hard to land the accreditation exam invitation — bottom-line was ‘to try again in 5-10 years’ time as I was too young’. Up to that point I’d been freelancing as a translator, language trainer and conference interpreter. Completely disillusioned, I returned home from Bruxelles and found myself in a pickle – I had to reconfigure my career path!
ACCOLADES
Mara Butuza is the most determined and focused leader I have ever known, and that is no exaggeration. She is visionary and highly effective regardless of the challenges she must face or the projects she has to deliver. One of the strongest suits that define Mara are innovation and the ability to reinvent anything she sets her mind to (even herself). She can empower the numerous teams she leads to meet the highest demands and produce top quality. In the years I’ve known Mara, she has always shown strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, the ability to make tough decisions and be ethical at all times. Mara represents a role model for the industry, but the list of achievements shows she would thrive and impress anytime and anywhere.
So, I joined Global Lingo as a Resourcing Coordinator, an entry level job. Never intended to build a career here, but life works in mysterious ways. Eight years later, I’m still riding the wave, i.e., from the rebellious-looking 20-something girl who took the helm of the Romanian office, to managing the company’s global QMS, to successfully leading, restructuring and developing our largest operational platform, to being one of the original members of the senior leadership team and to finally getting and maintaining a seat at the board of directors table.
As a woman in this company and industry I’ve always felt at home, truly respected, and valued, surrounded by like-minded people. It’s an environment that’s allowed me to compete with myself, to drive transformational change across the board, to set and maintain high standards, to give hope, to inspire, to teach and coach, to empower and develop others and save the day countless times – ultimately to constantly reinvent myself. My manager, mentor and friend, Karl Eastwood, CEO, has always been in my corner, identified my potential, understood my personality, my strengths and weaknesses, and fully trusted and empowered me to deliver, again and again. He simply let me shine!
The more I’ve climbed the ladder, the stronger my focus on building credible and meaningful relationships with stakeholders at all levels and cross-collaborating to achieve common goals has become. I cherish the people I work with every day. I owe them a lot of my success! For me, success is an infinite game of solving problems while lifting and enabling others in the process, and this requires increased stamina and resilience. It’s a lifestyle I can’t seem to get enough of!
Mara deserves recognition for the outstanding managerial skills and consistent high performance in leadership and driving our team, as well as the industry, to persistently high levels of professionalism, and not least, for her femininity.
WEEKLY DIGEST
Subscribe to stay updated between magazine issues.
