Interview: Mariya Kosanova, Country Manager Bulgaria, Hewlett Packard Enterprise operated by Selectium

Mariya Kosanova is one of the leading Country Managers across the Midis Group. As Country Manager for Bulgaria for Hewlett Packard Enterprise operated by Selectium, she is in the driving seat of a growing business at a time when digital transformation is bringing new opportunities for many businesses across Eastern Europe. Mariya presents regularly to business forums and enterprise events about the use of data to transform businesses and the increasing range of innovative Hewlett Packard Enterprise solutions. In this interview, we wanted to find out more about the background to her successful high profile leadership style.

How did your education prepare you for working in the industry and what was your first job?

I graduated from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia and I have a master’s degree in Marketing. In fact, I started working a few months before I started studying to cover my education costs. I started as a Customer Service Specialist in an office supplies company, then became a Product Manager and after graduating, I took the position of Marketing Manager and Product Department Manager.

The working process helped me with my education and vice versa. What I studied in theory, I could put into practice in my work and it was very useful and effective for my future career. In general, I personally think that university education only gives you guidance; it teaches you how to obtain and handle information, but not how to do your job.

Did you have any early role models when you began working that you looked up to?

I’ve never wanted to look like or behave like anyone. I always wanted to be one of a kind, to be distinct, not to blend in. That’s why I don’t think I’ve had any role models ever. Many people have helped and supported me in my life and career, but I have never wanted to “copy” any of them. On the other hand, instead of role models, I had goals and dreams that I was trying to fulfill. One of my dreams, for example, was to work for HP. In my early twenties, every day I passed the office of (then) HP in Sofia and dreamed of having a chance to work for this company one day – and I made it happen in 2009.

What kind of challenges did you encounter as a woman working in tech (if any?)

My opinion is that women should not try to mimic men’s leadership. We are different not only by gender but also by mentality. Men and women have different leadership skills and that is wonderful, this is how it should be.

The main challenge I am facing – and it may sound funny but this is really demanding – it is when I must make a business appointment with a male. No matter if it is in the office or elsewhere, every single time, I worry every single time that I could be misunderstood, that he will get my intentions wrong. I cannot be straight forward, to just call and say “Hello, Sir. Let’s meet!” I have to be more restrained and choose my words carefully at the beginning – which is not fair, right? So – the result is I need MORE time, sometimes more than one short conversation to start talking business with male partners.

In general, regarding gender – there should be balance in everything. I don’t like putting anyone in a box no matter if the person is male or female. I like when people are not the same. I believe in the balance of nature.

The gender balance is not a balance of numbers, it’s a balance of skills – women have their skills and men their skills, and both are equally important. When managing a team, it’s not about the balance of the number of women or men. When you are hiring different people with different qualities, this balance comes naturally.

Is this your first role with HPE/Selectium?

I started to work for Hewlett-Packard Bulgaria as IPG partner business manager in 2009 and after a few years, I transferred to Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Bulgaria as Technology Services Country Lead and Sales. I have maintained the same role after HPE transitioned to a new country-presence business model, which lead to the establishment of Selectium in 2018. Last year I received an offer to take on the role of Country Manager for Hewlett Packard Enterprise operated by Selectium and accepted it.

Moving to HPE/Selectium – what were your first impressions of the company and the Midis Group as a whole?

This was not my first encounter with Midis Group. Shortly before I started at HP, I worked for а company (the official representative of Apple in Bulgaria), which was part of Midis Group. My first impressions of Midis Group are from that period: transparency, correctness, and a pleasant working atmosphere. In other words – a place where you want to work and a company that motivates you to be productive and loyal. Business ethics make a company attractive.

Your current role as Country Manager is a chance to have a major influence on the development of the business on a large scale – what would you say are the biggest tasks in taking on such a role?

In general, the key requirement for this role is to achieve results quickly. I am result-oriented as a person and this requirement suits me perfectly. However, when I took on this role, I found that it is much more important to initially invest in the relationship with the team, as this is a long-term investment in future results. Currently, I am positive that every successful leader must first build trust and then pursue results. But it was and still is a struggle for me – when needed to put the relationship with the team first instead of pursuing results.

What will success look like, in this role, when it happens?

For me there is no such thing, success is a process, not a thing, or a feeling. When executing a managerial position, to say that you are successful, you must have reached the point where the team is so well coordinated that it can work independently. And independently does not mean without supervision. This means that the leader has managed to make the work processes so effective that each team member feels super confident with his or her area of specialization and responsibility. This is a guarantee of great results. This is what success looks like for me.

What is your management style – is it different to how others manage?

I am not sure what my management style is, I am still searching for the best management style. I think that constant learning is a significant skill that every good leader should have. The leader should know that knowledge is not a weakness, but strength and constant learning is the best tool you have in your hand when managing a team.  Once you believe you’re the best and you don’t have to learn anything more, you’re done as a leader.

I think I am a manager who is quite liberal but also very demanding – I expect a lot from myself and therefore I expect a lot from others.

Мy goal is to build my relationship with my team on mutual trust: for me to be convinced that they will do their job in the best way and for them to believe that I will support them if they need it. I do my best to follow this important principle daily. I don’t like micromanagement, it’s a waste of time. I want to focus on things that help the company move forward – i.e. not just to meet our targets, but to be a step ahead.

In recent times, what has been a really challenging project or problem, and how did you overcome it?

I took the role of Country Manager in a time of global crisis (COVID-19), and I had to prove that I am the best choice. I admit it wasn’t easy. The first challenge was this ‘remote working’ situation that emerged from nowhere.

Becoming a leader to a team that is not actually present is very difficult. So the challenge for me was to connect with my colleagues – literally. I needed to be accepted by the team and I didn’t have the chance to meet any of them in person. Then my perseverance came to the rescue!

I am persistent and when I start something, I want to finish it. I never give up. And that turned out to be very important in my situation. Communication wasn’t the only challenge – it was hard for me to be unable to see how people react or how they feel; are they OK or do they need some support from me.

For example, some people didn’t like working from home while others were scared to go outside at all – this is some kind of psychological moment that a leader should understand, feel and act appropriately. There is no book full of generally applicable rules for all.  The correct perception of this situation is critical – and as a leader, people should have the feeling that you are doing the best for them.

In these early stages of my journey as a manager, I had the strong support of my then direct superior – Iztok Klancnik – who at that time was Selectium General Manager for Slovenia and Bulgaria. His managerial approach helped me a lot and taught me how to be a better leader myself. He found the best way to coach me and at the same time assure me that I can make the right decisions on my own. It was extremely important to me that in these first couple of months I could count on him always and in every situation. So now, I want to show my team that they can count on me. I believe this is one of the main ways to motivate any team.

In this role or other recent ones, what project, task or success are you most proud of?

Actually, I feel proud everyday of the work that we are doing as a team because it’s not easy. I would be proud if I achieve what I talked about a little earlier – building a strong and effective team. Winning a deal, no matter how difficult and complex it is, is not a thing that can make me proud. Winning deals is my job after all.

How do you relax when you are not working?

Relax isn’t something that comes easy to me. As I said earlier, I am very result-oriented person, and it is very hard for me to find effective ways to free my mind from the constant stream of thoughts about work.

I found out that to relax I have to keep my brain busy with non-work related topics. I try to do things that focus my attention on areas that are very far away from the subject of my work. Math games, logic games and puzzles proved to be very handy amusements.

Playing the piano is another way for me to rest, which regrettably I do not do often enough. I have been playing the piano since I was 6 years old.