Five Minutes With... Houda Mayer

Jul 20, 2021|

• Gente de Bisley

We spoke to Houda Mayer, Assistant to the Managing Director and Head of Marketing & Internal Sales for our Germany subsidiary about working at Bisley for 10 years!

How long have you worked at Bisley?

I started in January 2011 so it’s now been 10 years! I was working for a furniture manufacturer previously and when I was exhibiting at Orgatec 2008, I saw the Bisley stand for the first time. I was really impressed. I went back to the stand in 2010 and loved the branding and innovative solutions on offer. I applied for a role and soon became Assistant to the Managing Director. I love having a wide range of responsibilities in my role, from key account management to marketing and sales. One day is never the same, it’s enjoyable.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

When I was younger I wanted to become a teacher. It’s a passion of mine to see young people growing in their personality and knowledge, and getting to be a part of their positive development. My thoughts changed during University however. I had a lot of part time jobs in retail at this time and I was really interested in communicating with people and learning about their backgrounds. I found it fulfilling to meet the needs and desires of customers. That’s the reason I changed my mind, stopped my studies and started studying sales and marketing.

I am responsible for our apprentices and any new employees within our subsidiary, so I do still get to teach sometimes.

I think we can all learn from each other. Learning from one colleague is great, but when you can teach various colleagues at one time, it’s the best thing you can do. I have the advantage that the skills I have from my studies, but I am always learning from our new apprentices too, they show me a new way of thinking and what the next generation see.

You never stop learning.

What does your normal working day look like? And how has that changed over the past year?

It normally starts the evening before. I check my diary, what meetings I have, deadlines coming up, plans for the day ahead, etc. I don’t have a standard day, every day is different.

I love being creative and 3D planning, but this is not something I get to do a lot of. Something I love in my jobs, aside from sales, is the challenge. What does the customer think they need, what ideas do they have and then using my experience and knowledge to create the outcome. It’s the best feeling.

What to do you enjoy about working at Bisley? (pre & post pandemic)

There are too many things! Where do I start? Generally, the most important thing I enjoy is being part of a big international family. The main philosophy I use is ‘think global but act local’. Working for an international company with so many different cultures and languages, but feeling as part of one team is great. People understand each other and have appreciation for the culture of others. Bisley has allowed me to understand that there are different ways of thinking.

I enjoy the versatility, having the opportunity to work with different people, departments, cultures, languages, is something I really enjoy.

How do you think the pandemic has changed the way we think about the workplace? What do you think the future holds?

This pandemic situation is a challenge for the whole world.

People are working remotely, whereas in the past there was a general consensus that you needed to be in the office to work. Then generation Y came along and wanted to be able to work everywhere. Then we have a new generation wanting to work from the office, with clear schedules set out, start and finish times, duties, etc. The challenge we have is meeting the requirements for every generations post-pandemic.

With the pandemic situation, we have the government advice to work from home where we can. But, personal requirements are different, technical requirements are different. Some can’t concentrate at home, or do not have the technical excellence to do so effectively. Every company needs to check with their employees and establish what the best working environment is, and how we move forward with this.

I don’t think open space office spaces will be as popular post-pandemic. There will be a lot of cocooning – smaller meeting spaces, place to collaborate. Can we take the benefits of remote working and bring them into the office space? Less printing, flexibility would create benefits for the environment and our wellbeing.

What is your favourite piece from the Bisley collections? And why?

Easy! The iconic MultiDrawer. I use the MultiDrawer for papers and small items in the office, but I use it at home too. I have one in every room! I store my jewellery, make-up, the children use it for their teaching materials; they have a draw for each subject. There is a reason why it’s called MultiDrawer, it has multi uses. There is a reason why a product is still going strong after 60 years. It’s the best product ever.

What do you get up to outside of Bisley? What does your usual weekend look like?

We spend a lot of time watching my sons’ football games. There is a tournament every weekend. I spend most of my time with the children at home, there is always something to do.

I really enjoy reading. Whereas others may enjoy watching films, I enjoy a really good book.