Succeeding in male-dominated industries: it’s all about attitude

TALI FEINBERG

Yet, there are still male-dominated industries where few females make their mark. These South African Jewish women are some of the outliers who have made an impact in these professions.

Ariella Kuper owns her own auction company, Solution Strategists. “The auction sector is almost entirely male-run, as was the international steel trading industry. Rather than being daunted by it, that was what interested me in both career choices – an area where I could make a difference and stand out through professionalism and results,” she says.

“I always recall the story of two salesmen coming to Africa. One calls his boss back home, and says, ‘Everyone is barefoot, don’t waste your time’. The other says, ‘No-one wears shoes; this place will be a goldmine!’ I guess life is about perspective!”

After graduating with a BA joint honours in economics and economic history, Kuper became an international steel trader for Macsteel International. She took a break to do her MBA at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, where she was class president, followed by a scholarship to Columbia Business School in New York. Thereafter, she rejoined Macsteel International, and ran various countries in their South American portfolio, while based in Miami.

On her return to South Africa she joined the auction industry in 2007, and became a leading specialist in mining, maritime, and heavy commercial steel assets. “By 2012, I had co-founded a company where we represented almost all the major mines and financial institutions in South Africa in disposing of their distressed assets on a global level. By our fourth year, we were selling a billion rand in asset sales annually.”

But in 2016 and again in 2018, Kuper had to deal with a cancer diagnosis. She survived, and in April 2019, decided to focus on her passions: charity and maritime.

She says the maritime industry has a relatively high barrier to entry. She entered it “almost in error after assisting a major diamond mine in South Africa which was pulling out of alluvial mining in Namibia, and asked me to dispose of a tanker! I sold it to Russia for four times its reserve price just seven weeks later.” She went on to specialise in the sale of major commercial vessels in South Africa and Namibia. “On the charity side, I conduct annual auctions in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa for various notable foundations. In total, I’ve raised more than R85 million in 11 years.”

Kuper says she has enjoyed the challenge and interaction with male colleagues. “We think differently. That means there’s room for knowledge growth. We inherently underrate our own capabilities, and tend to apologise too quickly. As females, we overwork as we worry we will be overlooked or readily replaced. Often we don’t recognise our own contribution and capabilities.

“There is definitely a wage gap that needs to be addressed and is too readily exploited if we don’t push for fair remuneration. On the issue of colleagues and clients being disrespectful and sexist, I honestly think it comes down to your personality – how well you manage and tolerate banter, and the boundaries you set from the outset.”

She says there are advantages to being a woman in these industries. “You are unique, a novelty, you stand out, and have your own style. If you are good at what you do, you quickly earn respect and are readily remembered and admired.”

Kuper says her parents’ adherence to a strong Jewish value system gave her a strong sense of identity and belonging. “My father always taught us to believe in the talents we were given, and not waste them. He pushed us to go out and cross frontiers, be bold, stand out amongst the crowd, and be remembered by our actions.”

Her advice to young women who would like to succeed in male-dominated fields is, “Don’t be apologetic, and don’t let fear or barriers block you on your journey. Drop the male-female saga, and judge people by your own experience.”

Professor Amanda Weltman is a theoretical physicist working at the University of Cape Town. She is researching the structure, history, evolution, and fate of our universe using cosmology and theoretical astrophysics. “I’m working on solving the deep puzzle of why the universe appears to be accelerating in its expansion,” she explains.

Weltman is known for her early research proposing a new theory of gravity, and she also won the highly competitive position of South African research chair. Alongside this, she has raised a family, and views her children as her greatest success.

“This field is roughly 10% female. There are very few women at all levels, but the numbers drop off as you get more senior,” she says.

“I believe I’m the only senior woman working in this area in South Africa. I was the first woman student in my PhD research group, and the only woman in the group for a large part of my degree. I actively try to support and train women students, though it might take years before that translates to real changes in demographics.

“There are so many added challenges to being a woman in my field. Perhaps the greatest is the inherent bias that many men have that woman are less capable at maths and science. Some men find it hard to accept women in the field, and others can be very hostile as a result.

“Perhaps on a more structural level, university and research systems are designed around the typical behaviour patterns of a traditional man who leaves much of the home responsibilities to his wife. There are very few policies in place to accommodate the different needs that some women – and even modern men – may have. Change starts with the will of senior people to make those changes.”

Weltman says her upbringing and background influenced her choices. “My family have always valued education and mathematics in particular. My father, in particular, never treated me any differently as a girl, and certainly didn’t have any lower expectations of me. So, it was kind of a shock to realise that this wasn’t the norm when I studied further.”

In addition, her Judaism has been a strong foundation. “The Jewish philosophy of asking questions and challenging everything, and the culture of debate and discussion, has fed beautifully into what it means for me to be a physicist.”

Her advice to the younger generation is, “It’s important to have integrity, and treat everyone with respect. While a lot of people come into the field because they love the maths, physics, and problem solving, science is ultimately a human endeavour. So, the earlier you figure out how to handle the human side, the better it will be in the long run.”

Weltman’s long-term goal is for the world to have changed because she was in it. “I want to leave behind some lasting legacy. It’s yet to be determined whether science or my children, or both, will be the path to that goal.”