Female general managers in Supply are few and far between. In fact, Eszter Szakacs-Módos is only the second woman to hold that position in VELUX so far. With two technical educations and more than 20 years of tenure, she is well-equipped for the job.
Eszter Szakacs-Módos is a well-known figure in the local community around LKR-H. She was born just 15 kilometres away in Kapuvár, where she still lives with her family. As the general manager of a major local employer, not to mention the largest production site in VELUX, she has entered a league that has traditionally been very male dominant. That, however, has never held her back.
“I was not the typical girl in the sense that I have always been interested in technical things. My grandfather was a mechanic, and as a child I spent a lot of time in the garage with him and later on with my brother.”
"It took a lot of courage to go the technical university, because there weren’t many women back then."
Eszter Szakacs-Módos, General Manager of LKR-H
With her interest in technology, it was natural for Eszter to enroll at the technical university in Gyor, where she studied to become an industrial engineer.
“I have always liked to transcend the boundaries, but it took a lot of courage to go the technical university, because there weren’t many women back then. So it was a bit of a tough switch from the gymnasium,” Eszter recalls.
But she pushed through, graduated, and was immediately offered a job in an automotive company. A year later, there was a job opening in VELUX, a company Eszter had always wanted to work for. She seized the opportunity, and started working in LKR-H as a quality management engineer.
“After 5 years I was offered a promotion, but I chose to focus on my family instead. I was pregnant with my first son at the time, and ended up staying at home for 6 years with my two boys. I felt convinced that if I was talented enough, I would get another opportunity when I came back after my maternity leave,” says Eszter.
While on leave, Eszter went back to university to complete another degree as economic engineer. She returned to VELUX and took on the role as VOS coordinator, and continued to build relations within the local and the global organisation. A year later, she was offered her first management position.
“I realised then that I like leading people. It drives me to help people succeed.”
Eszter continued to expand her management responsibilities, and following Simplify was appointed Technical Manager of LKR-H.
“I really loved that job. I have always thrived with oil on my hands, and I learned a lot. It was a big thing in Hungary to be a female technical manager, and while the team quickly accepted me, it was different with external partners. Sometimes I could see on their faces that they were expecting a man, and they were unsure of what to do when I showed up.”
It is just a job – don’t overthink it
Besides her two degrees in engineering, Eszter has also completed an education in psychology as an emotional intelligence developer. Something that has proven very useful in her job.
“You need to know yourself to be a good leader. With my psychological background, I am more sensitive to others and have a better understanding of how they think and feel. That enables me to ask the right questions and give better advice.”
Openness and trust are key elements in Eszter’s management style:
“I encourage my colleagues to be honest about problems and bring challenges and difficulties to the surface. I have a lot of trust in my team, and I know that they always try to do their best, because they care as much as I do.”
Stepping into the role as General Manager has been challenging, but her long tenure with VELUX also means that she comes well-prepared.
“I have been here for so long, and I know the people, the factory, the standards and processes very well. But when you ‘grow up’ within the organisation, it can also be challenging to establish yourself in a new role. Certainly it was a big change for my colleagues that I was part of the management team one day and General Manager the next day.”
Eszter has taken over management of LKR-H in a time of instability and uncertainty. Not exactly what she was envisioning when preparing the handover from Graham Johnstone, the previous GM. However, this has not made her back down. Together with her management team, she has faced the challenges head on, acutely aware that even when you are the general manager, you don’t know everything.
“You must be humble, or you will fail in any kind of leadership role. You are not God, only a conductor. The most important learning for me has been to treat this role as a job. Yes, it is a difficult and complex role to be general manager, but at the end of the day, it is just a job. Don’t overthink it.”