In this months issue, Construction Business News ME takes a look at the contribution women have made to the construction industry in the region, and it is a great opportunity to catch-up with Ann Frank from CASE, a construction equipment arm of CNH International (CASE New Holland). She is an executive who has worked on two major brands in the Middle East since her career moved on from a start in the financial sector and a later stint in fashion and retail events.
I started out with customer excellence delivery for Barclays Business Master as my first job, she says, as she traces back to the beginnings of her career. What started as a summer job, soon became a career when I realised I loved people interaction, and eventually I grew into a position with training for customer excellence and soft skills.
When Frank first moved to Dubai 12 years ago, she found herself involved in the events industry. She says she was inspired not just by her new surroundings but also by the people she met there. I had the privilege of working on some of the regions leading events from a wide range of industries, she remarks. Dubai is a great melting pot of cultures and ideas, so its such a pleasure to work besides energetic, creative, and passionate people. It really brings out the best in you and helps you strive to keep innovating and doing better.
While she enjoyed working in the world of events, Frank decided to make a move that would eventually take her career in an entirely new direction. I moved to Genie, a Terex brand for a change in pace and started with them in administration. Within the year, I organically grew into the marketing role and eventually was responsible for the Middle East and Southern Africa.
During her seven-year tenure at the access platform specialist (which is famous for its blue livery), she says she began to realise that she was, as she puts it, falling in love with machinery and manufacturing. The engineering excellence, safety enhancements, and creativity in the manufacturing industry is so groundbreaking that I was immediately hooked.
Now CNH Internationals regional marketing and dealer manager with a brief to develop its CASE Construction Equipment brand, Frank has a delightful way to sum up how she feels about being involved in a traditionally male-dominated industry. I have recently moved from access equipment to construction equipment and the fascination has only grown, she says. Who would think coming from fashion and retail events I would love heavy equipment as much I do…then again why should boys have all the fun?
The equipment sector is an often unsung contributor to the construction industry in the region. Behind the importing of thousands of units of machines, vehicles, and plant every year, individuals are tasked with ensuring they arrive on time and function in the dirty extremes of being on-site; just as they promised in their glossy brochures and shiny web pages. This is a sector where time truly is money and CNH International has in recent years set about a multi-pronged approach to ensure that the company and its dealers are as close to possible to their contractor customers.
While CASE, as part of CNH International, is one of the largest equipment manufacturers in the world, it has been sending its kit to the region for decades. It has recently stepped up its presence; enhancing its dealer network, expanding its product offering, and attempted to get ever closer to its customers. Franks role places her firmly at the centre of this effort. I currently manage marketing and network development for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and my role encompasses working closely with various regional offices and with a wide and robust dealer network.
I also manage and coordinate product and brand marketing activities within my region, in order to support the increase of market share and sales volumes of products and services through the distributor network in coordination with the commercial team and in compliance with regional sales, marketing, and network development
strategy.
She adds that her career, and working at CASE in particular, has also given her a broad perspective and a
greater understanding of the contribution that the huge variety of cultures and backgrounds, including gender, are making to the rapidly changing region. She describes the need to travel across the region as a privilege. The Middle East is a fascinating amalgamation of various cultures housed together, yet, organically, take the shape or form of the local culture. When you travel the length and breadth of the region, you have the privilege of interacting with different cultures and one thing common in all is the goal to grow – growth of the industry, the country, the business, and the company – irrespective of what gender or nationality you belong to.
She continues: I have had the privilege to travel to various countries in different continents, each vastly different from the other, observe and work with cultures that are privy to change, and some that believe staying the course is the safest bet. However, one common thing in all of the people I have met is the passion of every person who turns up and clocks in. The unrelenting desire to bring out the best in the job at hand. I feel very fortunate to have learnt and added to my growth; the experiences from various cultures have enriched me tremendously, both professionally and personally.
Turning her attention back to the 175-year old company that has given her many of these experiences, she says that remaining close to its customers and understanding their needs has seen it gain ground over the competition. CNH International is built on the principle that simple is better. Our equipment is an evolution of finetuned products designed to solve real-world challenges. Ability to outlast competition is only based on your end-customer wanting to come back to you time and again, she says.
CASE Construction Equipment takes customers seriously so seriously, in fact, that we invite equipment users to participate in defining and improving new products. We call this our Customer-Driven Product Definition (CDPD) process. We involve CASE and competitive customers in CDPD projects to help us better understand their needs, and work with us to develop and test new models that respond to those needs.
We have customer centres in Europe and the US where our customers from around the world enjoy a firsthand experience with the powerful performance of our full range of CASE construction equipment in real job site working conditions. All this adds to the whole experience of dealing with a legendary brand such as ours. Frank believes that the equipment sector equipment sector is now embracing the contribution that female executive like herself can make perhaps it is time to move on from the idea of it being the preserve of only men.
This industry, which is perceived as a male-dominated one, is not restrictive and closed anymore. We have industry-leading manufacturers who have women in leadership roles. There are many apprenticeship programmes across the board for women from the shop floor (manufacturing line) to leadership; the industry is moving ahead and growing further.
Case spreads its wings
Being able to support customers rapidly to minimise their downtime is a crucial factor in CASEs expansion in the region. The quality of the machines, the parts, and the logistics are the three key elements to meeting the demands of construction companies in the region, says the manufacturer.
CASE has worked hard over the last few years to enhance its ability to make it easier for customers to gain access to its machines in the region. Its network has been bolstered and expanded and, so has the team on the ground with it adding expertise in spare parts, finance, and marketing. Its regularly held Eagle Days (a reference to the eagle on its marque) events are an opportunity to talk about additions to its offering. The three-day format includes sales training and a demonstration event (typically held on the third day) for its local partners and equipment buyers, which it says, enhances the relationship between sales people and customers from across the region.
CASE also opened a new parts facility in Dubai at the end of 2016. The new hub joins a list of seven others that it operates throughout the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. The facility stocks more than 11,000 part numbers and is able to cover demand for the entire region.