Women In Industry

AT WORK, REST AND PLAY

THIS MONTH: Trisha Naik, Area Sales Manager at REHAU UK

This series in Glass News highlights the hopes and aspirations of women in the windows, doors, glass, roofs and hardware industry and will hopefully inspire more to make this their career.

AT WORK...

How did you get into this industry?

I came into the windows industry after eight years of working in transport and logistics – I wanted a change and I’d always enjoyed customer-facing roles, so a contact suggested I apply for a Business Development Manager role at a windows manufacturer I knew of.

Please give a brief resume of your career to date.

I started as a Business Development Manager at the UK Window Group in 2018, and after almost two years, I moved to REHAU to take up my current role as an Area Sales Manager in September 2020. Moving from selling finished windows and doors to profile was a big shift, and the fact I did it in the middle of the pandemic made it even more challenging! I’m happy to say I’m really enjoying it though, and feel the covid pressures really helped accelerate some of the strong customer relationships I have today.

AT REST...

Away from work, what is your focus?

I spend a lot of time with my dog, Ella, and Jevgenij, my partner. I often go on long walks with them to help us unwind and relax. I also like going on hot, sunny holidays. It’s very important to me that I can get away from it all on occasion – and what better way to do that on a beach in a tropical part of the world?

Do you believe your speciality (finance, sales, management, marketing etc.) is transferable to any industry?

Absolutely – I work in sales, so a huge part of my role is building relationships, putting an arm around people and communicating clearly. These are necessary skills in any industry, so I’d definitely say they’re transferrable.

Have you a career path mapped out or is it more about opportunism?

The beginning of my windows career was all about taking an opportunity to do something new. As far as mapping out a career goes, I’m more focused on the present right now, as the industry adjusts post-COVID.

Looking ahead, where would you like to be in a) 5 years’ time and b) 10 years’ time?

Over the next five years, I would like to progress in my career as a salesperson, especially as the focus has moved from ensuring stock to strengthening service for new and existing accounts – I feel there’s a real opportunity for personal growth. In 10 years’ time? I’d like to be in a senior position, heading a sales team.

AT PLAY...

Do you achieve the work/life balance you would like to?

I think I’ve managed to strike a good balance. I work in a customer-focused role, so I sometimes need to be available to help slightly outside regular hours with urgent things, but I’m passionate about setting aside time in which I can rest and recharge. Whether that’s through walking the dog or just taking some time to myself, this downtime is important both personally and for doing the best job possible in my work.”

If money and leisure time were no object, what would you really like to do for yourself or your family?

I’d like to help people young adults to understand about different career paths available to them, putting myself forward as a prime example. It would really help them to know there are multiple, nonconventional ways of reaching their goals and ambitions.

Though I have a degree I wouldn’t say I’m the most academic person, but I’ve had some excellent influences on my career and my personal life. If the next generation could give themselves a similar support network, they could really benefit. Family-wise, I would like to travel as much and as often as possible, and embrace all the cultures and experiences from different countries.