Collaboration and unindifference
Maria Konovalova, Director of Strategic Communications at Metafrax Group, in a long interview with the business publication Business Class, spoke about the information policy and structural changes in the holding, work with like-minded people in the regional parliament, the company's social projects and the role of women.
- The first question is about what I personally can't wait to know about. This is the festival "Mysteries of Krestovaya Mountain", and you are the Chairman of its organizing committee. Will you reveal the main "schtick" of the festival in 2023?
– Alack, I can’t reveal all the secrets, all in good time. We will tell you in detail about the program and participants of the festival at a special press conference, which will take place soon. I will say one thing for sure - this year the "Mysteries of Krestovaya Mountain" will be integrated into the large program of celebrating the anniversary of the regional capital "Perm-300".
–Now let's talk about big business. In 2022, a management company was created in the Metafrax group of companies, where you are responsible for strategic communications. How do you formulate the group's positioning strategy today, and how has it changed during all the events of the last year?
– Metafrax Group has been moving towards the creation of a management company for a long time. The functional-divisional model already existed largely, but now, with the help of consultants from Ernst & Young, we have described it, regulated it, and outlined the boundaries of authority and responsibility. I was actively involved in this process. There were many discussions, conversations, and now the management company is working. Basic documents were made-up, charters, functional standards, KPIs were developed. This is a methodological routine job, but it is very important. Even in a simple situation: a new employee comes, opens two documents and sees the algorithm of actions.
As for the sphere of strategic communications, employees at different locations of Metafrax Group have been in one convergent team for a long time. If today an employee, for objective reasons, cannot solve a task at a particular point in time, then an employee from another location will cope with it without a pause needed to dive into the topic. Since we work in different places, I made it a rule to meet once a month in the videoconferencing mode by our team, to involve key partners in these meetings.
Regarding the second part of the question, any PR Director will tell you that in connection with what is happening in geopolitics, these are not easy times. We constantly adjust our information policy and methods of its implementation, taking into account changing conditions. We moved away a long time ago from performance appraisals that are based simply on the ratio of positive to negative news. But the fundamental point remains the same. Ideologically, Metafrax certainly remains an open company.
- Simultaneously with your work directly in Metafrax Group, you are an active member of the Legislative Assembly of the region, this is applicable to work both within the walls of parliament and in the election district. How would you outline your main political priorities?
– I would describe them with two main words. Collaboration and unindifference are the most effective methods. I am a deputy in the 25th election district, but I am also included in the processes ongoing in the 16th election district. I am very happy when I am receiving citizens in a reception office of the party, for example, in Gubakha, and questions arise that we can solve using the opportunities that exist in Nytva or Perm. Or my assistant in Kizel has excellent skills in raising funds for local projects. And we can use this competence in two election districts at once.
- You spoke about unindifference, but we know that not every representative of public authority has this quality. How do you manage to find those with whom to cooperate according to this criterion?
– This is a matter of developing emotional intelligence. For example, in order to interest a potential partner of the festival “Sunset on Krestovaya Mountain”, you can talk, send videos, show budgets and releases, or you can invite a person to the festival, chat, show the opportunities that exist. When he is inside the event, it will be the best promo in terms of project fundraising.
- You are also an adviser to the rector of the Perm Polytechnical University on strategic communications. Tell us what projects you are directly involved in?
– I was invited to PNIPU for a project to develop a strategy for a Polytechnical University with partners from PricewaterhouseCoopers. It was an amazing strategy making experience. It seems to me that it will still serve us, despite the fact that the document was being developed even before all the geopolitical events.
I also want to dwell separately on the big story with the new campus of the Polytechnical University in Kogalym, which is now being built by LUKOIL. This is not just a complex of buildings, but a complete ecosystem with its own infrastructure. I am included in the geo-branding of this project, because if you build something modern, properly organize financial and economic activities, select worthy personnel, then you also need to attract talented students. And this requires competent positioning, the creation of a brand of a prestigious university.
- What joint projects of the Polytechnical University and Metafrax can be singled out today?
– It is obvious that large enterprises are experiencing a shortage of personnel in a number of professions. We tried to attract personnel from other regions, and this gave results for specific positions. But the problem requires more systematic solutions within the Perm Region. That is why Metafrax strategically supports UHTK (Ural Chemical and Technological College). If we are talking specifically about the system, then we need a pyramid with an obligatory element - the possibility of obtaining higher education. And we are striving to build a platform for dual education, the participants of which are the school, UHTK, Polytechnical University, Metafrax. Chemistry and IT classes are now being formed, the Polytechnical University teachers are already giving lectures at the UHTK. If we add a certain number of disciplines, then college students get the opportunity to reduce the time of study at PNIPU by a year.
-Another topic is social and cultural projects. Metafrax has been involved in the implementation of cultural and philanthropic projects for many years. Collaborations with the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Art Gallery, the Bereginya Foundation, the unique “Sunset on Krestovaya”… A simple question – why does the enterprise need this?
– This story has developed. At first, the idea was like this. If we brought or trained a good specialist, then the higher his qualification, the higher the need for quality and standard of living. Accordingly, in addition to high salaries, Gubakha should have good schools, hospitals, roads, parks, but this is not enough. It is also necessary to give the opportunity to go to the theater, give the child to the figure skating section, take part in volunteer activities and much more.
And when we formulated the ideology of HR brand of the Metafrax Group, we realized that this is not just an applicative story, it is also in the nature of the company. And the group makes voluntary commitments not only because of the specific economic impact, but also because it is part of our DNA.
- Tell us what projects will be implemented in the near future?
– We have already discussed the festival “Mysteries of Krestovaya Mountain”. But in the region, besides it, there are other local brands that have long ceased to be local. My proposal is to show such brands and thus raise their status, provide additional opportunities for implementation.
In general, I want to note that we have defended all the main projects in front of the company shareholders. There will be a project with the Ded Morozim Foundation for bone marrow donation, with Bereginya for children who have defeated oncology, we will support the educational program of the Diaghilev Festival, and the development of the Chemistry of Art project with the Perm Art Gallery will continue.
- And the last question is a bit philosophical. To what extent does the atmosphere that exists in politics and in the business environment of the Perm Territory allow a woman to feel comfortable? Do you feel obstacles in your work?
– If we open the statistics, we will see that women and men with the same job position receive different salaries. Sometimes the difference reaches 30%. And this is a fact.
But still, it is impossible to limit everything to the financial side. To a greater extent than men, women are representing spirituality, creativity, humanism. I really love the joint business that I manage to implement with my wonderful colleagues. We had several projects in the Legislative Assembly of the previous convocation to support talented children, where all the few women deputies, regardless of factional affiliation, participated. Everyone got together and made the project “Prikamye prodigies”. We are still meeting now, discussing who will be represented in what nominations, how it will be organized, what gifts the winners will receive, how to thank the participants.
A wise leader can deploy a conditional female weakness to strengthen a project, team, region, whatever. I believe in it. A woman is more inclined to immerse herself in a specific fate, and against this background, with her inherent emotionality, she handles activities with a much more humane attitude.
Full interview is presented on the Business Class website: https://www.business-class.su/news/2023/03/28/kollaboraciya-i-nebezrazlichie-bolshoe-intervyu-s-mariei-konovalovoi