EXHIBITION: WOMEN IN MALTA – Helga Ellul
Location:Casa Rocca Piccola
Helga Ellul – Director of ADVISE LTD, former CEO of Playmobil for over 30 years.
Helga was the first of the 15 women I met. She responded to my invitation in a few days and we were soon corresponding, and set a date for our meeting very quickly.
I couldn’t believe that Helga Ellul was coming to my studio. I told everyone about it.
I talked to people about Helga, people who knew about her heard that I invited her for the project, they told me, “oh yes, Helga is a lovely person.”
She is known as a first business woman in Malta. She was the CEO of Playmobil for 30 years. Back in those days there weren’t many women running a company like her.
As our experience in life, if you do something unusual, you get criticised. So I asked her some questions about being a CEO, a business women in those days. She told me that back in those days, there were some people who thought she was a super woman who knew everything. To clarify that impression, she had parties at home and invited all the neighbours to join. As people got to know her better, they found her to be like every other mum who loves to talk about their children.
Back in those days she was a flower power girl. She wanted to be an artist. Then she was lucky to find someone to help her in early life, and they sent her to Malta for the job in Playmobil.
What interests me the most is her faith in people. She is very open to communication to anyone. Even sometimes the cooperation doesn’t work out, together she would still try to find a way out for each other. “Forgive and give chances.” She said. “If you believe that people are good, then they will be good.”
Q&A
1)When you feel down, what you usually do to make yourself feel better? How do you deal with stress?
I love sports, cooking and painting. These are the things I do for stress relief. When sporting, I take it easy, I don’t mind if I lose the game.
2)What you enjoy the most about your work?
People.
3)Have you been professionally photographed before? How did you feel? (Before the shoot with Amanda)
Yes, I have. I didn’t like it.
4)If you knew then what you know now, what would you tell your 18-year-old self?
Whatever you do, you have to love doing it, ultimately love it. Also you must be educated and trained, study it properly.
5)When things get tough, how do you keep yourself going?
I have a lot of support from my husband. My husband is a very confident person. I was a shy girl, he gave me a lot of confidence and support. Sometimes I felt more alone rather than stressful. I have very good friends I can talk to. But most of the time I reason with myself and find solutions.
6) How do you define success?
For me success is when I can make a contribution to people, not being wasted. I love people and I have strong belief in people.
Helga now has her own consulting company. Giving people advice regarding business.