Female Entrepreneurship

Insight from Fanny Rolet, CEO, Antofenol

Female Entrepreneurship: Insight from Fanny Rolet, CEO, Antofenol

NAI: Please can you introduce yourself and share with readers your story and why you entered into this industry?

Fanny: I have a master’s degree in biotechnology and in management. I created my own company 8 years ago and I’m mother of two little boys Elliott and Tim. When I was a student, I met a CEO, André Choulika, and I promised to myself that in my future I will be like him, but earlier than him!After having failed to obtain a thesis grant, I wanted to create a company in the diagnosis of cancer, but this was not possible because I was not in charge of the project, that was not my idea, my technology and I was only a young female student! Encouraged by this frustration and after I met a farmer who asked me how to make a wine estate profitable, I had the idea, my idea! From this question and after some glasses of wine Antofénol was born.

NAI: Why do you think Agriculture has been historically seen as a more male driven sector? What can we do to help change this perception?

Fanny: To my mind it's a wrong perception due to industrialization of this sector. Everybody sees a male drive a combine harvester because of the marketing and the communication. For me historically both men and women work together to produce and feed their family and other people. The most important thing what we could do, is to change the advertising and communicate better on women work in agriculture.

NAI: Do you feel we can we doing more to support women to achieve more senior positions within corporate agriculture, and if so, what do you think we can be doing to help encourage more women into such senior roles?

Fanny: As in all fields, women need to gain confidence in their ability and have the courage to take the plunge. For me we must try to teach our children, girls and boys, that anything is possible from the moment we want to do it. Acting must not be a risk but an experience.

NAI: How did you become CEO? What advice would you offer others who have leadership aspirations?

Fanny: I became CEO by force of circumstances to have the freedom to bring an idea to fruition in order to focus on the realization of an idea as a whole. I became CEO because deep down I have always loved being the actress of my destiny. It is a great freedom which implies heavy responsibilities, but my life is fascinating, and I would not change my story in any way. For me, being a woman is a strength not a weakness. My advice? Go! You need to take risk to gain success.

NAI: What lessons have you learnt along the way within your career?

Fanny: Be content with even small victories because to win the moon it is over the length that we act sustainably. If you trust in you, male, female, old, young, nothing is impossible.