Africa, Africa Sports Ventures Group and the rest of the world continues celebrating women making waves in the sporting fratenity. Today, a day after IWD 2021, we look at one phenomenal woman, Barbara Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is the first ever female CEO of Simba FC in Tanzania. A woman who continuously defies gender barriers, Gonzalez is always ready to challenge stereotypes and encourage and empower other women to follow suit. "I challenge all women with a passion for sports to never give up. Be present, be assertive to guarantee your seat at the table. I challenge myself to be a conduit for growth and development for women and girls to realize their full potential," she says in her own words. The message loaded with encouragement for women clearly shows how hard work has paid awesomely for the Simba FC CEO. It only took two years from the moment she was placed in the the board of Tanzanian champions Simba for the 30-year-old to be appoined the first female CEO of any football club in the country. With the club estimated to have 20 million supporters, it could have been a daunting task for Gonzalez to take over. But she is not one to shirk away from responsibility. With boldness and a sheer will to choose to challenge, she proved to the doubting Thomases that she is deserving of her position, not only because she is a woman but because she is a hardworking administrator.
Both her surname and looks - with her late father having hailed from Colombia - had caught out some football officials who were clearly unaware that Gonzalez had grown up in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania's largest city.
Before ascending to the position, Barbara Gonzalez worked as a head of MO Dewji Foundation for four and a half years from 2016 until the time she was appointed at Simba. Gonzalez holds a Masters Degree in Political science and Economics from London University in the United Kingdom (2013), Bachelors of Arts in Economics and Political Science (Manhattanville College – 2012) and studied at the International School of Tanganyika. She was an intern at UN-Habitat, New York for four months and UN-Women, worked at the Manhattanville College as the Supplemental instructor, Senior Office Assistant, Cognoscere Consultant in the UK, VSO post graduate consultant, Business Analyst Consultant at Deloitte and Social Coordinator at Bloomsbury International (UK), among other tasks. Simba Sports Club chairperson Mohamed Dewji noted that the Board of Directors decided to appoint Gonzalez given her potential and good work ethic in the different companies she has served. We thank you Barbara #ChooseToChallenge #asvgchoosetochallenge
By Editor
1 Comment
|