São Paulo – Behind a great woman there is always another great woman – the mother. In the case of businesswoman Maria Regina Yazbek, superintendent director of logistics companies Movicarga and Célere, Sohad is much more than a beloved, affectionate mother. She is her right arm, her safe haven, and the heart of the company. But let us start from the beginning. It was Sohad, alongside her husband Alberto, who created Movicarga in 1973. Both worked at Hyster, a multinational pile driver manufacturer, and were quick to realize that there was a market there. Armed with a loan and lots of courage, they bought five pile drivers and decided to set up a business to rent the equipment. Regina was but a little girl then.
The company headquarters used to be the Yazbeks’ house. Sohad used to cook, do the laundry, take care of the (three) children and run the business. Whenever the telephone would ring, she would pretend to be the secretary and say that she was going to call Sohad. Then, she would speak to the potential customer with a different voice tone. Quite a few years went by that way.
One day, a customer demanded to visit the company "headquarters." When he arrived, Sohad, in the role of secretary, said that the owner was out. The customer, realising what was taking place, asked her to use the typewriter in the living room to write it down: he would like to rent five pile drivers. “He saw the clothes waiting to be pressed, the mess, the effort that we were putting forth, and decided to bet on us,” tells Sohad.
Alberto Yazbek only ed his wife for good when the company was one-and-a-half year old. He realised that they would already be able to live off of Movicarga and quit his job. The company now had its own head offices and Alberto, in the position of chairman, started to make more s. Always with Sohad, strong and steady, by his side. Even after Alberto retired due to health problems and Regina took over the business, Sohad continued to participate – and does so until this day.
Sohad is, in fact, the chairwoman of Movicarga. The home-based company days are definitely in the past. The living room, full of clothes to press, gave way to a spacious room at the Movicarga headquarters, decorated with photos of their children, grandchildren, and the children of their employees. “My mother never missed a day at work. Even when my brother was kidnapped for 70 days, she still came in. She was suffering, but came to work nonetheless,” says Regina. “She takes care of the finances, signs all of the cheques. I do not even look at these things.”
One-of-a-kind
Maria Regina Yazbek is one of the most well-known and respected businesswomen in the city of São Paulo. She assumed control of Movicarga in 1987, at age 23, when her father retired in order to treat his morbid obesity. The eldest brother, who would be the natural successor, worked at the company for some time, but did not embrace the cause. The youngest daughter showed no interest either. Regina wanted to work elsewhere, but ended up taking on the challenge. The father, completely faithless in her capacity, did not believe that things were going to work out. The lack of faith from her own father provided the thrust that she needed. She took over Movicarga, fell in love with it and turned a company that used to rent pile drivers, with 15 employees, into a business that currently offers logistics services and generates revenues of 108 million Brazilian reals (US$ 49.5 million). Oh, and by the way, now there are 1,350 employees worldwide.
The challenges were many. First of all, “friendly fire” – resistance from her own father. Secondly, the prejudice of employees at Movicarga, who were used to the command of the father to that young, blonde, good-looking woman. Finally, prejudice in the industry. “I used to be the only woman running a company in the field. Whenever they would meet me in person, many customers used to say that they imagined me as a fat, ugly, truck-driver looking woman – as we were dealing with transports,” recollects Regina.
The story of Movicarga – and of the mother-and-daughter duo – completely changed after the “Formula 1 advent.” Regina introduced herself to the Formula One Management (FOM) so as to offer her services during the Brazil Grand Prix. She was ridiculed for the attempt. Even by her father, who thought that it was a terrible deal. But she made it. That was in 1992. The contract lasts until today, and is the apple of the eyes of Regina. But even Bernie Ecclestone, the president of FOM himself, once told her: “Had I known then that you were the owner of the company, then I probably would not have signed the deal.” Now, besides doing business with the United Kingdom, because of Formula 1, Regina has also set one foot in Japan. For two years now, Movicarga is the official distributor for Nissan Forklift, a pile driver manufacturer.
Regina has been head of the family company for 22 years. She proved to her father, the sexist transport industry, the masculine world of Formula 1 and all of those who did not believe in her that a woman is perfectly able to run a business of such size.
Her unique way of being was inspired by her mother. Despite Sohad’s discreet approach to running the business, she has always been different from her sisters and the other women of her time. “Mom is a one-of-a-kind Arab. Whereas all of her sisters became housewives and cannot even drive, she put her own business together,” says the daughter. Whenever she talks about her mother, Regina abandons her role as powerful businesswoman and becomes a daughter again. She ires, respects and takes pride in the mother that she has.
Women’s intuition
With two women at the helm, it is only natural that the company should tend to hire female professionals – even when it comes to operating the pile drivers. Approximately four years ago, Regina decided to commission a survey to find out whether the fact that Movicarga is known as a “women’s company” harmed the business. After all, just like her, many of her managers and employees went through embarrassing situations, such as that of customers demanding the presence of a man during negotiations – and similar things.
The survey was not even necessary. Regina herself arrived at a conclusion. “The women are better. When a woman is no good, you find it out quick. When a man is no good, he fools you for longer. And people demand more from us, so we prepare ourselves much more,” she believes. “Not to mention that women are more unique, they have their own styles. Each wears a different dress, has a style all its own. Men wear suits and end up looking all alike,” she says, laughing.
Intuition
Regina also believes in women’s intuition. She claims that she cannot use hers very well – but does not even worry, because her mother’s is razor sharp. The story of Movicarga is full of Sohad’s insights, as well as her belief in numerology. “Our pile drivers are not numbered in the logical way: 1, 2, 3…, but rather 1, 27, 3 and a series of combinations that my mother judged best,” tells Regina. “It drives the IT people mad, but it has been this way since the beginning.”
Sohad also guides herself by a sort of angel whom she calls “my protector.” It is he who provides her most directions. Following her intuition, Sohad convinced her husband to charge more than twice what he had imagined from a large automotive company, back in Movicarga’s early days. The deal was signed. “I also pray to my saints a lot.” The Yazbeks are a Catholic family.
Intuition helps when time comes to make big decisions, but Regina also resorts to studies and surveys to know which way to go. Three years ago, she commissioned an overall diagnosis of the industry and found out that it would be interesting to create a new company turned exclusively to logistics intelligence, so as to supply custom-tailored services. “The reason was that Movicarga was too closely associated with pile driver rental and menial services, which are ‘heavier’ and ‘lower value’ services. It would be hard to sell the concept of logistics intelligence under the Movicarga brand,” explains Regina. And thus Célere was born, leading the company to instant expansion.
Roots
Regina is the typical Syrian-Lebanese. Sohad is a daughter to Syrian parents. Alberto, a son of Lebanese. Sohad explains that her parents came from Homs. First came her father. He opened a variety store, expanded and sent for other relatives. The only person he did not send for was her mother. “My mother started thinking that maybe he had forgotten about her.” When he finally established himself, he called his wife – and Sohad was already born in Brazilian land. One of her strongest childhood memories was the table, always full, even in times of crisis. Eating well was something that the family held dear, no matter what the cost.
Sohad believes that she only has achieved what she has achieved because “she has great friends,” or because she was lucky. “My mother has too pure a heart. She is even a bit naïve, until this day,” says, with a look of iration, the daughter Regina. And thus, with a combination of Sohad’s intuition and faith and Regina’s optimism and practical sense, Movicarga continues to reap its fruits.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
