A woman on a mission to feed the planet
8th March 2024
Ana Dimova is a Spare Parts Manager at Varex Ltd, in Bulgaria providing support for Massey Ferguson, Laverda and Fella brands. To mark International Women’s Day she has shared with us some of the reasons she is so passionate about her career in agricultural machinery.
Why did you choose your current role?
My grandfather’s family were professional farmers. The communist regime had reduced his farm, but he still cultivated every bit of his remaining land. He taught me to love the earth and to appreciate its gifts. Then I realised how dependent the harvest is on the weather and the machinery. How in summer, for example, a broken pump could destroy months of work. So, my first choice of work seemed natural - in a garden, forestry and combine spare parts company.
“It was my boss...another woman in the industry, who helped me believe in myself”
Did anyone inspire or mentor you in your career?
It was my boss Ina Yankova (another woman in the industry), who helped me believe in myself and taught me everything I needed to build my career. She is a shining example of how a young woman with two children is able to build a successful parts business from scratch. Nowadays, what inspires me is my current boss – Eli Markova, one of the Varex owners, with her calm and wise approach to the challenges of the day.
“... if you want an exciting job where you will never be bored, every day will be different, then choose a career in Aftersales Services”
What motivates you?
Sometimes I joke that I work in an emergency room (ER) for tractors and combines. I believe that at the end of the day, it is the same feeling of satisfaction of solving a problem, delivering a solution and finally saving the crop. In the age of AI this role gives me an absolutely REAL vision of how technology helps feed the planet. And this is not motivation only, it’s a mission.
Do you have any advice for women who would like a similar career path?
The most important piece of advice I would give is, if you want an exciting job where you will never be bored, every day will be different, then choose a career in Aftersales Services. In challenging moments, you can always rely on your most feminine superpowers like intuition, imagination, creativity, taking care and continuing the cycle of life.
International Women’s Day takes place in March each year and highlights the achievements of women around the world. This year it focusses on inspiring the inclusion of women in areas where they may not be fully represented, to give them the opportunity to reach their full potential. #InspireInclusion
Read about young women just starting their career in agriculture as trainee technicians.