The following stories from Bulgaria and Canada are extracts from the booklet 'Women in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry."
VIOLETA IVANOVA (BULGARIA)
I was born, and have always lived and worked, in Sofia, the capital city of a beautiful country called Bulgaria.
I finished high school with honours and could have continued my education in any weld. My interests, however, were mathematics and physics. I chose the Technical University in Sofia. At that point I was still unsure what career to pursue. A close relative, Prof. Tencho Todorov, a professor of refrigeration engineering at the same university, helped me make up my mind. From him I learned how important this profession is, as people will always need quality, well preserved food (refrigeration) and comfortable living and working conditions (heating, ventilation and air conditioning).
Later, I found out that this branch of engineering had many more practical applications. So, I decided to apply for the Machine Engineering/Industrial Heating programme. In those days, as now, men and women in Bulgaria enjoyed equal opportunities. But when I began my studies, it turned out it was a man’s world. The vast majority of the students were male, and so were the professors. I had to prove myself. And I must have succeeded because at graduation I was the top student in my class.
That granted me the privilege to choose where to start. I chose the Institute of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in Sofia. That is how I married refrigeration engineering before I married my husband. From that moment on I have never betrayed that marriage.
"For the first time, the industry had to face restrictions
and targets needed to achieve the overarching goal: protection
and restoration of the ozone layer. I am very proud
of being part of Bulgaria’s substantial contribution to this process.”
The Institute was a very prestigious institution, responsible for the research, development and deployment in production of all new RAC solutions in Bulgaria. It had a brilliant team of highly educated and experienced specialists. Wonderful conditions were created for R&D and design. I started as a researcher of heat exchangers – air coolers and condensers, taking particular interest in the processes of heat and mass transfer. I was also involved in setting up an experimental research laboratory. At that time only two other labs of this kind existed in Europe. The focus of my research was frost formation on air coolers. And throughout, I had the invaluable support of Prof. Theophil Gachilov, Director of the Institute and my research supervisor.
My scientific interest, as well as a competition-based scholarship, took me to the University of Refrigeration Engineering in Odessa (Ukraine), where three years later I earned my Ph.D. Eventually, I returned to the Institute to continue my work, which also involved the use of research findings in the design of new products. These findings I have reported at many international congresses and seminars organized by the International Institute of Refrigeration (Paris) and in Bulgaria; my articles have been published in various scientific journals and enjoy a high citation index. I was also invited to join the faculty of the Technical University in Sofia as a part-time lecturer in refrigeration engineering. This I did for some time, in addition to my work at the Institute.
A successful career is essential to a woman. It brings self-confidence and respect. And yet, it is not enough to make one’s happiness complete. Becoming a mother and raising your children is a woman’s most important vocation. I dare say I am a happy person. I gave birth to, and raised with my husband, three wonderful children. Our daughter is an architect, and our twin boys graduated from the Technical University and followed in my footsteps.
In Bulgaria, environmental protection has always been a priority, and the country was one of the first to join the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. In 19n9 I was appointed head of a research team at the Institute assigned with the task of drafting specific measures implementing the Protocol’s requirements in RAC. For the first time, the industry had to face restrictions and targets needed to achieve the overarching goal: protection and restoration of the ozone layer. I am very proud of being part of Bulgaria’s substantial contribution to this process.
The year 1989 brought serious social and economic changes in my country. New opportunities emerged, and the structure of the entire RAC industry was changed. These affected my career as well. I started a private business, which I headed for 23 years. The company offered components for industrial refrigeration, design and implementation of refrigeration projects in various sectors of the food industry (meat and milk processing, storage and processing of fruit and vegetables, fish and fish products). The company grew as a leader in the Bulgarian RAC market with support from our international suppliers.
However, developments in the manufacturing industry result in higher risk and damage to the environment. It is my utmost conviction that care for the environment must always be our top priority. Our company’s motto is “Refrigeration for environmental protection”. We offer our clients optimized energy products and solutions.
Business relations with our supplier Chemours (former DuPont) provided the opportunity to get acquainted with all the new products designed to replace refrigerants with a high ozone-depleting and global warming potential. I was, and still am, a pioneer in their use in Bulgaria. The changes we need to make are a source of substantial stress for our economy. Presently, I continue to make my modest contribution to solving refrigerant-related issues. I operate as an auditor with the Bulgarian Branch Chamber – Machine Building in the certification of compliance with F-gas regulations. My interest in refrigeration engineering has never declined. I keep track of new developments and innovations. And I closely follow the operations of the company, of which my sons are now in charge, so that they can always rely on my back-up.
I would like to convey to all ladies who might be reading this the following message: If you have come to like the story of my life and career, do not be afraid to follow. If you want, in a man’s world, to enjoy equal opportunities and respect, you have to work for it. And if you manage to build yourself up as a knowledgeable and capable human being, I can guarantee you will take your rightful place. Throughout my entire life and career, I have not once been looked down upon for being a woman.
Before you start fighting for your own place under the sun, you must fall in love with your profession. And I really hope it will have something to do with RAC. This is a most interesting weld offering plenty of opportunities. And most importantly, it is essential for the lives of all human beings – above all, for the lives of our children.
ELVIRA KADYROVA (CANADA)
As Confucius said: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." You know how it happens. You are going through your daily routine, doing something that you don’t like, that makes you feel absolutely useless, and one day you wake up with only one thought: “Enough!” This happened to me nine years ago, and it was like a fresh breeze on the hottest summer day. This is a little story about friendship, betrayal, ups and downs, and love.
Refrigeration engineering is in my blood; I get this from my father. He always told me: “If you do something, do your best or do not do it at all.” Even after many years, this is still my main strategy. I was the only girl who took the refrigeration engineering course at university. I was the only woman who was working as an engineer in my company. But I have always remembered that I have to be the best.
“My father ... always told me: “If you do
something, do your best or do not do it at all.”
I started my career as an engineering assistant in a small family company. It was tricky; nobody wanted to teach me, to explain how refrigeration equipment works. Sometimes people think that if you are a woman, your only purpose is to raise children and do housework. Some people would always tell me: “Refrigeration engineering is not for you; you won’t understand it.” When my colleagues talked about work, it used to be like white noise for me. But it was a challenge; it was a dream. I used to read refrigeration engineering books again and again, trying to find answers. And soon I started to understand what my colleagues were talking about. It was an awesome time. We worked on lots of different, tricky projects: banana-ripening rooms, absolutely unique energy-efficient grocery stores, a refrigeration test chamber. My work inspired me to be better, to study more and more, and to design something new for our clients.
But nothing lasts forever.
My business partner decided he wanted all money we had made. It was my first time facing an illegal takeover. I lost everything: my work, my money, my team, my inspiration. I found that not all my friends were really my friends. Now it’s funny to think about it, but at the time, it was awful. I had to start entirely from scratch.
I believe that if you fall down and lose everything, it means that you are ready for new opportunities. I worked as a freelance refrigeration designer with clients all around the world – Russia, the USA, France, and so on. I accepted any project that I could do. At that time, there was no such thing as bad or uninteresting work. I needed money; I had to move forward.
I spent several years attempting to start everything from square one. Interesting projects, new acquaintances, new friends, new work, and new achievements. As a result, I was invited to live and work in Canada. Now I design ice rinks all around North America and I am happy.
Nine years in refrigeration engineering has given me more than I expected at the beginning. I have new knowledge, close friends, and fantastic work. And finally, I met a man whom I really fell in love with and this is most incredible for me. I feel I am the happiest girl – I do what I really love, and I love this wonderful man.
I am grateful to my father for everything he did for me, and to my boyfriend, who supports me, who inspires me, who makes me happy. And I am convinced that if you have a dream, you should do everything to make it come true. Everything is possible and as a result, you’ll get more than you can imagine. That is the truth.
