I’d invite anyone to help create this environment where women don’t need to make additional efforts to be successful in any field
Interview with Cedric Rochefolle
Technical Manager at Dot Property
Could you introduce yourself and share with us what brought you to Thailand?
I would start by mentioning it was a surprise to be presented with a chance to share my experience with DBWT. Over the last few years, I had a few opportunities to meet Anja from Skywave Technologies. And I can remember each time it was a rich discussion and exchange, where I could see integrity and honesty are a strong foundation in her relations.
I’m a Technical Manager by profession and a geek in soul. I am passionate about technology and also enjoy learning how to be a better leader. In my spare time, I like to discover and play around with technologies, both software and hardware. I try to keep a brain backup of my activities on narok.io so I can come back to it when I tackle something similar.
I moved to Thailand in 2001. Before moving, I did some phone interviews with companies in Thailand, and I met a software company willing to give me a chance. I have since then worked in Software Development, as a developer then as a manager.
What do you see as a challenge of working in Thailand as a French national, and what would be your recommendations for businesswomen in Thailand who plan to work in France?
Working in Thailand for someone from Western Europe is actually easier than it seems. Thailand offers a great living and working environment and the development of Technology is relatively mature. English is spoken in Bangkok and touristic regions. You should read and learn about Thai culture and history, as it will help you understand how Thai people think and behave. You can also take some courses in Thai conversation, but it is not a priority. Your friends and colleagues will love teaching you the basics and more.
Now for the second part of your question, I am not so proud of the sad reality. If you are planning to work in France, my advice would be to work for a French-based company here in Thailand first. Research for such companies that give the opportunity to be sent in France for projects or maybe a position there. The reason is the job market in France is very competitive even for French nationals. You can be highly skilled, you will need either a fair amount of luck or a strong network to find a good position there. Speaking some conversational French will give you some advantages too.
Could you tell us about your work experiences in cross-cultural environments, especially in global companies in Thailand? How competitive and diverse are they?
For the last 20 years, I have been working in cross-cultural environments. Joining teams of Thai people and foreigners together has been full of learnings. It has helped improve my out-of-the-box thinking skills. And being in such an environment has increased my humbleness. The composition of multiple cultures in a team can trigger more lengthy discussions and appear to be a waste of time. As everyone has a different experience and way to handle a situation, it is easy to get lost in long meetings. But if properly moderated, this also results in better outcomes as more options are brought to the table.
What is the ratio of women working at Dot Property, and what are their responsibilities? Are there any women at management level?
In Dot Property, the ratio of women is 42%. This includes the 3 countries we’re operating from Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Among them, there are 8 women working in management positions, and one is working at the executive level. Their responsibilities range from sales, marketing, finance, and HR. The area where there is no woman yet is in Technology, and I am in a good position to help change this.
Does Dot Property run any campaigns to support women’s career development?
Dot Property does support career development and a great example is the latest issue of Dot Property Magazine (September 2021) has a whole 12 pages article about Women in Real Estate across South-East Asia. Additionally, our parent company occasionally organizes company-wide webinars about cultural diversity, including support for the LGBTQ+ community.
And these actions are just the beginning. We need to continue sharing and promoting cultural diversity until it becomes irrelevant, until it becomes a natural behavior for everyone to not create barriers around genders and origins.
Do you agree with “Coding is a male-dominated field”? What advice would you give to empower/support a young female developer to succeed in this area?
It really depends on how we define the “male-dominated” aspect. In terms of numbers, absolutely. There are a lot more males than females in the Software Engineering field. But if we look at the percentage of successful Software Engineers per gender, I have my doubts. Among all the talented developers I have worked with throughout my career, I have noticed women have more ambition and goals than men, and they progress towards these goals with more focus.
Before sharing advice to young female coders, I would invite anyone reading this interview to help create this environment where women don’t need to make additional efforts or face bigger difficulties to be successful in this or any field. Pay special attention to your work or life environment and seize any opportunity to level the balance.
That said, my advice to young female developers is to communicate their thoughts and ideas openly. Everyone in the team has equal rights to share one’s opinion. You will either learn something new, or bring a new perspective to your team, but also gain trust from your peers.
How important is Digital Transformation in the property business, and what are the keys to successful digital transformation, in your opinion?
Today, Digital Transformation is important in a lot of businesses. Property or Real Estate is no exception in particular because it is quite an old type of business. Many companies in the domain are still working with very elaborated spreadsheets. I mean by that incredibly complex that no-one dares to modify except to add data into it. The processes are then quite manual, and opportunities can be lost to a competitor that is more advanced. There are also a lot of areas that can be transformed. From simple portals to virtual tours, payments, loans, and insurance facilitation via automation, you can go as far as using machine learning to predict the yield a location can generate in a few years.
In order to succeed in this transformation, I would share the same key elements I use when working with my team on any sizable project. First, define why you want to transform. It is important because this is what will inspire whoever is going to work with you. Then you must provide the definition of success. Ideally, it will be in the shape of a measurable objective. From there, you can choose the methodology that resonates most with your teams, as long as you can iterate quickly on small or medium steps. Finally, be sure to measure the progress regularly and readjust your plan in order to stay on track with your objective.
Who is your role model and why?
Thank you for asking. My role model is Dr. Mullawee Rochefolle, my wife. She is a successful, hard-working person, involved in the Thailand Education system in government scale projects. She also finds the time to help her colleagues on their own projects, as well as spending time with her family. Her energy and dedication are an inspiration. Whenever I feel like I’m close to give-up in a tough situation, her strength helps me to go on.
Additionally, I am inspired by Simon Sinek, an optimistic, inspirational speaker that believes people can make a difference by building together a bright future. I like his approach on tackling situations by first defining, or inquiring, the reason that motivates the given action. This process helped me a few times in the past to make decisions by prioritizing the project or work that has a clear reason to be.
Their actions and advice on leadership and how to be a better leader in an organization or in life also helped me become a better manager with the teams I have worked with.
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