DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION
Women in the Profession. Unlimited Potential
Professionalism is a blend of experience, the ability to analyze and make decisions, building relationships with colleagues, and effective task planning. All of our women leaders are masters of time management. They often juggle successful careers with caring for their families, hobbies, and personal development. Time is the only irreplaceable resource, and how productively you use it determines everything: from career success and inner fulfillment to harmonious family life and personal and professional growth. Our colleagues share what brings them joy at work and how they maintain work-life balance.
Olga Kalinina
Head of Service Parts Department
Crystal Horizons
Gus-Khrustalny, my hometown, is Russia's largest glass and crystal production center, so after ninth grade I enrolled in college for glass production technology. I loved studying — by changing component composition, you can influence the strength and color characteristics of the transparent mass, create raw materials for industry and artistic crafts. It's fascinating. After college, I attended Vladimir State University and trained as a glass production chemical engineer.
From the Glass Institute to Beko
I worked at the State Research Institute of Glass for over five years. Concurrently, I taught glass production technology at a vocational school. One day I saw an ad that Turkish company Beko was hiring. I wanted a change and sent my resume. They called me for an interview, and on December 1, 2005, I started as a quality engineer in incoming inspection, assessing incoming component condition.
Stability and Reliability
Better:
For me, Beko has become synonymous with reliability, stability, and fairness. The efficiency here amazes me! In 2005, the Kirzhach factory was just getting started — there was literally nothing but an open field. We worked out of an office in a hotel. And yet the plan was to have the first washing machine roll off the line by summer 2006. It seemed impossible! But step by step, we made it happen: built the production facilities, brought in equipment, trained workers. In June 2006, we produced our first washing machine! That's when I realized that with a clear plan, you can accomplish seemingly impossible tasks in record time.
In 2011, I was offered the position of washing machine assembly line manager. I was surprised they would entrust such an important role to me, a woman, instead of appointing a man simply because 'that's the way it's always been done.' I successfully held that position for about three years before being appointed manager of the refrigerator assembly line.
Head of Service Parts Department
Crystal Horizons
Gus-Khrustalny, my hometown, is Russia's largest glass and crystal production center, so after ninth grade I enrolled in college for glass production technology. I loved studying — by changing component composition, you can influence the strength and color characteristics of the transparent mass, create raw materials for industry and artistic crafts. It's fascinating. After college, I attended Vladimir State University and trained as a glass production chemical engineer.
From the Glass Institute to Beko
I worked at the State Research Institute of Glass for over five years. Concurrently, I taught glass production technology at a vocational school. One day I saw an ad that Turkish company Beko was hiring. I wanted a change and sent my resume. They called me for an interview, and on December 1, 2005, I started as a quality engineer in incoming inspection, assessing incoming component condition.
Stability and Reliability
Better:
For me, Beko has become synonymous with reliability, stability, and fairness. The efficiency here amazes me! In 2005, the Kirzhach factory was just getting started — there was literally nothing but an open field. We worked out of an office in a hotel. And yet the plan was to have the first washing machine roll off the line by summer 2006. It seemed impossible! But step by step, we made it happen: built the production facilities, brought in equipment, trained workers. In June 2006, we produced our first washing machine! That's when I realized that with a clear plan, you can accomplish seemingly impossible tasks in record time.
In 2011, I was offered the position of washing machine assembly line manager. I was surprised they would entrust such an important role to me, a woman, instead of appointing a man simply because 'that's the way it's always been done.' I successfully held that position for about three years before being appointed manager of the refrigerator assembly line.
“
With a clear plan, even seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished in record time.
Support Matters
In 2016, I took maternity leave. Once my daughter got a bit older, I decided to return to work. My mother supported me. She moved to Kirzhach to look after my baby, who was only six months old then. But I knew I couldn't work three shifts like before or I'd never see my daughter. I'm so grateful I was offered a regular day-shift position.
My daughter Polina has been singing and drawing since she was three. She's a soloist in the children's ensemble "Sozvezdie" and attends the V. M. Khalilov Kirzhach District Art School, so our weekend plans are booked weeks in advance. We travel to different cities for competitions and concerts. And of course, we make sure to do some sightseeing while we're there.
Service and Marketplaces
Since 2017, I've been heading the service parts department, which handles warranty and post-warranty service for Beko equipment. We work with over three hundred service centers across Russia and neighboring countries, planning spare parts deliveries and establishing optimal delivery routes. Our job is to ensure consumers can count on quick equipment repair regardless of where they live. We're currently developing a marketplace service system. It's a new challenge for our team.
Seeing Opportunities
I believe women in Russia today have excellent opportunities for self-realization and career growth. Education, career, family — it's all accessible and truly compatible. Until recently, I studied in my free time and in July 2025 received my diploma in educational psychology. It’s my second degree — I completed it through distance learning at the State Humanitarian and Technological University (GGTU) in Orekhovo-Zuevo. The key is setting goals and moving confidently forward, believing in yourself, and looking for opportunities, not obstacles.
In 2016, I took maternity leave. Once my daughter got a bit older, I decided to return to work. My mother supported me. She moved to Kirzhach to look after my baby, who was only six months old then. But I knew I couldn't work three shifts like before or I'd never see my daughter. I'm so grateful I was offered a regular day-shift position.
My daughter Polina has been singing and drawing since she was three. She's a soloist in the children's ensemble "Sozvezdie" and attends the V. M. Khalilov Kirzhach District Art School, so our weekend plans are booked weeks in advance. We travel to different cities for competitions and concerts. And of course, we make sure to do some sightseeing while we're there.
Service and Marketplaces
Since 2017, I've been heading the service parts department, which handles warranty and post-warranty service for Beko equipment. We work with over three hundred service centers across Russia and neighboring countries, planning spare parts deliveries and establishing optimal delivery routes. Our job is to ensure consumers can count on quick equipment repair regardless of where they live. We're currently developing a marketplace service system. It's a new challenge for our team.
Seeing Opportunities
I believe women in Russia today have excellent opportunities for self-realization and career growth. Education, career, family — it's all accessible and truly compatible. Until recently, I studied in my free time and in July 2025 received my diploma in educational psychology. It’s my second degree — I completed it through distance learning at the State Humanitarian and Technological University (GGTU) in Orekhovo-Zuevo. The key is setting goals and moving confidently forward, believing in yourself, and looking for opportunities, not obstacles.
Elena Almaeva
Design Engineer, Product Development Group (Washing Machines)
Engineering Creativity
I've loved designing and creating 3D models since childhood. It's fascinating and essentially predetermined my career choice. But in reality, actual design engineering work involves far less modeling than I imagined. At Beko, for instance, household appliance design happens in Turkey. In Russia, we only refine component shapes, when necessary, improve geometry, or change manufacturing materials.
Technical Foundation
I'm 24 years old. Beko is my first job. I started as a technician, then became a design engineer. I received my foundational training at Moscow State Technical University (Bauman), where I earned my bachelor's degree in automation of technological processes and production. I went on to earn my master's at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in applied mathematics and computer science.
Career Choice
At university, I was the only woman in my group, so skipping classes wasn't an option — professors would immediately notice my absence. In reality, though this profession is considered male-dominated, it's perfectly suited for women. Sure, there are situations requiring physical strength — lifting or moving things — but thanks to male colleagues, those challenges are easily solved.
Disassembling and Assembling a Washing Machine
I'll never forget my first day. Once the paperwork was done, I was given a tour of the production facility and introduced to representatives from all the departments. Then I got my first assignment—completely disassemble a washing machine, then put it back together. That took up nearly my entire first week and, of course, I passed the test. I never thought I'd end up working in household appliances. But I love it.
We have an excellent team — we support each other and tackle tough challenges together. It's wonderful. I believe building effective communications is the hardest part of managing any production operation.
Achievements
Beko continually works to improve our household appliances while reducing costs without compromising quality. Interestingly, you can cut product costs simply by reducing logistics expenses for component delivery. In 2024, a project my team developed — aimed at making one of our washing machine models more affordable by replacing some parts with Russian-manufactured components — made it into the top three projects of the year and is likely to be implemented.
Design Engineer, Product Development Group (Washing Machines)
Engineering Creativity
I've loved designing and creating 3D models since childhood. It's fascinating and essentially predetermined my career choice. But in reality, actual design engineering work involves far less modeling than I imagined. At Beko, for instance, household appliance design happens in Turkey. In Russia, we only refine component shapes, when necessary, improve geometry, or change manufacturing materials.
Technical Foundation
I'm 24 years old. Beko is my first job. I started as a technician, then became a design engineer. I received my foundational training at Moscow State Technical University (Bauman), where I earned my bachelor's degree in automation of technological processes and production. I went on to earn my master's at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in applied mathematics and computer science.
Career Choice
At university, I was the only woman in my group, so skipping classes wasn't an option — professors would immediately notice my absence. In reality, though this profession is considered male-dominated, it's perfectly suited for women. Sure, there are situations requiring physical strength — lifting or moving things — but thanks to male colleagues, those challenges are easily solved.
Disassembling and Assembling a Washing Machine
I'll never forget my first day. Once the paperwork was done, I was given a tour of the production facility and introduced to representatives from all the departments. Then I got my first assignment—completely disassemble a washing machine, then put it back together. That took up nearly my entire first week and, of course, I passed the test. I never thought I'd end up working in household appliances. But I love it.
We have an excellent team — we support each other and tackle tough challenges together. It's wonderful. I believe building effective communications is the hardest part of managing any production operation.
Achievements
Beko continually works to improve our household appliances while reducing costs without compromising quality. Interestingly, you can cut product costs simply by reducing logistics expenses for component delivery. In 2024, a project my team developed — aimed at making one of our washing machine models more affordable by replacing some parts with Russian-manufactured components — made it into the top three projects of the year and is likely to be implemented.
“
My first assignment — completely disassemble, then reassemble a washing machine.
New Models
Honestly, I prefer simple appliances with straightforward controls and minimal features. But it's interesting to follow the market, see what extra features competitors are adding to similar models, and think about whether there's real economic and marketing value in them.
It's always exciting when Beko expands the product line. Currently, for example, there's growing demand for washing machines that can handle up to 9 kilograms of laundry. Until now, Beko hasn't produced models with these specifications in Russia—they were manufactured only in Turkey. Perhaps soon we'll be able to bring them to Russian customers too.
Reading in Shakespeare's Language
I graduated from a school with intensive English. It helps me at work. My direct supervisor speaks Turkish, and my native language is Russian, so we communicate in English. I should mention my language proficiency has significantly improved since starting at the factory. Right now, for example, I'm finishing Harry Potter in English. Reading is my hobby — I have an extensive collection of classic literature.
Honestly, I prefer simple appliances with straightforward controls and minimal features. But it's interesting to follow the market, see what extra features competitors are adding to similar models, and think about whether there's real economic and marketing value in them.
It's always exciting when Beko expands the product line. Currently, for example, there's growing demand for washing machines that can handle up to 9 kilograms of laundry. Until now, Beko hasn't produced models with these specifications in Russia—they were manufactured only in Turkey. Perhaps soon we'll be able to bring them to Russian customers too.
Reading in Shakespeare's Language
I graduated from a school with intensive English. It helps me at work. My direct supervisor speaks Turkish, and my native language is Russian, so we communicate in English. I should mention my language proficiency has significantly improved since starting at the factory. Right now, for example, I'm finishing Harry Potter in English. Reading is my hobby — I have an extensive collection of classic literature.
© Beko 2024