Chioma Alonge: Michelin Nigeria’s First Nigerian MD Recounts Experience

Mrs Chioma Alonge, the first female Managing Director of Michelin in Nigeria who is the first Nigerian MD of the company in Nigeria, is a change manager who brings dynamic perspectives to drive profitable growth. As a brand enthusiast, she is passionate about discovering insights to unlock brand potential. Alonge, with two master’s degrees in marketing, is a professional who believes strongly that brands rule companies. Commercially oriented and well-rounded in forecasting business profitability, her ability to unlock sustainable solutions has enabled her to steer the growth of Michelin in Nigeria since her emergence. 

In this interview with MARY NNAH, she speaks on the company’s operation in Nigeria, her passion for women in leadership, and how she has been able to remain on top of the game as a female while balancing work with the home front, among other issues

For several years, your company was making tyres in Nigeria, the words on the streets are that you left a few years ago for Ghana. Do you plan to manufacture tyres in Nigeria ever again?

I would have been surprised if you didn’t ask that question. Michelin never left Nigeria for Ghana; it was an erroneous belief that had taken root in our country. There was never a time it happened. The fact is that Michelin has been in Nigeria for over 60 years. We had our manufacturing plant in Port Harcourt with Lagos as the commercial headquarters. In 2007, the company shut down its manufacturing plant due to an unfavourable operating environment, power issues and insecurity.

Nigeria at the time had severe power challenges. You know, Tyre production requires constant power supply at a steady voltage, because if there is a voltage drop, it could cause significant losses in the output. These issues led to the closure of our manufacturing plant in Nigeria. However, after the manufacturing was discontinued, Michelin did not stop business operations in Nigeria.

Now, we do 100% importation. Bringing tyres from Michelin factories. Currently, Michelins has 121 productions all over the world with a presence in 175 countries. Same as Nigeria exports crude oil and imports refined petrol, we still export rubber from Michelin plantations in Nigeria to most of the production sites and import finished tyres to Nigeria.

Expired and substandard tyres are flooding the Nigerian market and they are enjoying huge patronage because they are cheaper alternatives. What is your response to this?

There is a huge market in Nigeria for tyres. However, Nigeria is a huge market for used tyres because they are relatively cheap, but the users’ safety is highly compromised, and for this reason, Michelin is still here. We are pushing and encouraging people to re-look/ rethink their tyre purchase preference because statistics according to the Federal Road Safety shows, most of the road accidents are caused by tyre punctures and busting.

As premium brand Michelin tyres are rightly priced, however, we do not compromise on standards. Michelin tyres are tyres that you buy, you can go to sleep assured of your family’s safety. Our tyres are long-lasting and do not get ruptured. We are selling safety on the wheels. We sell safety and longevity.

As the first female MD in the company’s history, how is the experience?

You said the first female MD in the country, let me add also, the first Nigerian MD in Michelin Nigeria. We have always had foreign MDs. As a way of deepening our local inclusion and strength, Michelin considers it fit to have a Nigerian head of the business in Nigeria because for example, if you talk about the need to grow in Nigeria or to make our tyres more available in the country, I will be more passionate about it than somebody who is not from here. 

When you talk about how it feels to be the first female, it is basically about who is the first Nigerian to head the company in Nigeria, not just being a woman. It is the same burden of leadership which makes you know that the lives of people and their families are dependent on your actions, or inactions. The fact that you have men and women who look up to you, and the decisions you make every day are the burden you bear in leadership. Knowing that the actions/ steps I take will impact people who work with me at Michelin. Not my gender.

So, have you experienced any form of discrimination being a woman heading a Nigerian corporation?

The burden of a woman in leadership is just a stereotype because society expects you to act in a certain way. I don’t think my needs are different from any man who is an MD. I need work-life balance; the male MD needs work-life balance too. 

So, when we say, how is it as a woman, that is where we bring in stereotypes.

Why do I say this, you expect the woman to act in a certain way or the leader to act in a certain way and those traits come easily to men, you do not expect a woman to demonstrate these traits. What I would rather say is that a woman is first a human being before she is made a leader and with leadership, comes certain expected traits. People will follow you when they know your vision; they will follow when you are transparent with this vision. 

To be a leader means you are going somewhere, meaning that you have a destination; people must then see/ feel this destination.

The one rule of leadership which I imbibe strongly is to have a definite direction. Point to your direction, and get people to see it. Once they see it, it is easier to lead them, so as a leader, it is easier to rally people around your clear vision.

Secondly, Michelin makes it easy for women, we have core values, People, Planet and Profit. People first, Michelin is all about people, as a woman in Michelin, you are given a level playing field. You can excel in your chosen field like the men because, in Michelin, we embrace inclusion, equity, and diversity.

In this company, Michelin, women are given equal opportunities to grow.  We do not feel inhibited, nor feel like there is a glass ceiling. because, for us at Michelin, we do not just talk about diversity and inclusion, we “walk the talk”.

What is your word of advice to other companies to ensure that their women are also included in leadership positions?

Companies should be deliberate, and intentional about including women in their workplace. Women have a lot to offer, though men do too, but women see much more, women see the salient facts. As an ardent chess player, I read body language a lot, even in business. Businesses that have given women a seat around the table, go farther. They succeed because when men are looking, women are sensing deeper, bringing different perspectives. Men and women contribute to the growth of every business.

What policies do you want to see to encourage women in more leadership positions either in government or in the boardroom?

I want professionals -men & women to be intentional. I mentor and coach women; We say, “Send the elevator down”. What it means is when you as a woman have attained a certain level of leadership, ensure to send the elevator down to bring up more females like you. Don’t stay there and shut off the elevator.

Secondly, we know the value of mentorship, but I have gone further to say, that it is not only about mentoring but also about becoming a sponsor, don’t just mentor, sponsor.

What I mean is when you are around the table and a skill is needed, mention a name. Don’t just mentor and stay quiet, move further. Many women have had mentors, they need sponsors, people who will call our names when and where they need to be called. If you are in a boardroom and a business is saying We need somebody that can do this, don’t keep your mouth shut, mention a female that you know, mention somebody that you know. If nobody mentions your name, nobody sees you. Even in the bible. Remember that for Joseph, when the king had a dream, someone said I know a guy. What if that guy did not call Joseph’s name? 

I am very passionate about more women in leadership, when we mentor these females, we should also sponsor them.

In addition, I listened to a speaker who said that most male leaders have “their boys.” We also want females to say, these are our girls. Let’s sponsor more girls, bring more female professionals to the table so we are empowered, and our voices heard.

Looking back on how you got here, how would you encourage a young lady who just graduated from the University?

I will say to the young people, dream. Dream your dream, spread your wings and fly, honestly, I wanted to be a pilot, I wanted to go to the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) somewhere in London. My dad said, No, you won’t be a pilot, you need to be stable. I got into marketing and in my very first job, I was exposed to brand management I just fell in love with brands. I discovered that brands drive the business.

I would say to young people; be passionate, find where your passion lies and drive it. The reason is when you do a job that you love, it will not just be a job, but you will be fulfilled.  I look at Michelin not just as a job but as a great brand with a giant footprint across nations.

How do you cope with the responsibility of being a mother and a wife? 

I prioritize my life; I just do the same thing you do. There is a time to work and time for the family, both very important.  You have to prioritize, Michelin gives you time, and they know you have a family. In the same way, a man will prioritize his family, a woman is no different. Men go to work as well as women and close at the same time, there is no different start and closing time for either gender.

How do you think women should achieve financial stability?

Just by being curious and hardworking. How do men achieve financial stability and what do they do differently? I say don’t box yourself by saying I am a woman and I need to do things differently. 

How do men achieve financial stability, they think, plan, and learn a trade, it’s not all about school. They put themselves in the business and start to learn. A woman too can learn a trade, or a skill, apply herself to that trade and excel in it. If you want to go the way of the classroom, a man goes to school, earns a degree, and goes to look for work with that degree, the same way for a woman. I don’t subscribe to us having the victim mentality. We are human beings. That is my sincere opinion.