30 Nov 2017 Staff Spotlight: Eliane Solo Hery
In 2013, Eliane Solo Hery applied for an entry-level HR position based in Ranomafana. She arrived for her interview to an unfurnished building that would eventually become PIVOT’s bustling main office. Eliane had just recently moved to Ifanadiana District, and was working for an NGO focused on agricultural development. Accepting PIVOT’s job offer meant departing from the stability of the job she already had in order to join an organization that technically did not yet exist.
“Eliane embodies PIVOT,” says co-CEO Tara Loyd about the team’s human resources manager. Tara emphasizes that, as one of the organization’s earliest hires, Eliane has demonstrated “solidarity with patients, commitment to staff, and real dedication to the cause” since day one on the job.
While for many this would have been a difficult leap of faith to take, Eliane says that she “decided easily” that she wanted to join the team after learning about PIVOT’s vision for bringing healthcare to the local population.
Four years later, Eliane now oversees human resources for PIVOT in Madagascar, and has played a part in hiring nearly every one of the 180 people who comprise the team today. With a demeanor that conveys both professionalism and warmth, Eliane has earned a level of respect from colleagues that has given rise to a collection of nicknames ranging from “Boss” to “Mom.” Fittingly, she herself has come to refer to PIVOT as her “large humanitarian family.”
In the beginning, Eliane says she hadn’t imagined how working with a healthcare organization might affect her approach to standard HR work. Today, the manner in which she tackles daily challenges epitomizes the “team player” attribute that one hopes for in a colleague: “I realize that we are bound by a single objective,” she says, “so an emergency for any one of the teams is urgent for all of us.”
Eliane contributes directly to PIVOT’s strategic goal of reinforcing the public health system through the hiring and training of local staff. The single mother of two shows a level of commitment and personal sacrifice to support the organization’s mission that is admired by colleagues from Ranomafana to Boston. Matt Bonds, PIVOT’s other co-CEO, says with certainty that “PIVOT simply would not be where we are today without her.”
As PIVOT continues its work to save lives and break cycles of poverty and disease, we are fortunate to have a Eliane as a daily presence, reminding us through her actions of Nelson Mandela’s words, which she lives by: “I never lose; I either win or learn.”
Keep an eye out for upcoming editions of PIVOT’s “staff spotlight” series, in which we celebrate the outstanding contribution of team members who exemplify the spirit of our work!