“Every day is an opportunity to make us better.”

Proust by Mahamadou SIMPARA, Senior Research Executive and contributor of Survey Mag Africa

What professional achievement has brought you the most satisfaction?

I cannot cite a particular achievement. In my profession, we work fairly regularly on new projects and for new customers. I am very satisfied every time I receive a message of gratitude from the client at the end of a project.

What is the fundamental quality that someone in your position should demonstrate?

I would say the rigor. In my profession, we handle figures a lot and rigor is essential in order not to provide the client with results based on false figures.

What is the essential quality you are looking for in an employee?

In addition to rigor, I expect a certain team spirit from someone who would like to work in a market research institute. We often work under stress and mutual help is very much appreciated in this context.

What do your employees appreciate most about you?

From what I hear, it is mainly the quality of my work and my sociability that are most appreciated by my employees.

What other profession would you have liked to practice?

If I hadn’t been in charge of marketing studies, I would probably have been a computer programmer. I am passionate about everything related to database processing.

What motto (quote, leitmotif, formula…) does it guide you in life?

Every day is an opportunity to make us better.

What is your favorite mobile, software, application?

Living more than 6,000 kilometers from my family who stayed in Mali, my favorite application is WhatsApp. I go there several times a day to communicate with my loved ones.

What social media do you actually use?

I am a regular user of LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. I’m also on Facebook but I rarely go there.

What’s your favorite book ?

My favorite book is Peau noire, masques blancs by Frantz Fanon. I read this book for the first time in 2013 and since then have reopened it many times. We do not close this book with the same convictions as when it opened.

What recommendation will you give to a young person to follow in your footsteps

Looking back on my journey, I tell myself that the road was long but it was worth the journey. I will tell him to believe in his dreams and give himself the means to make it happen. It can be difficult but we appreciate more what we got in the difficulty.

Mahamadou, thank you again for the time you have given us and very good luck.