Vaida Filmanaviciute is talking about an article written for another paper, and is annoyed. The reporter referred to her as a ‘cleaner’ – Filmanaviciute is Lithuanian, and dislikes the lazy stereotype of an Eastern European woman in the UK.
“I did some cleaning for four or five days when I first came to London, before starting a retail job. That is the entire history of me cleaning – you can’t just label me a ‘cleaner’.”
The piece also mistakenly referred to her father, rather than her mother, as a doctor. It rankles a woman committed to promoting women in the workplace, who has just become chief executive of Islington Chamber of Commerce aged just 27.
Any worries Islington Now might have about Filmanaviciute’s attitude towards journalists are proved wrong – she is engaging company, her eyes widening when she speaks about the many topics she is passionate about.
Filmanaviciute moved to London aged 19, and loves the city. “I’m very open minded,” she explains. “I think that’s why I’m in the position I am now. London is the place that offers you everything.”
Finding her way
She speaks excellent English, but found aspects of her new life difficult. Her first accommodation when she began studying Law at City University was sub-let from a council flat. “It turned out there were drugs involved,” she says. “I’d never taken drugs in my life. If someone had shown me crack cocaine, I couldn’t have told you what it was. I was very responsible, but also very innocent in lots of ways – coming from a small town and being quite geeky.”
She completed two years of her degree, but decided law was not the path for her. “It was a very difficult decision,” she says. “I got very depressed for a while. I felt like a complete failure.”
But Filmanaviciute didn’t look back. She had a passion for property, and three years ago established The Islington Company, a successful letting agency. She says: “I thought if I run my own business then I can happy, be an example for others, and continue to celebrate life as a whole.”
Empowering women
Running her company gives her insight into how women are treated in the business world. “There aren’t enough women in leadership positions,” she says. “Somewhere the system fails. Women can reach a certain age when they think of family – I don’t think there’s enough support for them.”
Filmanaviciute is trying to redress the balance. She oversees the Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Coffee Club, and last December organised a TedXIslington event to give inspirational women a platform to share their experiences.
“I get satisfaction from helping people, giving them the visibility and pushing them. The women were very brave – there were friends of mine speaking there who I had to help with their speeches, saying: ‘You are inspiring, you are brilliant, just do it!’”
New role
Filmanaviciute’s new role at the Chamber of Commerce excites her. “I really believe in the chamber, it’s given me great things,” she says. “I took it on to see if I can use the skills I’ve learned from my business to really make it an even more vibrant place.”
And she has another goal – continuing her foray into the world of stand-up comedy. “I’ve done a couple of performances, but I want to do more,” she says. “I still get nervous when I have to speak in front of an audience, but I no longer get butterflies doing formations in my stomach. I’m making sure I challenge myself.”
She is also a committed gym-goer. “I want to be able to do exciting things,” she explains. “I’ve tried mixed martial arts and boxing – they could come in handy with naughty journalists.”
