Content warning: This story contains depictions of domestic violence
Elena Gosse is a Brisbanite businesswoman breaking stereotypes in a male-dominated chemical industry. As CEO of Australian Innovative Systems (AIS), a company specialising in chlorine generation technology, she also works as a public speaker and community activist for causes close to her heart.
Elena came to Australia from Russia in 1994 after her Australian-Russian then fiancée, now husband, Konstantin, persuaded her to leave the far-east Russian city Sakhalin for the sake of her kids and herself.
With two daughters and zero English Elena arrived in Brisbane. Apart from her husband she had few people to talk to, no job and soon started feeling lonely in her new country.
‘Tired of being useless’
Elena saw her life in Australia as a blank slate and decided to build the life she desired. Having come from an entertainment career in Russia she craved a fast-paced life.
After months of feeling isolated, she decided she was “tired of being useless” and enrolled in a local TAFE’s office administration course. While she struggled to understand the lectures, she didn’t give up and didn’t fail a single subject.
Now, 25 years on, she is the CEO of AIS, a growing company, which her husband founded, and has garnered business awards recognising her leadership and input in the Australian economy, as well as become a proud grandmother.
A survivor of domestic violence
Considering her driven nature, Elena believes her father played a role in her motivation, though not in a necessarily positive manner as her childhood was overshadowed by family violence.
“I can now tell this story freely, because I believe my dad would have wanted the story of our family to be told, despite it being him who put us through the turmoil of domestic violence,” Elena tells SBS Russian, one year after her father’s passing.
“Only seeing him on his deathbed, I saw the man he probably wanted to be all his life – a man who was able to cry, a man who for the first time in my life said how much he loved me,” says Elena.
She says that she forgives her father now, and that in her forgiveness she has come to believe that the perpetrators of such violence are often suffering, or victims of violence themselves.
CEOs dance to eliminate domestic violence
Elena has found an extravagant way to challenge domestic violence – by taking to the dance floor.
Together with 16 Brisbane CEOs she will compete in a fundraising event Dancing CEOs which supports community organisation Women’s Legal Service Queensland, which annually helps almost 16,000 women experiencing domestic violence.
“As CEOs we probably have at least one thing in common – we are ambitious, but it’s not why we are here,” says Elena. “It’s a race for the right cause. Dancing CEO for me is a platform to help men and women who are in the situation of the domestic violence.”
Each participant prepares a dance and raises money for the legal aid service. Ms Gosse is one of the returning CEO’s and Elena says her participation is deeply connected to her father’s experience and violence.
“When he was dying, I saw a frightened little boy, who wasn’t taught how to love and how to express his feelings and I think that’s why he was taking up alcohol and was violent, because he didn’t know anything else,” she says.
This year's goal for the event is to raise $300,000, and Elena says it's not a desire to top the dancing competition's leaderboard that motivates her, but the incentive to set the bar high to attract more people and raise more money for Women’s Legal Service Queensland. This year on May 17 the CEOs will perform in front of 1000 guests.
Now she is determined to help people like her parents, herself and her sisters. She believes the problem of domestic violence is seeded in childhood:
“I want boys and young men to be able to cope and express their emotions and eliminate domestic violence,” she says.
Personal reflection and the death of her father helped Elena reconsider her own role in the business and find a new purpose within it.
“I think I ended up in a male-dominated industry for a good reason. My position now makes men listen to me and I am able to show them the importance of sharing their struggle with their family.”
Those impacted by domestic or family violence and abuse can get advice and be referred to a facility by calling 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
They can also call Link2Home on 1800 152 152.
In an emergency, call 000.
