Professional problem - Insecure Coworker

I love the naeivity of this. It's cute.

Lol I thought exactly the same thing. In the office/corporate environment hard work and being honest means you get stuck in the same role as you are "too valuable" to lose. This results in people moving up the ladder by leaving companies and jumping to others in a higher position.

It's all about who you know these days.

Hard work and honesty will get you far if you are self employed.
 
Furthermore, I am finding out now that the deals I was working on, she is basically taking over and is being involved in the meetings regarding them while I am hearing nothing and am now being left out of.

I'm not sure how others on the team feel about her either, there is a generally poor culture in the firm where no-one seems to get along and it seems to be quite cutthroat.

Seems to me that they have given her your job on the quiet just to keep the peace. If your work is better quality & more productive then its their loss. If you leave for a another job tell him you were 'head-hunted' & see what he thinks then.
 
Well given what the OP said about the firms attitude to staff, he won't bat an eyelid, but it will make the OP feel better.
 
You've been there a month - the fact they blew a bit of smoke up your ass after the interview is meaningless... wait till after your probation before you start pushing for things, kicking up a fuss.
 
What have you got to lose? Go speak to your manager or whichever senior figure you think you should talk to. Explain the situation, be honest, make your case. Seems like the worst that can happen is nothing, in which case if you don't see the situation improving (and you're not getting a chance to prove your quality), consider leaving before your coworker (who seems to have at least some kind of influence) has you pushed?

This.
 
She has declared war on you whether she knows it our not. Brush up on your Machiavelli as it is now either you or her.

She is clearly attempting to manipulate you by mentioning her feelings and it appears to be working as she now appears to have made you her B****. What you need to do is twofold; most importantly continue with the high level of work you have been doing to make your position secure (ensure you get the full credit for your hard work) while secretly destroying her reputation and making her position at the company untenable.

You don't want to outright say anything to your boss but just the odd comment now and again about her which will slowly seep into his mind without throwing up red flags about you being a troublemaker. Giving the secretary the rep8tation of always being out on a fag break is a prime example of this. Then it's just a case of playing the long game:

In no way directly challenge her position. See if you can persuade her or someone to give you one of the more challenging projects, she might even be glad to get rid of it. And make a success out of it. Work it into supporting her role without being a threat, build your position up steadily and eventually the powers that be will see your worth and she'll trust you enough that when you get the opportunity to move against her she won't see it coming. Play the long game.

Whatever you do don't let her catch on that you know what she's doing so as far as you're concerned you and her are best friends. It's very likely she's a psychopath from what you have said and that she maintains her position despite poor work through manipulation. She's already got a months advantage over you hence why you're already being taken off projects so it's time you went on the offensive.
 
Long story short, first week was great until I met my counterpart who is at the same level and does the same role.

Looks like you need to go to war. She's not your boss, you don't work for her. She obviously resents the fact that she didn't get a chance to veto your position down to someone who won't threaten her and will do her work for her. Finance people do love to build their own little empires - it makes them feel more powerful to have a bunch of underlings to blame.

Talk to the MD under pretence of letting him know how your first weeks/months are going, tell him what she told you about how threatened and upset she is, get your projects back, point out how she's not a team player and how you're not happy with her poor work.

Make her come across as weak, manipulative, and taking him for a fool. Question her professionalism. "She told me she was expecting an assistant to do her work for her, can you believe that?", "She got all emotional and said she felt upset and threatened because I'm too good at my job", "I was expecting to be working with professionals, not some emotional, under-performing time-waster", etc

Really stick the knife in as often as you can. You can believe she's doing it to you in order to get you out of a threatening position and replace you with a minion for her to start building a little empire and get her coffee. Or move on to somewhere without all this bull.
 
Let's summarise:

1. Chairman decides you're the best he's ever seen and offers you a role which you accept on the spot (this is what we call a Terrible Mistake).

2. French equal tells you directly and openly she has a problem with you and takes that problem to someone who can affect everything you do in the work environment, the Chairman.

3. The Chairman listens and acts on this (remember point 1?)

4. You don't speak to her or him, instead you post on a computer forum, insisting that you are not weak.

You're new, you don't have the ear of the Chairman, you've effectively been demoted, and haven't talked to anyone meaningful about this.

I'd start looking for a new job if I were you and have a good, long think about how to manage relationships at both an equal and very senior level. Because she's done a number on you and it'll be very difficult indeed to shift this in your favour without some mesmerising footwork which I don't think you posses from your OP.
 
What have you got to lose? Go speak to your manager or whichever senior figure you think you should talk to. Explain the situation, be honest, make your case. Seems like the worst that can happen is nothing, in which case if you don't see the situation improving (and you're not getting a chance to prove your quality), consider leaving before your coworker (who seems to have at least some kind of influence) has you pushed?

absolutely do this.

dont stay quiet and hope they see the quality of your work - they wont. you are in a senior job so lay your cards on the table if front of the boss.
 
Declare to her its not your fault they had to get an Englishman in to do a Job the french couldn't handle. Raise a grievance to the boss man about her too for unprofessional behavior and workplace harassment
 
I agree with taking it head on. If your presentation was as strong as you say, youll have no problem getting re-hired elsewhere if it goes **** up.
 
there is a generally poor culture in the firm where no-one seems to get along and it seems to be quite cutthroat.

Any ideas what I can do?

Proverbially cut her throat then.
No love lost in your line of work I should imagine.
 
as an aside - WTF is the Chairman getting involved in this sort of thing for anyway.... surely the day to day running of the company is down to the MDs and ultimately the CEO.
 
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