Nina Sicilia says that Osmel Sousa is unrepeatable

Success. It is the word with which Nina Sicilia describes her two years as director general of the Miss Venezuela Organization (OMV). She is convinced that her goal of creating a company with solid values, which remains an international benchmark, has been achieved. He says he succeeded thanks to teamwork: he doesn’t like to talk about triumphs in the first person.

“Despite everything, so far we believe we have achieved successful results, we must constantly innovate, review new options and always be a reference for other companies and organizations. The Cisneros Organization has always been a reference in this sense and Miss Venezuela does not escape this philosophy ”, says Sicilia.

And although the controversy has been present in these two years, it does not allow it to separate it from the determination to continue working to achieve its goals. Criticism that is not constructive should be ignored, he says. “Sometimes we feel it is necessary for some people to capitalize on the fame or prestige that Miss Venezuela represents. But let’s go ahead and deal only with what can be constructive ”.

She is sincere in admitting that it was not an easy road. There were harsh and untrue comments, such as his report and opinion on Osmel Sousa. Recognize that the so-called Tsar of beauty is unrepeatable.

– What is the balance you would make of your management after the change of administration of the Miss Venezuela Organization?

– The balance is positive because despite the difficulties we remained operational and knowing how to use the resources we had. From the first moment we have shown that Miss Venezuela continues to be the most important beauty pageant nationally and internationally. The results continue to be positive because at the level of international partners we maintain an important interest from large companies and brands. We believe we continue to be a reference.

– You said this process was a great learning experience. What did he leave you?

– The greatest learning that these years have left me has been to strengthen principles, values, concepts, knowledge and ways of interacting. These years have strengthened all those qualities that have led me to manage several companies of the Cisneros Organization. And yes, I say it humbly, everyone should be aware that one is constantly learning.

– After the work you have done, how would you define this moment in the OMV?

– We have worked without distraction to save the institutionality and the brand. We also wanted to depersonalize it and we succeeded. We currently have a strengthened Miss Venezuela brand, which continues to be a reference. And we have managed from a business and strategic point of view to establish all the procedures to function properly.

– How have you handled the dispute since the beauty committee took over the contest? The criticism does not stop.

– The most important thing to adapt to difficult changes is to move forward and not be distracted by the elements that appear along the way, that what they do is take away the energy we need to keep growing and succeeding. Just as we are attentive to criticism, because there are talented people who have good things to contribute, with the same force we discard those who try to destroy or belittle what we do. And we avoid making public meetings of those comments. We – the executive committee – are very clear that our goals are achieved and our goal.

– Outgoing Miss Venezuela Thalía Olvino has generated controversy with her statements against the committee. Little was said in the Fifth Miss Venezuela about these allegations. What does it have to say?

– Little has been said and little will be said. This is not an issue we want to convey publicly, we respect their views. We have our truth. We are attached to our values ​​and our code of ethics and are very confident that we have done it correctly. The perception others have of this work can be very different, but we won’t go into that discussion.

– Have you taken steps to prevent this type of situation from continuing?

– The results speak for themselves.

– Don’t you think that these controversies tarnish the image of the competition, which has already been questioned nationally and internationally since Osmel Sousa’s departure?

– We have an excellent relationship with international franchises. We continue to be a point of reference in national and international media who really know the job. And what’s in sight doesn’t need glasses. The work done by Miss Venezuela and the entire Cisneros Organization is recognized in Venezuela and around the world. That is why we remain focused on our goals and with a very solid and not easy to move platform.

– Comments were also generated on Osmel Sousa, former president of the competition. He said he had forbidden him to use materials from his years in the organization. This is true?

– As in production, in this case there is a legal department dealing with digital media that I do not manage and do not know in detail. What I can say is that what Venevisión’s legal department has informed us is that they have not sent any communications directly. I understand that digital platforms have their own regulations and that anyone who wants to upload content must take care of that form or international regulations.

—Osmel Sousa has been a reference in the world of beauty for his way of making queens. Haven’t thought about taking positive things out of your management? Little is said now of his successes….

– It depends on how you see it. Personally I consider Osmel an extraordinary, unique and unrepeatable person. What is said that anyone can be replaced, I feel that Osmel Sousa is not. There is only one. He is very talented and creative. However, I feel that everything is evolving. We have good things about him because we were queens and worked closely in the beauty field. What we saw in Miss Venezuela was an evolution that we hope will very soon be reflected in good and beautiful results.

Miss Venezuela in the pandemic

– Many countries have decided to carry out the contest in a different way and many people have criticized the registration method used by Miss Venezuela. Why did you decide to hold the contest?

– The decision to register Miss Venezuela was made due to quarantine. It was very difficult, with the radical quarantine declaration, to be clear on how the edition would take place. As the weeks went by, biosecurity standards were consistently maintained. We respect holding meetings with a certain number of people and did not allow us to have a live event.

– Have expectations been met for this edition, no doubt different due to the pandemic?

– The expectations of getting a good choice and at the show level, I feel they have been met. We have three wonderful queens who are representatives of Venezuelan youth: prepared and with values. They are all three beautiful, because it is a beauty pageant, they are also intelligent, committed and inspiring. As for the show, expectations were also met, because by the time we held the event, other countries had made appointments.

– What was the most difficult thing in conducting a competition under these conditions?

—We show each set and leave the wait for the final to each of the participants in their homes. It’s something show business programs have done. We saw it in the United States with the delivery of important awards, each from his own home. And the quality level of each segment has been achieved.

– Wasted opportunities to create a more dynamic and fun contest were also criticized. Why does a more modern and less stuffy production cost Miss Venezuela so much?

– When it’s my turn to talk about production, I always try to clarify as much as possible, with all the respect and admiration that the “Chicken” Erick Simonato and Ricardo Di Salvatore deserve so much, that the show is conceptualized, conceived and performed from The production area of ​​Venevisión. The fifth miss Venezuela does not make decisions directly about it, because this is also not our role. However, this time we met many times due to atypical conditions that required different decisions. But the decision was the production and after reviewing the budget, the obstacles and the resources we had, that was the formula that was found to make the program and show the audience everything they are used to.

– This year the competition was more marked than the previous one. Are you happy with the result?

– We are very satisfied because all the candidates had the qualities to be crowned queens. That is, we train 22 young people not only with the intention of winning the national competition, but we also prepare them for the international competitions. Our training is very ambitious and very complete. Each of them could have won because they were very prepared and responsible young people.

– Is the result?

– As in any contest, the three winners shone a little more in front of the qualifying jury, added to the team that also made an important vote. And they took that important step to shine and get noticed by all those charged with delivering their verdict. That among other things, as we said before, the vote is not limited only to the qualifying jury but also to the whole team that has been with them during all months, from the production team, training, companions and direct work, the teachers, choreographers, producers; in short, a vote in which their attitudes and attitudes are taken into account. We believe that Venezuela is very satisfied with the result and we are sure that it will play a great international role because they are truly inspiring queens.

– What will be the protocol for the preparation of the three queens for international competitions?

– We have no more information than those already published by the competitions; for example, Miss International has suspended its edition this year and will do so the following year. Miss World is also focused on holding the contest next year, in fact we have already sent information about our queen and made progress in her social project. And in the case of Miss Universe there is no official information, but it has been made public that it will hopefully be held in the first quarter of next year. Miss USA just picked her queen, so it makes us think they are making progress in making Miss Universe.

– What do you expect from the new Miss Venezuela?

– The new Miss Venezuela has a very big challenge, not only as a miss but as a woman. Our queens are not only physically beautiful women, now they must become a voice that has an impact on the world. We are witnessing changes and evolution in all factors of the world. Therefore, we are preparing our queens so that they are up to date and are a reference in the world as a happy and successful person. Also to be an inspiration for others; it is a challenge because we live in an increasingly demanding world.

– Two years ago you told El Nacional that you wanted to make Miss Venezuela something more than a beauty pageant, would you say you succeeded? Have you achieved the business transformation that you thought was the main challenge?

– I don’t like to speak in first person because we are a work group which, although not as big as we think, everyone has their own role and works every day to do things well. We believe we all need to stay focused on the same goal. We have many ideas and we always have to innovate because we live in a world that is changing.