KindGeek journey of Halyna, Head of PM Office

KindGeek has been for 7 years on the market; we’ve grown into a team of 180+ geeks, and we’re continuing to expand across all areas of the company. Fintech is our key domain with over 80% of the projects in the industry, but we also work in Education, Media, Retail, and Healthcare. We believe in a product-oriented approach and build products focusing on the final users.

Time to meet the Head of PM Office at KindGeek, Halyna!

Who you wanted to become when you were a child?

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a doctor or an economist and marketer.

I was supposed to enroll in marketing, but I needed to take a history test that I did not know at all and my choice was narrowed down to the sciences faculty, so I chose several areas and the final choice was engineering.

At that moment I went against my parents' will, but I decided to give it a try.

I have been working at KindGeek for more than 5 years.

Halyna, Head of PM Office

Describe the beginning of your career. How did you start?

I was a 4th-year student in the software engineering program. At that moment, I already understood that programming is not my thing. I wanted to try something new, but I felt quite lost. Anton Skrypnyk, our CEO, was teaching at my university, and one day I came to him for advice to help me understand what are other options and where I can develop.

Anton told me about Business Analysis, gave me a few books to read, and told me to come for an interview when I finish reading them.

Of course, I did not finish reading them, but still came to the interview and failed it. I knew it was a failure, but I was still waiting for feedback. Impatience encouraged me to write to Anton directly and not to wait for the feedback of an interviewer. He told me what I did wrong, and asked why I did not tell him about the projects I have been coordinating at my university. He also asked whether I was interested in project management. I thought that this might be a good career, and, shocking to me, Anton invited me to come to work on Monday. That is how I became a PM.

What I have realized is that you always need to knock on the door, even if you want to give up.

Do you remember your first working day?

I remember my first working day. During the first month, I was super quiet. I was sitting in my room with my teammates and wondering how I was going to manage their work. I was much younger than many of them. That was a real challenge for me to even start talking to them.

The moment of overcoming fear and feeling my strength came in 2-3 months. I somehow got involved, and this is what I want to do and will strive for.

How did the company change over the years?

The company has changed completely, we have grown very fast, the quality of our products has grown, the level of people who work here has grown, the level of projects. We have developed in many different directions.

Halyna with KindGeek co-founders Anton and Yuriy

What did you take from working at KindGeek?

The company brought into my life many extraordinary people. KindGeek allowed me to find myself and the opportunity to communicate daily with the coolest professionals around the world.

Describe your work at KindGeek in three phrases.

Constant challenges, working with cool people on innovative projects, adrenalin.

KindGeek is also much about warmth.

Get to know Halyna and the rest of the KindGeek team!

We’re delighted that Halyna decided to join KindGeek – it’s been great having them on board! If you have any questions or want to get to know Halyna or one of their colleagues from the KindGeek team, we can put you in touch. Don’t hesitate to reach out!