Interview with Alexander Mironenko, Country Head at Majorel Georgia

This year marks the 5th anniversary of Majorel Georgia. Before even joining Majorel, I’d been hearing great stories about the company. I’m based in Tbilisi, Georgia where Majorel currently has 4 offices across the country and more than 2000 people employed. There’s always a story behind the numbers. I knew that this success was a fruit of our team effort, so I was curious to know what type of a leader stands behind this amazing team.

Country Head

Its’s just a regular day at work, I am enjoying my late lunch alone and here comes Alexander Mironenko, Country Head at Majorel Georgia. I saw him approaching me like the mountain came to Muhammad (or this is how I’ve seen the moment, since he is almost 2m tall, while I am 1.6m 🙂 and this was a story I wanted to write). Despite his intimidating physical appearance, he proved to be warm, friendly and eager to talk to me. I thought, “Wow, now is the chance to get to know him better and share with you, our readers, a great career story!” While waiting for his meal to arrive, we exchanged some words about the ongoing pandemic and we ended up spending the day together. I got to see how a day for a Country Head looks like and we decided that this was a part of my onboarding.

In this interview, Alex will be sharing his story about his impressive career trajectory, challenges and successes, and what it means to be a front-line leader in a global company.

  1. What does a day look like for a Country Head?

To put it in a nutshell, it all revolves around the team. Regardless of the day, I must be there for them; from building new offices for the growing team, to helping them with operation-related topics and making sure we are constantly putting effort in creating a work environment where our people can thrive. This ensures we are all successful. Of course, I also work on creating local strategies to make sure we are reaching our global goals and act like a bridge between our local and global teams and our clients.

  1. What leadership skills do you find most useful in the current uncertain times?

Being a leader, one should always put himself in other’s shoes, be humble and show empathy for others. Also, especially in a time of crisis, it is important to empower your team and keep your colleagues engaged in decision-making. This way, standing shoulder to shoulder for one goal, you will overcome any obstacles on the road. Among the others, I would highlight the following skills:

  • Empathy
  • Empowerment
  • Engagement
  1. You got hired in Tallinn where you held quite a number of positions, what was your career path in Majorel Estonia?

Yes, my journey with Majorel begun in Tallinn, in 2009 (back then it was called Arvato Bertelsmann). Since I had no customer service experience and very little understanding of the BPO industry, I was hired on an entry-level position as a Customer Service Representative (CSR). After 5 months of relentless work as a CSR, delivering top customer service to our clients, my performance was rewarded with a promotion and I became a Team Supervisor. I saw this as a great opportunity and realized the many career paths this industry has to offer. I soon applied for an internal promotion and secured my role as an End User Fulfillment Team Supervisor. But I did not stop there; I felt that I wasn’t tapping into my fullest potential and I had more to offer to the company and the company to me. Through hard work and determination, I soon was part of the middle-management team, and started a new chapter as an Operations Manager. Climbing up this career path was a slow journey, requiring a lot of deliberate steps; but challenges on the road have taught me a powerful life lesson: hard work, adaptability & flexibility combined with passion bring you closer to success.

  1. We know you moved a lot, how was the first time you relocated and what did you learn?

I was offered to relocate to Brasov, Romania and work as a Service Delivery Manager. I saw the possibility to move to a new city and work with a new team as a great opportunity, and a challenge I was ready to take. I moved to Brasov, in 2013. The city, the local team and the local culture turned out to be amazing! So, I ended up staying there for 2 years. Before Romania, I already had an experience of working with a multicultural team, but in this period and with the help of my colleagues, I saw the many nuances that contribute to the success of a team, thus the success of a leader. One thing that I remember thinking back then, was that empathy has no language, it crosses all borders, brings people together, and ensures team success wherever you are.

  1. How did you come to Georgia?

Back in those days, Majorel had already opened up a new office in Tbilisi and was strengthening its presence on the Georgian market. I was offered to relocate and take the position of the Site Manager. Georgia has always fascinated me for its ancient culture, history and welcoming people, so, I gladly accepted the offer and moved in Tbilisi along with my family. The transition was smooth and soon, I grew accustomed to the new work environment and the amazing local team. In February 2019, I was promoted to Country Head at Majorel Georgia.

  1. What are the skills you consider a ‘must-have’ to thrive within Majorel?

Our company is very complex and we have many career paths that require a specific skill-set. But there are some key skills that you should grow irrespective of the career path you choose. Among them, I would highlight:

  • Patience & determination
  • Adaptability
  • Self-discipline
  • Resilience

On your career journey, always keep in mind that success comes slowly with lessons learned along the way. No matter how hard it can sometimes be, it is important to stay patient and self-determined, holding tight to your goals and making sure they are aligned with the company’s goals. You should always be open to new opportunities – no matter where your road takes you, be flexible to learn new skills and behaviors in response to changing circumstances. The most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail. The road to success will often be paved with failures and you should learn how to navigate all the ups and downs of your career path successfully.

  1. What is the biggest challenge you have recently faced? How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?

I think, we’ve all faced challenges recently, as 2020 has been a universally challenging year for everyone. Lots of businesses had to adapt to keep the pace of the times. Although a challenging process, thanks to our joint efforts and #OneTeam spirit, we have not just survived it, but grew stronger.

During the pandemic, we opened a new office in Batumi; expanded our team by hiring 900+ people across the country; implemented work-from-home and hybrid work solutions; expanded our service & client portfolio; launched the Feel Good Program in support of the welfare of our team; carried out CSR activities to help vulnerable communities; and most importantly, learned how to improve and push ourselves to excellence each day. 

  1. What would be your career advice for young people?

Don’t be afraid to fail

Whether you’re trying to advance your current career or pick a new one, you should always remember that there are no shortcuts to success. In reality, shortcuts usually lead to disappointments, while long-term success requires steady progress and patience. Learning the value of hard work is essential, as there is no alternative to it. Your diligence, hard work, late working hours, and passion will pay off sooner or later, I have no doubt. And finally, never let yourself think that hard work goes waste or unnoticed if you don’t achieve your goals immediately.

If you want to know more about Majorel Georgia or are interested to join our fast-growing team in Tbilisi, Kutaisi our Batumi, visit our local website here.

We’re proud of our people and their successes and we like to write about them in hopes to inspire other people on their career journeys. Read more career stories here.

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