Satisfied customers, the highest quality financial services and a motivated team are interrelated factors that Jurgita Blažienė, the new Chief Operating Officer of PayRay, will strive to ensure on a daily basis. According to a financial professional, in her life, she has to face the view that the bank employs only people who follow the rules, when in fact they are creative and innovative personalities. Jurgita is one of those people, who is interested in topics ranging from psychology to Latin American dance in her free time.
What was your professional journey up until PayRay? Which of your achievements do you find the most important? What do you like most about the profession you’re in? I started working in one of the largest commercial banks during the years of my studies. The advantage of a large organization is the opportunity to develop and try different areas. Product creation and development in the Baltic business development department, management of the operations department, gathering of an excellent team, implementation of various projects – with this experience I have become the manager of a newly established electronic money institution. We established a company and received a license from the Bank of Lithuania. I always associate the most important achievements with a good team – with it you can achieve the desired result. Over the years, I have met many wonderful people with whom we have created, collaborated, and made the impossible possible. I love my profession because of the opportunities it provides to customers, because of my wonderful colleagues, and because of my personal opportunities to grow and improve.
What are some of the most common myths about your profession? How do you go about debunking them? Sometimes I am faced with the view that the bank employs people with “dry” personalities who follow only the rules in life. I can completely deny this – the nature of this work requires creativity, ideas and innovation, and the colleagues I work with are colorful, interesting personalities who can surprise you with a variety of hobbies.
What are your responsibilities at PayRay? My team is responsible for the company's operations in Lithuania and Latvia. We ensure that after the customer signs the contract, the follow-up service is smooth, efficient and takes due account of potential risks. After all, the quality of our services – factoring, loans – depends on the customer's business decisions and results, as well as whether the customer will continue to use our services.
What goals are the priority for you and PayRay? Satisfied customers, a growing number of them and motivated employees are the basis for the growth of any organisation and for the implementation of goals. My area of responsibility – banking – largely determines how customers respond to us. A satisfied customer will continue to use the services provided, tell his or her business partners and friends about us. Therefore, if we want to provide such a high level of service, a motivated team is essential. An employee, who feels valued, sees opportunities to grow, works in a cohesive team and performs daily tasks responsibly, always looking to improve the ways we do things.
What is the professional motto/approach you follow? Everything is possible if you are looking for solutions and opportunities. We often face new challenges in the professional field, but together with the team, we can always find the right solution.
What professional advice do give your colleagues the most often? Take an interest, deepen your knowledge, constantly improve. As the saying goes, “sky is the limit,” and nowadays, maybe even further 😊
What are your work habits? How do you start your day? What helps you focus? I start the workday early, meet with colleagues, review planned daily work, and get started. As a team leader, multitasking becomes a routine part of the job, which I enjoy – by immersing myself in different areas, I can discover similarities, synergies, expand my horizons and knowledge, and achieve better results.
How do you like to spend your free time? What hobbies do you have? What helps you relax and recharge your batteries for the work you do? Dancing has been one of my hobbies for many years. I enjoy both classical and Latin American dancing, although if I had to choose, I would not hesitate and choose Latin because of their expressiveness and music. My family's shared hobby is traveling. When traveling, we explore architecture, the world of art, and enjoy nature. We are a part of those tireless travelers who want to discover something new every day. I also really enjoy reading. I usually read several books at once, which I choose according to my mood. These are books on psychology, fiction, management, art. Finally, I can't imagine my free time without movement: in winter I do yoga, Pilates, Zumba, in summer I prefer bicycles and roller-blades, and I enjoy long walks with my family at any time of the year.
What ideas or things are you most interested in at the moment? I am interested in fintech, because of new opportunities, and psychology, because opportunities are created and used by people.
Espresso or cappuccino? Today I choose espresso. PayRay's high coffee culture is influenced by CEO Renato La Fianza.