“My interest in business numbers and customer behaviour indicators subconsciously led me to a financial organisation,” said Vytautas Romeika, who recently became the Marketing Manager at PayRay. This expert with many years of experience joined the company under very unusual circumstances: a day after he started working, the quarantine was introduced in our country. Therefore, he had to meet his colleagues via the Internet. Such an experience has made him stronger, although Mr Romeika is not the type of person who lacks persistence: he always wakes up at 5 AM and tries to accomplish as much as possible. As a result, while drinking his morning coffee and travelling to work, Mr Romeika read or listened to 40 books last year.
My interest in business numbers and customer behaviour indicators subconsciously led me to a financial organisation
What has brought you to PayRay? I have been working in marketing for 15 years, most of which I spent in field services. I plan my work and career the same way I plan the milestones in my life – by looking ahead. Thus, a combination of numbers and curiosity brought me to PayRay. I consider myself to be a pragmatic person, as I am much more motivated by the result than by the process. For this reason, I classify myself as one of those people who can accurately assess the cause-effect relationship when planning my future actions. Many still envision marketing work as a creative advertising process, surrounded by colourful fantasies. However, that aspect is just a cherry on top of the cake, which has a multilayered base composed of client behaviour and product sales analytics. I think that being interested in business numbers and customer behaviour indicators subconsciously led me to join a financial organisation.
What career achievements do you consider the most important? I consider my most important achievements to be those that have helped to pull mature businesses out of pitfalls, or that have made a significant contribution to the development of a completely new product and its successful introduction to the market.
Why do you love your job? I love my job because I get the chance to utilise my experience by contributing to a growing business. I would probably go insane if I had to work at a monotonous, functional job.
Tell us about your experience of joining the company. How was it different than usual? What was the key experience? I am sure I will remember this time period for the rest of my life. Changing jobs is a great example of stepping out of your comfort zone, where the greatest challenges are cultural and functional uncertainty. A day after I started working with PayRay, the quarantine was introduced in the country, and for 2.5 months I had to work via the Internet, without meeting my colleagues in person. Although working remotely is a common practice these days, especially for those conducting online business, starting a new job remotely is a slightly different experience. After all, while working in an office, a number of ideas that affect the result stem from informal conversations. Also, it is much faster to get to know about the organisation, its culture, values, processes, etc., in a regular work environment. Nonetheless, despite my unusual beginning, I am very pleased to have received the support of all my colleagues and managers and they have shown their willingness to help me successful enter the company.
What are your responsibilities at PayRay? My main responsibility is to make a significant contribution to business growth in all the markets where PayRay operates, and will operate. The tools to achieving this are the development and implementation of an effective marketing strategy, by selecting the optimal tactics and partners. The product portfolio here is very interesting – business loans, factoring and various types of credits – so a thorough analysis of a customer’s journey and lifecycle is an ongoing responsibility. It is also important to mention that PayRay is becoming a bank. The successful conversion process requires a huge team effort and it is a great honour for me to be a part of this transition.
What goals are priorities for you and for PayRay? Growing the customer portfolio and constantly improving the quality of our services.
Fintech ecosystem, efficient use of big data and emotional intelligence – these things appeal to me the most right now
What is the professional motto/approach you follow? One of my core values is continuous improvement. I apply this to both my work and my personal life.
What professional advice do you give your colleagues the most? I often use a quote from Albert Einstein to justify my approach: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
What are your work habits? How do you start your day? I have been developing and following a certain routine for a long time now. Scientists have proven that we are most effective in the first 4 hours of the day, so to take advantage of this fact, I wake up at around 5 AM. Until 7 AM, I drink black coffee and read books to consolidate my missing skills, then I have breakfast and go to work. I have also solved the problem of morning traffic by listening to audiobooks. Following this morning routine helped me read or listen to around 40 books last year. When I arrive at work, I check the results and dive into the priority tasks. And at the end of the day, I assess the work again and I plan the priorities for the next day in the evening.
What helps you focus? The best way I have found to focus is to quietly listen to contemporary classical music over my headphones and take on the most important tasks. I only plan my work in a quiet environment, because hustle and bustle suppresses creativity.
What do you do in your free time, what hobbies do you have? What helps you relax and restore energy for work? We have an Italian greyhound in our family, so long walks while listening to podcasts or music have become an integral part of the day. Another shared hobby in my family is travelling. My wife and I cannot imagine our lives without travel – and, of course, without sports such as mountain biking and lawn tennis.
What are three ideas or things that appeal to you right now, or that you are interested in the most? The Fintech ecosystem, efficient use of big data and emotional intelligence.
Espresso or cappuccino? Double espresso.