Sanela, Georgeta and Donatella – Product Owner

For International Women’s Day, we decided to interview some women from BizAway, asking them to highlight certain aspects of their experience within the company.

Sanela Graca, Georgeta Pojoga and Donatella Orioli are Product Owner, responsible for the entire study and optimization part of BizAway. Georgeta works in the Spilimbergo office, while Sanela and Donatella work in full remote. Each of them is responsible for her specific area within the platform, but their strength is being able to combine all the individual pieces into a unique ecosystem that is BizAway.

We wanted you to know the experience of our Product Owners:

What is the process inside your work and how do you communicate with each other?

Sanela: As a Product Owner I work along with two female colleagues that share the same role. Each of us is a part of a different team that aims to deliver different product features. We work together on a daily basis, constantly providing updates and helping each other with best organizational and working practices. I tend to learn from them, take their advice and apply improvements when working with the team.

Georgeta: Usually my team and I organize a daily meeting to keep up with all the updates. I keep in constant communication with my PO colleagues through Slack and also we schedule a weekly meeting where we share our news and learnings. 

Donatella: We are a highly energetic Product Owners team, with many differences both in the way we work and in our thinking, coming from diverse backgrounds. Our contact is obviously on a daily basis, and interaction between us can never be missing for advice, suggestions, information, or simply alignment. Each of us has our own team that works closely together in order to achieve a common goal.

What do you think is the most important thing in teamwork?

Sanela: One of the most important things is being honest and transparent about your activities, without that it is impossible to do a good job. But there are many other important things, like listening while others are talking, not being afraid to share ideas or communicate if something is not feeling right, and being respectful towards your teammates.

Georgeta: I believe that a good team shares the value of trust. It’s important to communicate without fear, be honest and take action, these values allow anyone to feel supported and believe in the team itself. Trust is the key to building long-lasting relationships. 

Donatella: I firmly believe that in order to move in a coordinated way with other members, grow evenly and draw all the positive sides of working side by side with someone, it’s extremely important to have a predisposition to listen, empathy, and to do a bit of soul searching. When working with others, there is no room or time for prima donnas and touchiness. Working in a team means benefitting not only from one’s personal growth but also, and sometimes especially, from the growth of every other team member.

What is the most inspiring thing in working together?

Sanela: Even if we work remotely we were able to connect on a professional and a personal level. Professionally, we advise each other based on previous experiences, jump in when the other needs help, collaborate to find the best practices to handle our activities, check each other’s activities to make sure everything works (and these are just a few examples). Personally, we knew each other for a month when we organized our first trip together to a Product conference! Isn’t that amazing? 😀

Georgeta: Being able to listen to different stories and experiences enriches me everyday, everyone has a unique perspective and having such a multicultural company shows positive effects also in the daily work!

Donatella: One of the most inspiring things about working together is the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by others. When working in a team, you have the chance to collaborate with individuals who have different experiences, skills, and perspectives than your own. By working together, you can combine your strengths and talents to achieve common goals that may have been impossible to achieve alone. In addition, working in a team allows for mutual support and encouragement, which can be incredibly motivating. Seeing others succeed and grow can inspire you to push yourself harder and strive for excellence. This can lead to a sense of shared accomplishment and pride in what the team has achieved.

Have you noticed any change between the moment you’ve started and now in terms of women empowerment?

Sanela: Being a woman and choosing to study computer science means that you will find yourself as a minority, and this doesn’t change when you start working in an IT company, since the percentage of women tends to be smaller when compared to men. However, gender was never an issue in my experience, since I felt like people and their contribution were always the most important aspects, and BizAway is no exception!

Georgeta: Yes, at the beginning it was just me in the Development Team, but being the only girl was never a problem. I professionally grew up in a very supportive environment and all my colleagues treated me with kindness and respect. Now that there are many girls in the Product Team you just have more opportunities to listen to different opinions. 

Donatella: I feel BizAway is extremely egalitarian, therefore my gender does not make a difference in the way I am considered. Here, I am first and foremost considered a professional and what is judged is the quality of my work, not my chromosomes.

If you’re a Product Owner who wants to make a difference and work in the travel industry, you can join Sanela, Georgeta, and Donatella’s team by applying here!!