Inside Companjon - Kivia Porto

As part of our new blog series, we're sitting down (virtually) with some star employees, who share all things on what it's like to work at Companjon, what's happening behind the scenes and honest experiences. This week we spoke with our Business Analyst, Kivia Porto. In 2019, Kivia made a big career decision to move from her home country of Brazil to Ireland. After soaking up some Irish culture and settling into her new home, she joined Companjon.

Hi Kivia, tell us what made you want to join Companjon?

The joy and pride of building something from scratch and having an impact on the company growth is what excited me about joining Companjon. After learning more about what the company is doing and its vision during my first interview, I knew I wanted to be part of it. It wasn’t your typical startup, there was already a very established shareholder behind the company, a team of experts on board, and a technology platform built out and ready to be launched in the European market.

Is working at Companjon different to what you expected?

Yes. I didn't expect to have so much flexibility and voice when I joined. I feel that our Senior Management team really trust us and provide us with the tools and support we need to help us be successful in our roles. We also have direct access to everyone, regardless of the role they are in which is really great and something I am not so used to, coming from a large corporation.

You find tech exciting at Companjon, tell us a bit more about that.

Technology allows me to develop extremely creative solutions, often beyond what I initially could have imagined. Being on the tech team, we are the glue that holds various business departments together like, legal, compliance, distribution, and insurance. We help them develop solutions and build processes to create usable solutions to significantly improve consumers experiences in the real world which is both fun and rewarding!

It's been quite a ride so far, tell us what you enjoy about working in a high-dynamic environment.

The idea of challenging one another to solve for solutions and create ideas, I never thought I’d enjoy being challenged but I guess I do (laughs). We are really encouraged to go one mile ahead and have a super strong team behind us to enforce this message. Also, the team members and their willingness to provide support when you need it. Like every business there will always be hurdles along the way or questions unanswered, and I know I can get help if I need to from any department. Regardless of how fast everyone is moving, people will always have your back and will do their best to jump in and support you.

How different is working at Companjon to your previous employments?

Very different. My previous employments were very traditional with a rigid hierarchy. At Companjon it’s flat, meaning we have the opportunity, exposure and direct access to leadership team members. For example, I have direct access to our CTO Marcel Buhrer and even our CEO Matthias Naumann. It’s a great feeling knowing I can just pick up the phone and have a conversation or ask their opinion on something.

How would you describe your team in 3 words?

Engaged, adaptable, passionate.

If you could switch places with someone for a day who would it be?

Annie Easley. To me she’s an inspiring woman who had a successful career in technology and science - she worked as a rocket scientist for NASA in the 1950's! She was also an advocate for women and people of colour to study and enter STEM fields.

Any final words for our readers?

I guess to sum up, my time so far has been a wonderful learning curve. It's been the fastest ten months and I'm really looking forward to what's to come. Also, I can't wait to see our new offices once things ease!