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As Girteka continues on its journey of modernization, more and more talented people from different countries join us. Girteka’s colleagues are the “engine” behind the company’s growth. The digital transformation that is taking place in the company is a result of the maturity, willingness, and flexibility of the people who work here. They bring bright ideas and valuable experiences to Girteka, paving the way to the winning goal.
In July 2022, Lesley Tull joined Girteka as the Head of Talent Management and Organizational Development and became part of the significant transformation the company is now undergoing. Lesley was born and raised in the UK and worked for many years in different countries, continents, and very distinct cultural contexts.
She already has a proven track record of participation in the business transformation that other companies have gone through. And now, she shares her thoughts on her experience working for Girteka so far.
Lesley, what is your impression of Girteka?
The first impression did not fit my image of what a logistics company may look like. I entered a building that a modern tech company would enjoy.
After meeting the people who work in the company and live in Lithuania, I am no longer surprised that Girteka has achieved such success in its growth and development so far.
Why did you choose Girteka as the next step of your career?
We chose each other. It is a good match because I have experience in talent management, performance management, and leadership development, and Girteka is energetically moving into these spaces.
Please explain briefly what “Talent management ” means. And why is it crucial for the growth and development of a company?
Talent Management is a process to help employees fulfil their potential. Talent management enables the organisation to analyse each employee’s performance and identify and initiate their further development, career planning, and learning journey. And it is a win-win for both the employee and the company.
Girteka is a company with a young workforce. This distinguishes it from other major European companies with an ambiguous age, where the younger generation is mainly in the minority.
This aspect makes Talent Management at Girteka even more critical because all employees here are on a career development journey. This factor makes the company great: we have engaged employees, and now we need to enable them to grow and develop.
The task of Talent Management is to create an environment where this process is dynamic and flexible. Developing our employees and looking at ourselves as part of the continuous improvement of a great organisation will enable Girteka to grow and modernize.
You have worked in different countries and within different cultures. What do you think defines a company’s culture? What makes a company multicultural?
Culture has history, social, political, and economic motivations. Culture can work with you, or it can work against you. It can bring people together or divide people. You make daily decisions that impact your behaviors, creating the culture at work.
However, what is acceptable outside the building may not be acceptable inside the building because we have our values, principles, and ethics. We create our own winning culture.
English is the business language in Girteka. It enables us to connect with colleagues and customers wherever they are in the world and grow into a diverse and multicultural organisation.
Girteka is undergoing a process of modernization. Have you had previous experience working in a company where such a transformation occurred? How did it go?
Over the last 20 years, I have worked in large international companies that have moved to SAP solutions, including SAP SuccessFactors. The journey has always been worth it.
An essential aspect of the way to make successful changes, whether it is a modernization or implementation of new technologies or solutions, is the openness of employees to the upcoming changes and their willingness to accept new things.
After meeting my colleagues at Girteka, I thought the changes that are now taking place in the company were due to the willingness of the people who work here to accept them. I have already said that the company’s open spaces enable an atmosphere like that of a technology company.
And what will the modernization of the company bring in the future?
SAP SuccessFactors is a great and user-friendly solution, a fully integrated platform that links data and processes together, and end-to-end thinking becomes part of the user’s culture.
Data transparency enables us to analyse our business more accurately and supports informed decision-making and strategic planning. SAP allows companies to own quality data, so the modernization journey is worth it.
How do you see the future of Girteka in the next 5-10 years?
It will continue its journey of change, and I think it will take less time. These changes will be well visible in a couple of years. The openness to new things and my colleagues’ enthusiasm are so strong that they will be the key to this growth and development.
Girteka has done a lot in a short period in the past, and it plans to do even more in a short period in the future.
