Inside Temenos – A Series of Inspiring Career Journeys, Marina Polymenakou
“From the very first moment you step into Temenos, you can feel the amazing energy: the people, the technology, the different cultures, the customers – everything just comes together in a unique way.”
At Temenos we believe that our people make the difference. What we create and achieve is a result of the aspirations and goals of the 4000+ unique individuals that make up Temenos today.
Our people drive real change, and working together as a team is what got us to where we are today.
In an effort to recognize and celebrate our talented colleagues, we’d like to share some of their inspirational stories, where they takes us along their journey before and after joining Temenos.
From the very first moment you step into Temenos you feel an amazing energy: the people, the technology, the different cultures, the customers – everything just comes together in a unique way.
Marina Polymenakou
1. Tell us about your role: When did you join Temenos?
What is your position in the company and how would you describe it in one phrase?
I joined Temenos in 2008 through the acquisition of Informer Financial (Integrated partner). At Temenos, I work as Business Solutions Manager for EE & CIS countries. I enjoy the variety of this region, especially in terms of culture. Being part of the Business Solutions Group is truly amazing, since no day is the same as another and I always have the opportunity to solve problems and tackle challenges.
2. How did your career journey look before Temenos?
My career started a long time ago, in what I like to call “The Golden 90s”, working at Citibank for 10 years and gaining experience in some of the most crucial areas like Back Office, Treasury and Private Wealth. Then, in 2000 I changed sides and started working for Informer Financial in their Services department, working on customer implementation in Europe for 7 years.
A while after, I decided to get into a Presales role, as I enjoy customer-facing work. It is in this role that I had the opportunity to experience first-hand, the value our customers derive from our products and implementations. That is also when I discovered my true passion for Presales and decided it’s what I want to pursue.
3. What attracted you to Temenos?
From the very first moment you step into Temenos, you feel an amazing energy: the people, the technology, the different cultures, the customers – everything just comes together in a unique way. And since I had worked in Citibank, a big international company similar to Temenos in many ways, I felt right at home returning to this type of environment.
I really appreciate the fact that Temenos is a multi-cultural organization with so much diversity – to me, working with someone in another country, or even on the other side of the planet, is truly exciting, it motivates me. I have met so many people in Temenos all around the world, built strong friendships and bonds, which are very precious and help considerably in my day-to-day work.
4. Tell us about your journey within Temenos:
- What was you first role here?
- How did you progress from that? What motivated you?
My journey with Temenos started as Senior Business Consultant, progressing throughout the years to Regional Business Solutions Manager, structuring a brand new powerful team that works all around Europe.
As I mentioned, I joined Temenos through an acquisition process, so while my colleagues were mostly moving from one office to another, my first day was quite different: I had already started travelling & visiting Temenos prospects, presenting our products as a Temenos Business Consultant. So right from the start, I was, as we say “Diving in Deep Waters”, which instantly made me feel part of Temenos; it gave me a sense of belonging to the company from day one and made me believe it was going to be a great journey.
- Did you have a mentor when you started your journey in Temenos? If so, tell us a bit about that.
There are two people who have been with me since I joined Temenos, guiding me and helping me throughout each step in my career: one of them is my line manager and the other is our Business Solutions Global head, who keeps reminding me that this is an open-door policy company, and that he’s always available whenever I need advice. Actually, there is one piece of advice that he gave me, which I keep as a rule to this day: “Never Stop Rehearsing and Never Stop Practising your Presentations”.
5. Tell us about yourself – what are you passionate about? Who are you at home?
I like to think that through the years I’ve learned to strike a balance between business and personal time. I work hard, but I also like to relax and spend time with my friends. I enjoy travelling, discovering new places and meeting new people, which is one of the reasons I like my job at Temenos.
I’m also a movie addict; I watch almost every genre of movie from comedies to drama. Dancing is another passion of mine, for which I try to find more time in my schedule.
6. How do you think you passions/personal life link to your career?
The common link is travelling – discovering new countries, different cultures, meeting new people. I am very proud of how many fridge magnets I have gathered from my trips around the world since joining the company and I intend to keep collecting even more.
7. When you joined Temenos, what were your career aspirations/goals?
My plan when I joined Temenos was “NO Plan”. I wanted to absorb as much knowledge and experience as possible from the people in the company that were so much more knowledgeable than I was. I observed everything, how they presented, how they talked and convinced the customers. I adopted the best practices from the people that I work with and I continue to push myself each day to learn more, to be a better manager, a better person.
8. How do you think Temenos has helped you move forward in achieving your career goals so far?
Temenos supported me since the beginning and trusted me with several initiatives I wanted to pursue.
I was encouraged to train and share knowledge with new joiners, which is something that I really enjoy. I love seeing how they grow in the company and know that I contributed to that.
9. What do you love about your job at Temenos? What motivates you every day?
I love the energy, I love that every day is different. I never get bored doing the same thing, since I never do anything twice. Almost every day starts with a new challenge, whether it’s meeting new customers, finding solutions or checking in on current customers and continue building the strong relationship that always differentiates Temenos in the market.
The major motivator for me is the constant learning curve. Every day brings a new learning opportunity. On the other hand, I like to share knowledge myself, so Temenos has trusted and empowered me to pursue this passion and coach newly joined Business Consultants.
10. What is the most important thing you’ve learned so far in Temenos?
I am a very passionate person when it comes to my work, but I also love to share my knowledge and inspire others to become better and progress in their careers. Temenos motivated me and enabled me to do that, helping new joiners take their first steps in the company. What this experience taught me is how important it is to encourage and help people to become better, whilst remembering to be team players. I believe managers are never successful on their own, but only due to having a great team.
In Temenos I also learned to manage and balance my work life with my personal life. I can work from home when I need to, which is something that not many companies, at least in my country, allow.
11. What advice would you give to someone looking to take their career in Fin Tech to the next level?
Never say that you learned everything, never stop progressing, improving yourself. Grab every opportunity as if it is a benefit to your career and your personality. Remember it is important to be a team player and always have a positive attitude. I also think you should never be afraid to take risks, even if it is not always going to lead you to success – if you fail, take it as a learning opportunity and move forward.