Our Head of Operations Jarina recently celebrated her 1 year anniversary here at Paybase. We sat down with her to discuss all things Ops and more!

So as Head of Ops, what does your day-to-day look like, Jarina?

I’d describe my role as knowing what we’re doing now, what we’re doing next, and getting everything in place to bridge that gap - but that can look different every day. I might be driving decisions on product features one moment and looking to define certain processes the next.

Much of my work involves making sure all departments align, so I’m often sitting down with different members of the team - that is something that is pretty constant I suppose!

What are you most excited about in the coming months?

I think it’s the same for all of us, we’re all really excited to be live very soon! We’ll not only be able to see the processes that we’ve been working on in action, but we’ll be able to iterate and improve on them. I’m also looking forward to ensuring we have measures in place for continuous product updates, as this will enable us to deliver true value to our users.

An important role! Where were you before you joined us?

Well, a common denominator would be project and operations management; I’ve always had roles that leverage my organisational skills. After completing my Masters at the Stockholm School of Economics, I spent a few years working in London, then a couple in Dubai.

For the last few years I’ve been at startups - I really like the mentality and dedication you tend to get at smaller companies. People are really focussed on getting things done!

Yes I’d definitely agree with that, Jarina! How does Paybase compare with some of the other places you’ve worked? Are there any differences?

Yes, we’re at a later stage of development in comparison with companies that I’ve worked at before, which is exciting. The way of working here is different as well, we’re incredibly collaborative. Tech is at the core of what we do so we put a lot of emphasis on all elements of the business aligning with Tech, creating this atmosphere in which we’re all working towards a common goal. Considering that a lot of my work involves aligning different departments, this kind of open culture is hugely beneficial for me personally, though really I think it’s good for everyone.

We’re also very solutions-driven. We decide what we want to do and then we figure out how to do it, as opposed to limiting ourselves to what seems possible. With this approach we’re a lot more future-focussed, as we’re not just trying to find a solution for the moment, but build something far stronger that will be scalable. It’s quite liberating!

For you, what is Paybase in 3 words?

Collaboration. Solution. Possibility.

If you didn’t work in Ops, what do you think you would do?

I think it would probably be some sort of project management - which is quite similar, I know! I really like organising things and removing ambiguity. My approach is to think that there is always room for improvement and I’d want a job where I can encourage this approach and generally move things forward.

I think you’d nail that. What about your spare time Jarina, what do you like to do?

Well food is a hobby of mine, both cooking and eating! (Now is a good time to mention that Jarina won our office ‘Bake-off’ quite convincingly). I enjoy travel, and I also really like going on walks whilst listening to podcasts - I even walk to work now.

...You live in Angel don’t you Jarina? How long does that take!

55 minutes door to door.

I’m impressed!

Ha, well fitness is another hobby of mine. I’ve started this new fitness class called ‘insanity’ which is super intense, but I’m really enjoying it.

Sounds like it’s not for the faint-hearted. Thanks Jarina!

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