At a four-year anniversary mark with Magnetic Group, Airina Kacientaite-Krake, the Head of Magnetic Trading, shares her story. From Airina’s career beginnings to her take on leadership, we also get a glimpse into life at Magnetic and what it’s like to lead a cross-country team.
What is your background education and career-wise leading up to Magnetic Group?
Starting with education, I have a BA degree in accounting and an MA in International Business Economics. Right after, I spent over a decade working in the banking sector in sales, then as the Head of Sales of car and operational leasing. After that, I received an invitation to work at an aviation company, and from then onwards, I never looked back. From the industry's appeal to the global scope and my team, all these aspects perfectly make up the foundation for why I love what I do, including being part of the Magnetic Group.
Could you share some of your proudest achievements while you’ve been with the Trading department for the past four years?
One thing I strive for is implementing structures. With that, naturally comes building up Magnetic Trading to what it is today and doing all of it together with the team. This meant implementing processes and workflows, launching offices across the globe, and unifying them, all leading to a structured and well-optimized department. Another achievement is team-wise, having a low employee turnover and a core that hasn't changed for years. All in all, I could sum it up, resulting in increased sales and global expansion.
As a manager, do you have a team and leadership philosophy that you follow?
I delved into this topic more thoroughly in my earlier article on leadership. An example of my leadership philosophy is the "servant leadership" approach. This philosophy emphasizes a leader's commitment to serving the needs of their team members and empowering them to succeed.
With that said, the leadership style varies depending on the company and what stage your department is at. For example, we had a transformational focus for some time to synchronize everything and everyone into smooth processes. Once the foundation is laid, the focus shifts more towards individual growth, all based on their independent paths and responsibilities, which is the case for us now.
Where is the Magnetic Trading brand headed in 2024?
The keyword for 2024 is expansion across the board. We are kicking off the year with the newly opened office in Miami and its dedicated warehouse, so we'll continue scaling our efforts and strengthening our presence there, including people, stock, and brand awareness. The same goes for cultivating the Asia-Pacific region, increasing our business activities and sales, building a separate stock, and growing the local team.
To wrap it up, how would you describe working at Magnetic in five words?
Some words are inherited from the industry's nature, but there's a balancing act between all five words: challenging yet rewarding, providing freedom with which simultaneously comes ownership. Also, it is tight-knit, especially regarding our culture. We always have our minds set on the target, but meanwhile, we also make sure to enjoy the ride and celebrate progress and those smaller wins.
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