Giorgos Mantzoukas still vividly remembers his first day at Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos – Ahold Delhaize’s brand in Greece. It was 2013, and he was under the impression he would be interning in the IT department. Much to his surprise, he was placed in the CRM & Loyalty team. “At first, I felt out of my comfort zone. But I adapted quickly. Today, I still work in the Loyalty team and absolutely love it.”
Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos was the first “real” company Giorgos joined. He refers to it as a typical “first-time lucky” experience. “Even though it was a different team than I had originally anticipated, I felt like I was in the right place. I remember being told in my first week that I was now part of the ‘AB family,’ an extended family where we all get on and want everyone to be happy. That’s very much the company culture. Making newcomers feel like they’re part of the family during onboarding means that you build a company with this fundamental mindset. Add to that my wonderful, collaborative team and the good friends I’ve made here, and you’ll understand why this is the place for me.”
The past nine years have been quite a ride, to say the least. “Every year has presented me with new, challenging opportunities. Technology evolves constantly, and so do we. We work in a highly competitive and challenging market. At times, there are demanding requests that require swift actions, and we need to pressure ourselves to produce valuable quality. Fortunately, there’s so much knowledge and expertise within this company that we’re able to share on a daily basis and through various training sessions. I am so lucky to work for an organization where you can constantly learn, and are given the opportunity to develop yourself further, both personally and professionally. It makes my role truly dynamic.”
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Redesigning the loyalty program from scratch
So, what exactly does his job entail? “In our team, we develop, build and optimize all the technical features in our loyalty program. In my role as Senior Loyalty Product Analyst, I’m responsible for the digital transformation and entire revamp of our loyalty program. It has been, to say the least, the most amazing experience. We redesigned the program from scratch (making it omnichannel), developed tons of new features for our website and the mobile app, and integrated all our loyalty
offerings in one place. I was tasked with the integration of all systems, but also with aligning all the involved teams and business analysts, and liaising with all the internal business stakeholders.”
It was a phenomenal journey – the highlight being the launch of the new loyalty program last September. “I worked with so many exceptional, smart colleagues from all our different host countries, who shared knowledge and best practices from their own loyalty programs. Such a project only happens once every 10 years, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been part of it. We’ve received great feedback from our customers, who have adopted the program very quickly. The fact that it’s now launched and running doesn’t mean the project is finished, though. On the contrary, it’s ongoing, and we continuously optimize the program by adding new features and improving existing ones. It’s an evolving process, and I love that.”
Guided by our customers
There’s another aspect of his job that Giorgos loves in particular: the fact that it allows him to interact with customers. “Their feedback is our primary guidance. Our objective is to enhance their online and in-store shopping experience through improved and new features, so they can find what they want – quickly and easily. The idea that my work contributes directly to our customers’ ultimate shopping experience and adds value to their daily lives is extremely rewarding. It’s equally important to encourage our shoppers to opt for healthier choices.”
Giorgos calls himself a “very lucky man” – also outside of his job. “What makes me even happier is my family. And especially my four-year-old daughter Katerina. She’s lively and energetic, and always has a comeback for everything I say! Becoming a dad has changed me in a way I haven’t experienced before. It is the best and biggest project of my life, period. I’ve learned the meaning of true, unconditional love, and my own interests have taken a back seat. Raising and guiding a child through life is both liberating and very challenging at the same time.”
From IT to art
Does having a demanding job and a spirited four-year-old leave time for hobbies? “Not a lot,” smiles Giorgos. But if the opportunity occasionally presents itself, he gets out his iPad to do some digital painting. “It’s a hobby I picked up after university, when I realized I wanted to develop some sort of artistic skill. It’s a trait I inherited from my parents, who are both very creative. My mom designs dresses and my dad is a retired chef. Even though I’ve always been very IT-focused, I do have a lot of their creative energy. Digital painting or creating digital art is a way to express that side of me. This way, I have the best of both worlds.”
UPDATE: Giorgos took an opportunity of growth within the company. He is now working as Checkout & Payments Principal Product Owner at Alfa Beta.
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Name: Giorgos Mantzoukas (1988)
Started working at AB Vassilopoulos: August 2013 Studied: BA Business Administration and Economics (Technological Educational Institution of Western Greece, 2010) Living with: My wife Zoe, and our daughter Katerina (4)
Hobbies: Digital painting, reading fantasy books and spending time with my daughter
Wake me up in the middle of the night for: My daughter can wake me up for anything
Favorite holiday destination: My parents’ holiday home in central Greece: it’s the most beautiful place in the mountains. We love going there in winter
Life-changing event: Becoming a dad
Biggest source of inspiration: My family Best advice I’ve ever received: To strive to do the best I can and always believe in myself. I can be a little insecure and introverted on occasion, but as long as I stay true to myself, everything will be okay
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