Category: Blog

As part of LoopMe’s Ukraine Support Month, August’s employee spotlights feature Ukrainian employees, who tell us more about themselves and share their experiences of life in Ukraine since February 2022.

What is your role at LoopMe?
I’m an Assistant Accountant.

How has your experience at LoopMe been throughout your time here overall, and especially with everything going on? The expertise and the opportunities I have access to here are greater than at my previous workplace. A significant advantage is the ability to work remotely during wartime and a fairly flexible schedule in general.

How has the war on Ukraine affected your work life / role / time in the office?
The war was one of the reasons why I changed my job. I needed to find a more stable job with prospects, and the Ukrainian job market could not offer such opportunities with the start of the full-scale invasion. At the same time, I had to rapidly develop as a specialist, acquiring new knowledge in order to become an employee of an international company like LoopMe, which was a huge advantage for me. As for the time spent in the office during the working day, there were times when after an air raid alarm, we would go up to the office a couple of minutes before a meeting was due to start.

How have these almost 1000 days of full-scale invasion changed you?
The war has changed each of us. I can definitely say that I am not the same carefree girl I was 3 years ago. All this is very difficult and has a cumulative effect, meaning that we now look at many things differently. For example, while watching an action movie and seeing how the main characters run away from explosions, I now realise that if this were real life the consequences would be completely different. The names of weapons, missiles and combat vehicles used to be distant, incomprehensible concepts. Now we not only recognise their sounds, but we also know what they look like and what they’re capable of.

How has the war impacted aspects of daily life that people may take for granted?
I’m trying to live my best years in the conditions of “make it before the curfew” and “make it before the power and water are turned off”. I never used to attach much importance to street lighting, or even the presence of electricity. But, when I returned home in the winter in complete darkness with a flashlight in my hands, or when I cooked food on a camping gas burner and slept under two blankets, simple things such as light and warmth became much more valuable. I really miss walking along the deserted streets at night, watching the sunrise, going to the forest with my family, or riding along the river on a motorboat. This isn’t possible any more: you can’t go outside from midnight to 5am; there might be mines in the forests; exiting boats onto open water is prohibited.

Where do you find strength and inspiration in today’s Ukraine?
In other people. I will never cease to be amazed at how strong our nation is. How strong our will is and what incredible things we can achieve even in war conditions. How we can live our lives to the fullest in spite of injuries, how we can reopen a store when the previous one burned down, how we can love people when our entire family died. It is a great gift to have this spirit, to be Ukrainian.

What’s the first thing you’ll do once the war is over?
At 3am I’ll get in the car and go to the Azov Sea to watch the sunrise. Sunrise without war, without suffering, without air raid alarms.

What would you like your fellow Loopers to understand?
I would really like each of us to come home to a place where there is a warm dinner, family, a beloved pet, conversations about how the day went and peace of mind to fall asleep without fear of not waking up. To appreciate it to the maximum. After all, my colleagues from Ukraine have undergone a global reassessment of values. As they say, “the most expensive things in the world are not things at all.” Appreciate each day you live, do not think that you have a draft of life, that everything can be fixed and be grateful for everything you have.

More Ukraine Support Month employee spotlights:

• Kateryna Aleksakha
• Nastia Shchepetkova

Brian O’Hare, a Sales Director based in New York, offers an insight into his professional motivations and family life.

Why did you decide to join LoopMe?
I had worked on the agency side of the business for longer than I’d like to admit. Having worked with LoopMe in the past, I was always impressed with the tech’s ability to drive results and provide a deeper level of insight than other partners I had worked with. Being that presenting the media plan to my clients was my favorite part of the agency life, moving over to LoopMe in a sales role was a natural next step.

What motivates you to come to work?
Aside from the people at LoopMe, being the health and pharma SME, I find a certain romance in utilizing LoopMe’s tech to help reach patients in need and potentially shorten the patient journey to proper treatment. Plus, I have a chance to nerd out on things like MQS and other aspects of the business I wouldn’t normally be exposed to.

Do you have any WFH routines or rituals?
Working from home with two kids under the age of 5 is chaotic, so I embrace it. My daughters have met most of my colleagues and clients via Zoom, which is always a welcomed distraction. Other than that, everyone is also familiar with my summer work space, my back yard. 

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m actually a bit boring. Youngest of three, grew up in Putnam, New York met my wife in NYC and now live in New Jersey. I have two beautiful daughters who keep me young and give me grey hair at the same time. 

What has been your greatest achievement in the last year?
My daughter was having a difficult time learning to swim without swimmies. So I had a nice moment with her explaining what “panic” is, and how to fight the feeling with trust. Amazingly enough, this 4-year-old understood the lesson and proceeded to swim across the pool without floats or any assistance for the first time! Professionally, I’ve taken on some mentees, and watching their growth and success continues to validate my approach to our crazy industry. 

Who would you consider your main role model and why?
Cheesy answer here but, my dad. He ran his own recruiting firm for over 40 years, O’Hare & Associates, and provided a great life for his family. He also taught me that “Character is what you do when no one is watching” which are words I’ve lived by since that driving lesson at 16 years old when I wanted to run a red arrow.

Thinking of becoming a Looper? Head over to our careers page.

London-based Anna Vahromejeva offers an insight into her work, life, motivations and aspirations in the latest of LoopMe’s employee spotlights.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m Anna, a Creative Manager here at LoopMe. Originally from Riga, Latvia, I studied digital design and started my career in the North East of Scotland. After a solid eight years there, I eventually moved to London, where all the buzz is. My Scottish stint left me with a profound appreciation for the weather in the South of England. After all, I spent a quarter of my life in a place where summer was more of a myth than a season. I started in the Marketing Team as a brand designer, and after a few fun years of polishing our brand to a fine sheen, I moved over to the in-house Creative Studio. I wanted new challenges and to work with a wider range of brands. Now, as a manager of our talented team of designers, I oversee the various fantastic campaigns that come our way.

What project or event has been your favourite to work on at LoopMe?
When it comes to projects, I’ve been involved in developing many exciting mobile ad campaigns. However, my most unforgettable project at LoopMe hails from my early days in Marketing. During my first year, I was tasked with designing assets for the AI Conference at the British Museum. Watching my digital concept come to life and transform the entire space was pretty amazing. As the team’s resident photographer, I also captured images of the event, giving me full control over the visual narrative. It was a great experience, and the design for the AI Conference the following year was even better, as by then I knew every corner of the space.

Can you discuss a skill you’ve acquired or developed while working at LoopMe?
I’ve picked up quite a few skills during my time at LoopMe, but multitasking is the one that really stands out. Managing a team of six in the whirlwind of the media world has taught me the fine arts of prioritization, time management, negotiation and delegation. The main rule? Be honest about what can actually be done, and keep the team updated regularly. And don’t underestimate the power of to-do lists. With all the daily distractions and questions that crop up, adding new tasks to lists throughout the day is the only way to stay on top of it.

Do you have any WFH routines or rituals?
Before my time at LoopMe, I worked as a freelance designer and illustrator, and concentration was never an issue for me. Without anyone to distract me, I actually find myself more focused at home than in the office. I’m lucky to have a separate office room, and as soon as I step in, it’s work mode. While many articles suggest wearing office attire at home to get in the right mindset, I take the opposite approach. I wear my comfiest pyjamas to stay as cozy as possible. If I’m not distracted by hunger or cold, nothing can stop my productivity!

Do you have any hobbies?
Like many creatives, drawing is my side gig. I used to sketch a lot, but these days my paper pad sees more action as a coaster than a canvas. Still, there’s always some paper lying around, and I keep my art supplies close at hand. I also love reading, mostly fiction, because it feeds my imagination rather than just providing information. Hiking is another passion of mine. When I lived in Scotland, my partner and I spent every summer weekend exploring the Highlands. We’ve also tackled the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, the Leh Ladakh Bike Trip in India, and climbed Mount Fuji in Japan. Our next goal is the Mont Blanc Circuit.

If you could invite any public figure to dinner, who would you choose and why?
For my dream dinner, I’d love to invite Robert Sapolsky, the American neuroscientist. He’d make the night so interesting. I’ve been glued to his talks and even got one of his books. Hearing him explain how our brains work and why animals do what they do is fascinating. I’ve always liked science, but sometimes it gets too complicated for me. But Sapolsky is great at making even the trickiest things easy to understand. Plus, he seems like a really kind guy, and I admire kindness in people. I’ve got plenty of cool stuff to chat about with him, so it’d be a super fun dinner, for sure!

Interested in working at LoopMe? Take a look at our careers page.

Krakow-based Dmytro Ivanskyi, LoopMe’s AVP Operations for the Intelligent Marketplace, shares his experiences in the latest instalment of LoopMe’s employee spotlights, a series designed to offer an insight into the team’s work, life, motivations and aspirations.

What project has been your favourite to work on at LoopMe?
Obviously LoopMe’s Intelligent Marketplace. Since starting out as a project in 2019, it has grown into one of LoopMe’s primary business lines, significantly impacting our trajectory and success. As part of the Intelligent Marketplace team, I have the opportunity to speak with different people across the globe, both internally and externally. Listening, exchanging ideas and developing them – that’s one of the main benefits of this “project” for me. 

What motivates you to come to work?
People: I’ve been with LoopMe for 8 years and enjoy seeing my colleagues develop professionally and bring value to ideas. Especially my team who are based in Ukraine and are working hard under the current circumstances.
Challenges: The Intelligent Marketplace is very dynamic in all senses of the word. There are always changes in the AdTech world. New technologies – new areas for personal growth. 

Can you discuss a skill you’ve acquired or developed while working at LoopMe?
There are so many soft and hard skills that I’ve acquired, but there are still lots I need to learn. Since joining LoopMe’s AdOps function, I’ve been constantly learning across areas including user acquisition campaigns, brand campaigns, analytics, real-time bidding and programmatic buying, which has brought me to an expert level in my AdTech knowledge. I’m pleased that I can share my experience with my team and LoopMe as a whole. Leading a large team means that I’m always learning and working on my soft skills.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’ve recently started playing squash. I would say it’s an activity rather than a hobby but, in any case, this is one of the reasons why I’m looking forward to Sunday. I was surprised by how dynamic it can be and how exhausted a 5-10 minute game can make you. I highly recommend it if you want to do some cardio and improve your reaction skills.

What has been your greatest achievement in the last year?
Hiking 8km in the mountains with two small children. It’s a real achievement for two reasons – the experience was a first for me and obviously with kids the distance felt twice as long!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
I’ve already moved between countries several times. I’ve previously lived in Ukraine, Israel and right now I’m in Poland. It’s been a different experience in each place for sure. I would like to try to live in Japan as I think they’re rational and logical in many ways over there, which I appreciate.

Interested in joining the LoopMe team? Take a look at our careers page.

The latest edition of LoopMe’s employee spotlights features John Hans, a Sales Director based in New York.

Why did you decide to join LoopMe?
I decided to join LoopMe because I knew I wanted to work at an ad tech company with an interesting product. I also wanted to be a part of a smaller team where I had the opportunity to make an impact and help grow a particular market. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of growing our mid-market presence and watching the organization grow up around me over the past 4 years.

What motivates you to come to work?
Being in sales, money and closing deals is a big motivator for me. I truly love the excitement of closing business and building client relationships. I’m also motivated by career growth and by helping solve challenges for my clients through LoopMe’s products. LoopMe’s been a fantastic place to advance my career, bring reliable products to my clients, and close deals!

Can you discuss a skill you’ve acquired or developed while working at LoopMe?
I’ve been able to hone many skills while at LoopMe. Above all, I’ve learned how to present more confidently and concisely, which allows me to bring complex solutions to my clients in a way that’s easy for them to comprehend and see the value in.

What has been your greatest achievement in the last year?
I had several great moments in 2023. Above all those moments was being named Looper of the Year for 2023. 

If you could invite any public figure to dinner, who would you choose and why?
I would choose Joe Rogan. I’ve learned so much about different subjects through his content and the guests he has on. I like that he’s curious about all sorts of different topics and that he’s always interested in learning new things. I also respect that he’s not afraid to challenge ideas and most importantly, admit when he’s wrong.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
By the time this comes out, I will be newly married to my beautiful fiancée, Chloe. We also have a baby girl on the way. I’m a massive sports fan, dog lover (especially my dog, Sadie), and podcast enthusiast. I’m a big proponent of mental health, which is why I meditate on a daily basis. I love learning new things and spending time with my fiancée and dog.

Want to join the LoopMe team? Take a look at our open vacancies.