The Flash Interview of the Month is a very short talk with one of our members, where the interviewed is able to talk about his/her experience in an informal way and where all stories are told in the 1st person. 

This month, get to know Elyse Heemskerk, Nearshore Lead Manager in our member company Kwan!

1.  What are the things that make you happy about being the Nearshore Lead Manager in KWAN?

I get to work with the most amazing team, meet incredible people every day whether they are developers or clients, be apart of helping my clients get their dream team and make sure their project is moving forward very smoothly, just to name a few. Plus, I'm in sunny Lisbon and everyday we have Pastéis de Nata or cake in the office. What's not there to be happy about? 

2.  What do you think are the most challenging aspects of your work in Portugal compared to the Netherlands?

Having worked both in The Netherlands and in Portugal I think that even with some cultural differences, in the end we all just want the same: we want to do our work well and find the best solutions. I'm a hybrid of both cultures and I can vouch that both work well and create a synergy that make the day to day very balanced - the latin "let's find a solution" side and the organized dutch side. 

3.  Why did your company join the Chamber? Did it meet your expectations?

We joined the Chamber because we want to be able to welcome new companies first hand into the Portuguese market and make sure that they are well taken care of. When breaking into a new market, it's extremely important to have someone that understands your culture aswell as the new markets and we have that knowledge so we try to make this step as smooth as possible. 

4.  What's the most exciting thing on the horizon for 2019 ?

Oh my, it's hard to name just a few. Well, we can start by mentioning that we launched a new website - go and have a look www.techtalentdoneright.com, it's amazing! Apart from that we will continue to grow and new partners and talent will join our KWAN network which also means we will have a new office. Another focus of ours for 2019 will be our international focus. More exciting things are coming!