To celebrate International Women’s Day 2020, we are showcasing some of K2’s successful female managers. These women not only contribute to K2’s continued growth but also help create a positive and dynamic culture.

In this blog in the series we meet Giusy Chianese, Senior Sales Associate for K2 University:

1. What is your professional background?

I have a degree in Foreign Languages and International Relationships, with a focus on China. When I was based in Shanghai, I worked in recruitment, sales and team management in a global company for four years. After that, I joined K2 and I’ve been here for almost 5 years. I’ve been involved in various projects, ranging from K2 Konnect’s launch to K2 University’s sales and development.

2. What challenges have you encountered during your career and how did you tackle/overcome them?

I’d say I’ve encountered three challenges throughout my career, all of which I’ve overcome, which has added greatly to my professional development:

Cultural differences – these are common for people working in international roles and are great fun to learn about. Learning about these differences and applying them to your daily work can sometimes be challenging, but it offers a great opportunity to become more flexible and open-minded.

Working under pressure – being a part of a target-oriented company can naturally at times be pressurising, however, I have found the best way to deal with this is to make an effort to be more organized and to be persistent. This has certainly helped me to grow my network.

Working with demanding clients – it can be a big challenge but it helped me improve my sense of empathy, allowing me to appreciate the importance of taking the time to understand the individual needs.

3. What achievement are you most proud of in your career?

So far, my top three achievements throughout my career at K2 are:

• Being part of a successful team
• Being K2 University’s global top booker for three years in a row
• Seeing my mentees grow and become successful

4. What traits have served you best in your career?

I think my curiosity, ability to adapt, irony, problem-solving skills and competitiveness have all contributed to my achievements at K2.

5. What are the three main traits that make a manager successful in your opinion?

I think the traits that every successful manager needs:

• Empathy and emotional intelligence – people skills are key for good relationships with both your clients and your team.
• To be hands-on in the job – you can’t teach a job if you’ve never done it yourself!
• To be down to earth – make sure you never get complacent

6. What do you do to ensure a good work/life balance? How do you unwind?

I love to travel and cooking is one of my favourite things to do. I think good health is key to relaxation so I cook my meals every day. I also make sure I sleep for at least 8 hours per day and hit the gym two to three times per week.

7. What is the best piece of career advice you have been given?

Don’t get too emotionally involved in your job – it won’t be any good for you or the people around you.

9. What’s a fun fact about you?

Oh, I have so many! The one that comes to mind straight away is that my surname is Chianese and I speak Chinese!

To find out more about what it’s like working for K2 and our latest opportunities, visit our website or get in touch with us at careers@k2partnering.com.