Aliona Maskova

Can you tell us about your journey into project management?

I grew up in Belarus and wanted to be a ballet dancer. I’d train for five hours every day and my dream was that I’d be a prima ballerina in London or New York. Unfortunately, it’s tough on your body and I had to stop, so I started to look for something else.

I decided to move to Prague, so I took language lessons, went to university to study Information Technology, then started to work as a Programmer. Then I spent time working as a Designer, a Beta Tester, and finally a Project Manager. My background has been so helpful as I know exactly what programmers do, and know what is and isn’t possible.

What is it about project management that you enjoy?

My friends all said I should get into it as I’m good at managing things in my personal life. I find it exciting and I like this job because it’s part of who I am.

Can you describe a ‘normal’ day in your working life?

Solving issues all day long. Supporting the team and the client by answering any questions.

Sometimes I feel like a magician as you need to handle many things at once!

Can you describe a recent project you’ve enjoyed?

I am working on an interesting project at the moment, where I am learning back-end computing and sometimes I have a chance to test. The people across the project – both the Deltatre team and the clients – are great. It involves building many multi-language apps and it’s amazing to see how many real users are on our platforms. It brings me joy to know that my work is part of something so big.

What is it about the company that made you want to join?

I’d worked for many different companies before, but when I saw the client portfolio, I thought ‘wow’. It was the fact that the work was very technical but also involved tangible projects where people outside the company would understand what the work actually involves.

What’s your favorite part of working at the company?

The people, they’re all awesome. It’s amazing how our management tends to collect such a brilliant group of people – they’re all really talented and goal-driven. They feel like my family.

There are so many people from different countries and with different backgrounds, so you always learn from others. It makes working here unique. Finally, it's the technology we use as we’re on the cutting edge and are doing things that no one else is doing.

Is there any opportunity for training?

Yes, I’ve been involved for a while as I’m the most senior Project Manager in Prague. I’ve been sharing knowledge in scrums with all the Junior Project Managers.

What’s the social side of life like at the company?

There are lots of groups for people with different interests, like golf for example. It’s really social and for me it’s useful as there are lots of Russian-speaking people so it’s my chance to speak Russian.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I travel at least four or five times a year, and I also really enjoy hiking in the mountains. Other than that, my hobby is golf. In general I’m a big sports fan.

What have been your biggest learnings since joining the company?

I’ve learned a lot. I think the biggest learning is around handling different people. Everyone is different and you need to learn what is most important to them.

Also, I’ve learned so much about technology. I’m a Project Manager but am also involved in front-end development, so I stay up to date with what’s possible and where we are with new technology. Everyday I learn something new.

What sets Deltatre apart?

The company is open and you have the opportunity to be on top of the latest technology. We’re also such a diverse company and there are so many opportunities. People sometimes have the chance to switch projects or roles too.