Kati on Galway’s Vibrant Tech Scene
March 23, 2022
Love to watch a company grow and develop? Step forward Kati, who is an integral part of the team in OnePageCRM. Originally from Romania, Kati first moved to Galway to complete a Master’s degree. But she’s stayed ever since and loves the experience of working in a growing tech business. She says: “I really liked Galway when I first came over and I love working for small companies. I find that every day is different as you get to work across lots of different projects.”
An Innovative Company
Founded in 2009, the company now has offices in Galway, New York, and Poland. With a focus on providing an innovative new CRM platform, Kati is part of the Operations and Project Management team. “I work with developers, project managing a team here and I love it. I joined the company almost three years ago and it’s grown a lot since then, which is exciting,” she says. “There were about 4 or 5 people here when I started and nowadays, we have a team of 17 people in Galway.”
Working with New Technology
With customers across the globe, OnePageCRM is focused on providing a CRM platform and system to small and medium businesses. Kati explains: “We’re constantly developing and enhancing our platform and product. We’re trying to create an ecosystem to fulfil our customers’ needs. The CRM is aimed at SME companies and allows companies to organise their time and centralise everything in one place. It creates a lot of efficiencies for customers and we work to build on these all the time.”
Working closely with a team of developers, Kati relishes the chance to tackle a diverse range of challenges. She says: “I really like working in a small team as you get to learn something new all the time. I’m into designing systems and processes and I love organising workflows and teams as well, so it really suits me. I also look after billing and deal with customers and customer support queries every day, so my day is very diverse.”
Galway’s Tech Scene
With a host of different tech companies based in Galway, the city is a hub of activity. Based in the West of Ireland city since initially moving over, Kati feels settled there. She says: “I’ve no plans at the moment to go back, I’m pretty settled here in Galway. I work 9-5 hours so it’s very relaxed and it allows me to still have a life. It’s a pretty good balance. And I really love the people here. Everyone is very friendly and the lifestyle is a bit more relaxed than in a big city.”
“It’s less like a rat-race. Galway has a very different vibe to that. It’s quite a small place and every night you have something going on that’s easy to get to. I’m really into films so I love the film festival every year and I tend to go some of the plays in the arts festival when it’s on during the summer as well.” Along with the thriving arts scene, the city plays host to regular tech and start-up meetups. Kati explains: “New start-ups meet regularly and share out advice. I go along to these events as you get to meet people with really different innovative ideas and feel that sense of community.”
“My company is very involved in trying out new technologies and new ways of doing things. Our team regularly meet up with other tech companies to share out learnings. There’s always a better way to solve a problem, so we’re always looking for new solutions.”
Advice for Moving to Galway
For anyone considering a move to Ireland and more specifically Galway, Kati has some practical advice to offer. “It’s a really nice country with a good atmosphere,” she says. “It’s a good place to work and socialise. When I first came over, I just knew one other person. I’d definitely advise people to research the place a bit before they come and have something arranged for temporary accommodation.” With colleagues from around the world, Kati says: “The office environment is lovely. Every time people go on holidays we bring chocolates back, and we all share traditions from each other’s country around key events like Easter.”
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