Vera Batyalova | Business Development Director BLUE YONDER

Blue Yonder is hiring! As a result of recent years of successes, Blue Yonder is hiring in most departments: business development, marketing, sales, pre-sales and more. Allow us to introduce you to Vera Batyalova, Business Development Director, Blue Yonder.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your professional background and role at Blue Yonder 

I am Vera and I have been working for Blue Yonder for almost five years. I joined the company as a Customer Executive focusing on retail accounts in the Nordics and in the past year, also the Netherlands. Earlier this year I got the opportunity to lead the Business Development team in EMEA, so that is what I am currently during, as well as leading the Sales Trainee team in Barcelona. In total we are 23 people from more than 10 different countries across Europe, so it is a very diverse team, which is a lot of fun. I also started my sales and tech career as a Sales Trainee, so leading this team is very close to my heart. 

2. What do you enjoy most about working at Blue Yonder? 

As I mentioned, I have been with the company for almost five years, and there are two main reasons for that, maybe three. The first, and most important one, is the people. I am surrounded by great, but also very competent colleagues who empower and inspire me, which also brings a lot of fun into the daily work. So, that is an important aspect and the second and third kind of flow together, but it’s about change and opportunities. Blue Yonder is a company that is constantly changing, also because of the industry that we operate in, and that brings a lot of opportunities which I think is important. I enjoy working for a company that provides development opportunities, and looking at my journey over the five years, I have been given new responsibilities and the opportunity to develop every year, which has been great. 

3. What do you like most about your job at Blue Yonder? 

In my current role, what I like the most, is the interaction with people, because as I mentioned, I am leading a large team with people from different nationalities, and I also have a lot of interactions with different stakeholders within the organization outside my team as well. I like interacting with people, I like working with people and I like empowering people and helping others develop and grow, and that’s something I think is also very important in a leadership position. 

4. How would you describe the culture at Blue Yonder? 

I think the culture at Blue Yonder is very inclusive and empowering. I have always felt that people were believing in me and empowering me to take on more responsibilities and more important tasks, even when I joined the company in a junior position.

5. Which of Blue Yonder’s values resonate with you the most and why? 

I think it is important to resonate with all values in my current role. Result is obviously very important in order to achieve the goals of the entire team. Teamwork is essential because I work with people, both within my team and with other stakeholders across the company, and to achieve the goals we need to do it together. Relentless and empathy are also important very important in order to drive a team and achieve success. 

6. What led you into working in the supply chain industry? 

I have a background from the retail industry. I have always been working either for a retailer or with retailers. So, Blue Yonder was for me a combination of being able to continue working within that industry, but at the same time working with the foundation of the entire end-to-end operation for a retailer. Also, with our solutions we drive real value for the retailers and that’s what I thought was very exciting within supply chain and also with Blue Yonder. But I think it is founded from my foundational interest and experience from the retail industry from the beginning. 

7. What motivates you in your work? 

Purpose and personal development. I try to make sense of what the purpose is behind the work that I am doing, and the purpose then translates into value. So, value to the customer, value to the organization, value to my team and value to myself, as it also connects to my personal development. I am also trying to apply that to how I lead, so leading with purpose and create and communicate the purpose of what we are doing to my team as well. A purpose can be anything from helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals by helping them optimise their transportation or reduce waste to creating a great team environment where we support each other. So a purpose can be both external and internal. 

8. What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? 

When I am not working, I spend time outside. I love to run and go for a walk. I love the beach, so walking on the beach is something I really enjoy, and luckily, I live in the Netherlands where we have amazing beaches, for those who didn’t know. I also love to travel! 

Please introduce yourself to Vera on LinkedIn here

Please check our open job opportunities here