Meet Samuel he is working as Associate ITM Project Manager. Samuel came to Kraków in 2020 from Costa Rica. He is very energetic, charismatic and always ready to help!

 

We asked Samuel to answer a few questions. Read the interview to get to know him better!

 

What are the 3 words you would use to describe Amway GBS Kraków?

• Talent, Adventurous, Global

 

How would you explain your day job to a child?

• I help people to organize ideas and time to create new products that will help their health and makes them feel better.

 

What do you like the most about your job?

• Learn all the background and specifications of a new product that goes from an idea up to your own hands as a finish good. It becomes like your “baby” after a year of research and development and changes your perspective of everything you would never pay attention before when you go to the supermarket or buy a product (packaging, claims, safety, formula, etc).

 

What drew you to Amway originally? And how has our company changed since?

• The opportunity to grow and apply my knowledge in Finance took me to Amway, which later took me to different global departments resulting on cooperating and supporting our regional new product development team in Europe as part of brand marketing.

 

How long have you been living in Poland? What do you like about working/living here?

• This is probably the most asked question when I meet someone in Poland, probably because people do not usually understand how you can move from sunny and warm Costa Rica (which is not fully true, we also have a lot of rain) to Poland. The truth is that I was relocated to Krakow in February 2020, right before Covid started and it has been an amazing roller coaster experience. You will always miss certain things and it is true, weather might not be perfect (…nobody can control it anyways), but I love the safety, public transport infrastructure, life quality and the fact that you can have Aperol and pasta in Italy by just 2 hours away with Ryanair or road trips to Budapest, Vienna or Croatia during summer.

 

What advice would you give to Amway candidates / recent new hires who are relocating to Krakow?

• Changes are always scary and require some sacrifice, but they always come with a reward. Never compare or expect everything to be as it was in your previous country/role/team but be open enough to embrace the change (sounds cliché, I know!) but is true. Make sure you build up strong support pillars like true friends, family, or a therapist because not everything will be pink, perfect, and amazing. So, don’t be ashamed and look for help on how others have cope with situations, you are not and will not be the only person struggling. Try different hobbies and check what works for you. Also, establish a new routine by setting small and reachable goals but do not feel bad if things do not work out the way you expected.

 

What is the best book you have ever read?

• “First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers” by Loung Ung. Is an amazing biography book that tells the real story of a family that had everything and gets torn apart by politics, adversity and war in Cambodia.  Having to hide their identities and fight to survive.

 

You’re the happiest when…?

• I take a plane and have a wine.