Meet the Team: Audrius Galinskis

Meet Audrius Galinskis, our Chief Data & Analytics Officer. Born and raised in Lithuania, Audrius joined Team TransferGo to create and manage our analytical teams and to shift the TransferGo culture into one that’s more data-driven.

Here, Audrius Galinskis discusses his love for numbers, the importance of data, what he’s learned during lockdown and the many interesting things that keep him busy when he’s not doing his day job.

“When I first entered into analytics, it was completely new. A lot of people didn’t believe in it, but we built it and it worked…

I moved to Vilnius for university when I was 18. I was really interested in numbers at the time and so I decided to study a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. After that, I did a Masters. 

While studying, I worked at a Lithuanian telecommunications company owned by the government. They were looking for some bright students to do some nice and fancy stuff related to predictive modelling. That was 15 years ago. At the time, nobody was really studying this type of stuff. It was totally new. The only way to get knowledge on the subject was through articles published in the previous year or so. I was invited to do it, and it was a brand new experience for both the company and myself. A lot of people didn’t believe in it, but I went, we built it and it worked. That’s how my analytical career started.

After that, I worked at another telecommunications company and then a bank. I then started working for Western Union. Everything I did in these roles related to analytics, data and numbers. I haven’t veered too far from this field. I’m still working in it today.”

“I love my job. For me, data and analytics are just like art. In order to be successful in this field, you need to be creative…

I really enjoy my work. A lot of people who aren’t familiar with this area of work think that numbers and data are dry and lack creativity. Some people really aren’t interested in it. But for me, it’s the contrary. It provides space for creation. 

If you want to be successful in analytics, you need to be creative. You should be able to spot the dangers that aren’t visible to anyone else. This is when you get the chance to create things that have never been done before. Or that nobody has thought about. It’s a type of art for me. I see this area as a really creative one. When I’m asked why I chose this data and analytics, I say it’s because for me, it relates to art and creativity. It’s not just dry numbers.”

“My team is creating tools that give great analytical data support. It’s bringing huge value to the company…

I really like TransferGo as a company. Everything about it—the organisation, the structure and the people—excites me. I joined the company to create a team of analysts with the goal of shifting the company culture into becoming more data-driven when it comes to making decisions. That’s why I’m here. And we’re achieving this by doing many things.

Our analytical data support and projects create tools that will later be used by businesses. So, in that way, we’re helping and supporting many businesses in the industry. We’re creating predictive models—not just to tick boxes, but to bring real value to the company.”

“Lockdowns have taught me that it’s possible to be successful while working from home. It was a completely new thing for me…

The Covid-19 lockdowns have taught me many things. I’ve learned that it’s possible to work and manage a team from home effectively. Now we’re seeing that TransferGo and many other companies are shifting towards the working from home model. But at first, this was a completely new thing for me.

Looking at the company’s perspective, TransferGo has seen a boost in business performance during this time. And it’s all been done while people have been working remotely. This proves that even larger organisations can adapt while remaining successful. Business didn’t just stop. We didn’t just wait for the bad situation to pass. We innovated, we changed and we introduced something new. Everything kept going.”

“I’m proud that TransferGo understands the importance of data. Many companies don’t employ people to do what I do…

I’m really proud that TransferGo has introduced a role like mine into the company. Many companies of all different sizes don’t have positions like mine. It’s one of the first companies in Lithuania to introduce such a role, anyway. 

This proves that companies—and in particular, TransferGo—understand the importance of data and how much value it can bring to the company. I’m very proud of this.”

“Outside of work, I run my own men’s grooming business and food blog. I also love astrophotography, cooking and chemistry…

As well as working for TransferGo, I run my own business called Hipster.lt. It’s a shop designed for hipsters but it’s for everyone really. I’m just a consultant but my wife spends all of her time working on it. We sell all kinds of grooming products for men to help them maintain their hair, beards, moustaches etc. It’s been 5 years now and the shop runs entirely online.

In my spare time, I like to take photographs of galaxies, nebulas and all kinds of things that you can’t see in the sky at night without a telescope. I also like to go to shooting ranges to shoot targets. Oh, and I have a food blog too. It’s called www.kasuvalgyti.lt. Unfortunately, I don’t get to write much for it at the moment, but for a while, I was the only guy with a food blog like it. I was invited to many events, where companies would present their new foods and drinks. I’m really passionate about food. I love to cook.

I was also pretty good at Chemistry when I was younger. In my last grade at school, I came in the Top Three at Lithuania’s Chemistry Olympics. Even though Mathematics was my thing, Chemistry was also a major interest. Even today, I still love it.”

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