From Barcelona to Sydney: Discover Giuseppe's incredible journey

Work-life balance, international collaboration, career growth... From multicultural Barcelona to sunny Sydney, Giuseppe Arena, Head of Sales ANZ, takes us through his seven-year journey at Criteo.

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I come from Sicily in Italia and moved right after high school to join the university in Dublin, Ireland. After completing my master's degree, I started working in Dublin for a few well-known companies, such as Oracle and Google. In 2015, I left Dublin and joined Criteo in Barcelona as an Account Executive for the Italian market. Then, four years ago, I had the opportunity to move again and join Criteo Australia.

So, we could say you have been around while staying in the same company, right?

Yes, we can say that!

And how is life at Criteo Australia?

It's going very well! I love that Criteo is such a multiethnic company. We have a diverse company culture, and you feel it at Criteo Australia. We collaborate on a daily basis with other countries and cultures in APAC, so it's very enriching for me. I'm learning about life in Australia and in other countries at the same time.

Is this ethnic and cultural diversity something you particularly like at Criteo?

Yes, there is something fascinating when working on global projects with teams from all over the world. You learn so much professionally and personally when meeting people from elsewhere; It's great!

And do you work from home or at the office?

I love working from home. Since Criteo released its new flexible work approach where employees can choose where they work best, I have been mixing working from home and from the office. It is great to have the option! Like when you have new hires, everything goes more smoothly when you are on-site to accompany them.

In a hybrid environment, maintaining a sense of belonging can be challenging. Don't you think?

We regularly get together, yes. As managers, we organize brainstorming sessions and team-building activities to keep the sense of community alive. We try to give the opportunity to everyone to share feedback, so that ideas come from the bottom up.

Which aspects are the most important to you to feel comfortable in your daily job?

Here at Criteo, I feel a lot of flexibility and well-treated as an employee; These are two essential things for me. Criteo didn't use to be this flexible, but after collecting employees’ feedback following the pandemic, we have moved to a flexible approach to work. This has changed many things for me, and I enjoy this freedom so much! Having a more flexible work schedule gives me more time to do the things I love outside of work, like going for a run on the beach.

Would you recommend Criteo to your friends?

Definitely! To be honest, I feel privileged to enjoy such a nice work-life balance. I have grown a lot in my job, working across three different countries - Spain, Italy, and Australia - and in my life. Criteo offers career growth opportunities for many people, and I feel part of something unique that I'm trying to enjoy as much as possible!