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From the inside

Meet the team: Elena, Senior Manager, Account Strategy

Posted by Elena Gulotta |

With a team of 13, Elena’s team partners with Criteo’s small-to-medium size businesses to manage and grow their campaigns with Criteo. Elena is also one of the leaders of our Women@Criteo employee community group and is involved with the Criteo Cares program. She is currently wrapping up a ‘Voyager’ working for six months on Diversity & Inclusion for Criteo's US offices. Elena has lived in Boston for the last 12 years but is originally from New York City. Her favorite past times are eating a big bowl of pasta while binging a new Netflix series with her husband and yellow lab Freida.

Hi Elena, nice to meet you! To kick us off, how did you start your day? 

Well, first with a STRONG cup of coffee. I recently got married but my Nespresso machine will always have prime real estate in my heart.

My Wednesday started with a Leadership meeting with my team in Boston and our peers in Brazil and Barcelona. Eight people on a Zoom call, all located in different countries and time zones and everyone coming from different backgrounds and nationalities. We shared updates, collaborated, laughed…and maybe vented to each other a little if I’m honest. As is often the case with this meeting, it was a fantastic way to start another busy, productive, diverse and impactful day as a Senior Manager of Account Strategy.

Sometimes I forget about the global reach at Criteo. Working in Boston, it can be easy to get caught up in our "bubble" but then meetings like this happen and I'm reminded of how lucky I am to work for a global company. But it's not just that Criteo is a “global company”, because a lot of organizations can say that. But a global company that not only encourages but gives our people time and space to foster cross-regional professional and personal relationships. And since our business is spread across the Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), and Asia Pacific— we’re lucky to have so many diverse and valuable contributions!

How did you get there / What brought you to where you are today?

Well let's start at the beginning. I started my career at Criteo as an Account Strategist in 2015. I was referred by my good friend and was eager to get back to Account Management (I had a Sales background) and work for an established, successful company. Ten months into my Criteo career, I was asked to be the first Account Strategist to work on our newly formed Small/Medium Existing Business team. Ten months in and already a new opportunity? I said yes! Usually, but not always, yes is the right answer when you find yourself in similar situations.

Ten months into my Criteo career, I was working with Project Managers and Marketing Associates in London. I was sharing updates with my bosses' boss regularly. It was a lot of late nights and long weekends, but it was more than worth it. Three months later months and we had already hired two more Account Strategists for the new team. In six months and I was promoted to Team Lead, officially managing three Account Strategists. And in another six months and our team concept was launched within France. Next thing I know I’m partnering with my peers in Barcelona (where our EMEA Small/Medium Business team is based - read more about them here!). Weekly meetings, daily Slacks - we began to really get to know each other as we worked together to achieve a common goal - build our teams, coach our people and deliver excellent performance and service to our customers.

Wow! Can you tell us about one of your favorite moments?

There’s too many to count! EMEA was unstoppable - quickly launching the same model in 1,4,5, now 8 of their markets. And all the while I was lucky enough to be along for the ride! One of the highlights was visiting the Barcelona office in 2018 and spending a whole week with their team. From workshops, brainstorming sessions and shadowing peers to espressos on the beach and lots and lots of tapas—it’s one of my favorite professional trips to date.

Launching our Brazil team came next. Never having visited South America before, it was a completely new experience for me. But what I never expected and was so grateful for was the overwhelming warmth of our Brazilian team. I was welcomed with open arms, formed instant connections and spent three days there that left a lasting impression on me…and maybe an endless craving for Pao de Que.

What do you value most about Criteo?

The various trips, meetings, summits, awards—I could go on and on about why Criteo is such a great place to work—but I think the edge that Criteo has, that many companies don't have (or at least from my experience) is how much our leadership team encourages and fosters cross-cultural collaboration. I could have easily been introduced to these Criteo employees overseas and come in out and out of meetings with no regard to caring about them as individuals. But that's not the Criteo way. Not only do we want each other to be successful professionally, we care about each other individually. Whether it’s my immediate Account Strategy team or working on various projects with our Product team, Global Product Solutions team, Special Project Office—you name it, I've had the distinct privilege to get to know some of the smartest, most interesting peers. People with life experiences that are the complete opposite to mine. Criteo has given me so many experiences that I'm grateful for but expanding my perspectives to friends across the globe is at the top of the list.

Anything else you’d like to cover?

I’m extremely proud of the work our Criteo Cares program does at Criteo. Criteo Cares is our Corporate Social Responsibility employee-led program. Its mission is to leverage our company’s unique assets to support the three pillars of the program: Environment, Diversity & Inclusion, Tech For Good & Education. As an umbrella program, Criteo Cares supports employee initiatives, empowering Criteos to come together and build an open culture that they feel proud of. Criteo Cares aims to develop empowerment and leadership.

As one of the Community Leaders of our Women@Criteo employee group I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with women from all over the globe – from Los Angeles & Singapore to Amsterdam and Paris, it’s been such a privilege to work with such incredible women who all hope to build an inclusive group that aims to transform and promote gender equality at Criteo. Our mission is to be a catalyst for the advancement of women in the workplace. This has been an incredible community to be a part of and I’m so excited to see what we continue to build together!

Elena Gulotta

Director of Account Strategy

The Future is Yours.

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