Meet the team: Aleksandar Kesov

In this edition of “Meet the team”, we will introduce you to a colleague we are still getting to know. Aleks has been a part of the company for about 5 months now as a supervisor of GiftCard’s sales consultants. And while we’re still learning new things about him every day, 5 minutes is all it took to see that he has all the qualities to fit perfectly into iCard’s big family. Keep reading to learn more about Aleks, whose story is proof that miracles do come true!

Do you have a hidden talent?

Years ago, I used to spend all my spare time in a karaoke bar. The reason, of course, was a girl. I was dating the singer who worked there. One time, I decided to overcome my fear and sing, and it turned out that my voice was suitable for specific types of songs. The acting classes I took for years taught me to disguise my voice well. So, while I can’t actually sing, I imitate the real singer’s sound and behavior. I was doing Doni’s song “Umoreni krila” and “Spusnati zavesi” by 100 Kila, almost indistinguishably from the originals. I haven’t practiced in a long time, but hopefully, I haven’t lost my talent. Still, I‘m not sure how good I am, because my wife Jeni, a professional folklore singer, claims I can’t sing. Unlike that other girl from the karaoke bar who encouraged me back then. 😀

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Ever since I was little, I have had a plan and tried to follow it. Initially, I wanted to be a dentist and get accepted at the Natural sciences and mathematics high school. I studied a lot, and in 6th grade, I participated in a Chemistry Olympics so that they could accept me without an exam. I reached the third round but came short by just 3 points. I was young and temperamental, so I got mad and decided to go in another direction. The new goal was to become an architect or an engineer. They accepted me into the Professional School of Building Architecture and Geodesy. Then, I studied architecture at the Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar.” Still, I felt that this was not a profession I would enjoy working in, so I dropped out. The lack of a Bachelor’s degree never hindered me from occupying high positions such as Sales director of a high-end cosmetics company, flight manager at Varna airport and manager of one of the big telecommunication companies.

How do sports fit into your life?

I have a tremendous competitive drive. I like winning, and I give it my all to succeed. I trained a lot when I was young and had a very intensive schedule. Besides the acting classes, I was in the school’s basketball, volleyball, handball, and football teams. My coaches were joking that I was a “Natural athlete”, meaning I had a talent for all sports. Once, I had three matches at three different locations – at 1 PM, I had a handball match, at 3 PM basketball, and at 6 PM, a football match. I don’t think I have ever been more physically and psychologically exhausted than I was that day. The good part was that we managed to win all three matches, and I was extremely pleased with myself.

Apart from all the sports I did in school, I also trained at some of the sports academies in town. I wanted to become a football player and when I was 17 years old, I managed to sign with a team from Cyprus. Unfortunately, my dream was quickly crushed. During the pre-season, I jumped for a high ball, and as I was landing, a player from the opposing team landed on my knee. I blacked out, and I was in a lot of pain. Initially, the diagnosis was a severe dislocation of the kneecap, which can only be made right with an operation. I had to come back to Bulgaria, where doctors confirmed the diagnosis. They told me the chance to play football again was about 20%, so I decided to retire.

Were the injury and the operation the most difficult moments in your life?

Yes, I was initially very upset, but now I accept everything that happened calmly. I realize that I had no way of knowing if my football career would be successful, and after it was over, at 30, I would have to find a new professional direction. I did not completely give up on football, but I had to rest more between matches and needed longer to recover. I even became a top scorer at an amateur football tournament.

I did not go through with the operation immediately; I only did it after 4 years because my knee kept giving out – and I kept having to squat while I was walking. It was a shame, especially when I was out with a girl, and I would crumble on the ground. At this point, people were looking at me in a weird way, wondering what was wrong.😀 After the operation, it turned out that I did not have a displaced kneecap but a torn meniscus. The doctors didn’t analyze the MRI correctly both times. I could have had the operation back in Cyprus, and I could have recovered much sooner.

Before the operation, I weighed 79 kg, but I had to wear a brace for 3 months, and I couldn’t bend my leg. Moving was tough, even with crutches, so I stayed home and eventually became 126 kg. After realizing I had almost no clothes that fit me, I knew I couldn’t go on like that and started training. I was going to the ceiling, putting my brace on so I wouldn’t put pressure on the knee, and I was rope jumping. Initially, I could only train for 2 minutes. Still, in about 5 months, I managed to increase it to about an hour and a half without stopping. That’s how I lost more than 40 kg.

What is the miracle in your life?

It’s my family. Ever since I was little, I dreamed of creating family relations like the ones my parents have. In my opinion, your better half must be, above all, a good friend and then a family partner, and I am glad I found that. Once I reversed my weight from before the operation, I regained my confidence, and a girlfriend of mine invited me to reconnect. At our meeting, she brought my future wife, Jeni. It turned out that Jeni had lived almost her entire life about 50 meters from my parent’s house. Jeni made a strong impression on me, and after that meeting, I told my friend that I would one day marry her. After some time passed, I mustered the courage to invite her on a date, and we spent 12 hours talking in the car. Then, I told her in person that we’d create a family one day, and so it happened. In the first month, we moved in together; the following year, I proposed; the year after, we got engaged; in the third year, we got married; in the fourth year, our first child was born; and in the sixth – our second child came to this world. We joke that in the ”gap year”, we celebrated our older son’s first birthday.

Our children Nikolay and Aleksandar are our miracle. On our first date, Jeni shared that she has reproductive challenges confirmed by different doctors. I was by her side all the time, calming her down and telling her that nothing is impossible. If you want your dream to come true, you must be calm and believe in it strongly. I convinced her to quit the job, which weighed on her, and the miracle happened in the third month. On Epiphany, she told me she was pregnant, and I cried for a long time, but it was happy tears. Our two sons are very close, inseparable even. I am proud that Jeni teaches them respect for their seniors, how to share, and how to be good people. I thank her for being such a fighter, for being independent and for always being able to count on her.

What are your strong suits?

Sometimes, I joke with my friends that my strong suits are also my curse. I am responsible and very dedicated to the company I work for.

For years, I worked as an operations manager at Varna airport. I was making the flight plan, calculating how much fuel the planes might need, when the passengers needed to arrive and how to load the luggage, how long the aircraft would have to stay grounded, etc. This cost me a lot of sleepless days and nights and a long time away from my family. All these responsibilities taught me to work in a dynamic environment, manage a big team, and take important decisions calmly.

I unite the teams around me, and I try to make it so that we’re more than just colleagues. This skill brings other responsibilities with it – I need to be careful how I convey information, share my opinion, and what type of example I give. This is not always to my benefit. During COVID-19, the work at the airport considerably decreased, so I had to quit. I started a secure job as a store manager for a telecom company. Still, when a former colleague from the airport called me and asked me to accept seasonal work, I couldn’t refuse. I examined the flight plan and determined when they would need me. I made my schedule so I had only a few hours to rest.

I can sell the products I work with successfully. To be a good salesman, you need to know not only all the positive and negative characteristics of whatever you’re selling but also of your competitor’s products. You need to have a good presence to inspire confidence, and that’s why, in most cases, you’re selling yourself while the clients are buying the product.

How do you apply them at iCard?

My role at iCard is “Supervisor GiftCard,” but I’m sensing that my primary responsibility is to keep up the high spirits and increase the engagement of the consultants who work at the sales centers. From the first day I met my colleagues online, I knew that my main role would be to bring them closer and raise their team spirits. At my previous jobs, I proved that I am good at that, and I believe that for the few months that I’ve worked at the company, I’ve achieved considerable results. I am pleased about my colleagues’ positive feedback and the trust I built with them in just 5 months. They tell me, “We’ve never had such a good and dedicated supervisor before.” I eagerly await our meeting at iCard’s central office, where the sales consultants will meet with their colleagues from Varna and see up-close the card production process and the preparations for the upcoming Christmas campaign, and then we’ll have fun together.

I managed to get to know them well during the time I was traveling for work to GiftCard’s sales locations. I got to work at their stations and saw the challenges they face and what they need to do their jobs even better and make the customers happy. The busiest time of the year for GiftCard is approaching, but I believe I’ll manage because I’ve always worked under pressure.

What do you appreciate most about the company?

At iCard, I appreciate the work-life balance that was missing before. I was used to the intensive, workaholic lifestyle but didn’t spend enough time with my family. In fact, it amused me, when the head of HR, Bozhidar, visibly worried, asked me if I would be willing to travel for work for a few days. I smiled and said, “Of course?! I have two small kids, and every work trip feels like an invitation for a vacation.” 😀