My biggest motivation is to test and challenge myself, Doğu Kir of Vodafone says

Moving abroad for work involves a number of responsibilities that require a lot of energy. That's why it's important to be properly prepared, says Doğu Kir, Vice President of Consumer Business Unit at Vodafone Czechia. "Anyone thinking about a career abroad must be truly passionate about their work," he says in the Global Minds podcast, which features senior foreign managers shaping business in Czechia.

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You can also listen to the full interview at THIS link.

Turkish native Doğu Kir began his career in the banking sector. His educational background played a role in this. "I graduated with a degree in business administration from a school with a very good reputation and all the job offers I get was about finance and banking. I started as a management trainee at one of Turkey's top banks. But I soon realized that this industry was a bit monotonous. Day after day, you do the same tasks. So even though I studied banking in my subsequent postgraduate studies, after two years I decided to try something else," he says, describing the beginning of his professional career.

When deciding where to go next, he considered several criteria. He wanted to move into a field that was more dynamic, more customer-oriented, and also had a greater social impact. "When you take these three assumptions into account, telecommunications seems like a good choice. So I went to my first interview, and I've been in the industry for twenty years since then," he comments.

When comparing the two industries, he points out clear differences. "From banking, I took away the impression that the system is essential. You have to set it up well and it will work. When I moved to telecommunications, I found that more important than the system are the people who can cause big changes, whether positive or negative. And when I came to Vodafone, I discovered another level, namely corporate culture. Because culture is what shapes people," says Kir.

Behind the helm of agile transformation

After joining the British mobile operator, Kir says he launched several programs to develop creativity. "It was about creativity in analytical mindset and modeling, and I also started training myself in communication creativity. We live in a world shaped by language, so it is necessary to express oneself clearly. You have to convince people of something, or they will convince you, so now I focus my creative approach on communication and creating connections between people," he explains.

As a primarily business-oriented person, Kir gradually began to expand his focus from numbers to people. This brought with it various "stress tests" that had to be passed. "In 2018, Vodafone decided to undergo a major agile transformation of the way it delivered goods and services. What was specific about this was that it required close cooperation between salespeople and technicians from operations. We decided to create two tribes. Hunters and gatherers, or a team focused on acquisitions, and farmers, who focused on growth. This created two very different groups, and I became the third element in charge of the entire transformation," he recalls the process, which had a fundamental impact on him personally. 

"So I led a large team with a common goal, but made up of different people with different specializations. This was a key experience for me, thanks to which I realized the power of analytical marketing, where marketing decisions are delegated from people to mechanisms based on data analysis. When we transferred these decisions to algorithms, the business literally exploded. The result was really significant growth," he describes.

But that was just the business side of the story. The other side concerns people. "I came to understand the role of a team leader as that of a servant whose task is to remove barriers that prevent people in the team from achieving their goals. The presence of people from different sections convinced me of the benefits of synergy and the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation," he adds. 

Through Albania to Czechia

From his position as Head of Growth at Vodafone Turkey, he then moved to Albania, where he was also tasked with developing the principles of agility and analytical marketing. "This mission involved the entire marketing and sales area in Albania, which was an exciting opportunity. Despite concerns that it was a small market and that I would have to leave my familiar surroundings, it was the best decision of my career," says Kir.

However, he adds a piece of advice that every potential expat should keep in mind. "Anyone considering a career abroad must be truly passionate about their work. Changing locations, schools for children, dealing with formalities, all of this takes a lot of energy and is mentally demanding. That's why you need to be really motivated. The second dimension is the fear of loneliness, which is natural. But when you finally take the plunge, you find that it's not as bad as you feared," he says.

Kir spent less than four years in Albania, and then another move awaited him. Czechia was one of his dream destinations. He also wanted to see if the recipes he had used in Albania would work on the Czech market. "I consider Czechia to be a fantastic market, much more advanced, digitized, and with great potential. From my point of view, it's the top market I could have aimed for. When the opportunity arose, I didn't hesitate," Kir continues. 

The change of destination was easier for him from a personal point of view. "My biggest motivation was to test and challenge myself again. From a personal perspective, it was easier for two reasons. Firstly, I already knew what such a move entailed, and secondly, Czechia, and Prague in particular, are very international and welcoming to foreigners. So, except for the fact that the sun isn't out very often, I got used to the new conditions quite easily," says the Vodafone manager.

Why doesn't Doğu Kir have his own office, desk, and chair in his position? What is the main goal of his mission in Czechia? And why is it essential to keep your word in business? These topics were also discussed in the Global Minds podcast.