Meet the team: Gioele Lai, Operations Senior Quality Assurance Specialist

Written by Gioele Lai

I was born and raised in Sardinia, a wonderful Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea and part of a large family with 8 other siblings. When I was 23, I moved to London, where I lived for 1 year and was able to immerse myself in a new culture, meet people from all over the world, and perfect my English. However, the European city that had most impressed me during my travels as a teenager was Berlin, a multicultural and exciting city, and that is where I decided to move to.

What do you do at Sumup?

In 2019, I joined SumUp as Customer Support Expert, where I learned more about the products, services and company culture. Fascinated by these aspects, after only 4 months, I moved into another role and started working as a Junior Quality Assurance Specialist. This position has always caught my attention. I steadily grew in my role, and in 2021, I got the Senior Quality Assurance Specialist role.

As a Senior Quality Assurance Specialist, my primary responsibility is to ensure that the company's products and services meet the highest quality standards. My role involves processing and analysing data to identify the root causes of process gaps and then establishing a baseline for improvements. A constant delivery of coaching daily sides all this, feedback and reports to co-workers and teams. Overall, my work at SumUp allows me to contribute to the company's success by ensuring that our customers receive the best possible experience, allowing me to embrace my passion and help SumUp grow.

What attracted you to join SumUp?

When I was searching for a job, SumUp stood out to me for several reasons. SumUp is a leading fintech company that operates across many markets, employing thousands of people in Europe, South America and North America. I've always been impressed by how SumUp promotes inclusivity and multiculturalism, which is a value that resonates with me. 

The corporate culture attracted me the most as it aligns with my values. On top of supporting small business owners in pursuing their passions, SumUp is also actively engaged in social responsibilities like environmental preservation, education and entrepreneurship - which is very inspiring. Overall, I was looking for a company with a strong purpose and a stable job, and SumUp provided both.

What makes SumUp different from other companies you've worked for before?

When finding a great company to work for, stability and growth opportunities are critical factors to consider. That's why SumUp stands out from other companies I've worked for. It offers a stable job situation where I feel secure and confident in my role, which allows me to focus on my professional growth and the best version of myself. SumUp offers employees the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills thanks to continuous training and a learning budget. 

SumUp creates an environment where employees feel constantly supported and encouraged. Our voices are heard, and the company continually looks for ways to improve and grow. Overall, SumUp truly values its employees, so I'm proud to work here.

Here I have found colleagues and a united team that is not competing to bypass each other in a race for personal success. Instead, we support each other in achieving our goals. The leadership in the Quality Team is so supportive, which is very special. This is the first time I have seen this in the various companies I have worked for. All this with good working flexibility.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Certainly, one of the biggest challenges is always keeping a critical eye on processes and providing suggestions for improvement, which must always be correlated with massive data to support my feedback. On the other hand, I always find colleagues and teams ready to accept these suggestions, knowing that it is advantageous for them to have help and an external observer with a different viewpoint.

The challenge I face lately is to optimise my team's processes to avoid repetitive tasks (which is not uncommon) and to be able to focus on supporting all colleagues directly.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

Flexibility at work gives me space to commit myself more and give my best. We're all very connected, and even if I have not met everyone in person across other offices, as soon as there is an opportunity to participate in a meeting together, a bond and harmony are immediately created as we feel we belong to the same family, and we see that we work together.

The core management is always open to sharing all the directions that SumUp wishes to take and is available for feedback and meetings with all the company members, taking their points of view with great care. And what gives me the daily energy to improve myself more and more is knowing that my work counts, and when I see that in addition to 'thanks' I've genuinely helped my colleagues, there's nothing that makes me happier and aware than when I need help, I can count on them.