Altynay Suleimenova (She/Her)

Junior Solutions Manager

“I see ELEMENT as a great example of what start-ups in the scale-up phase aim for in terms of culture and acceptance. From my very first day, I felt welcomed and enjoyed the challenge of learning the new industry. It is a nurturing environment where work is a part of your personal growth and a place to build connections.”

At ELEMENT, we are committed to making insurance 100% digital with our holistic combination of modern technology and a smart approach to data. Our “Eye on ELEMENT” series dives into the amazing people dedicated to making this a reality. We aim to explore what they do, their passion and what drives them to succeed. 

In this edition, our guest is Altynay Suleimenova who is a Junior Solutions Manager in our International Business team.

Hello Altynay! Tell us what you do at ELEMENT 

I joined ELEMENT last year in the newly formed International Business team. Our mission is building ELEMENT's image as a pan-European insurer enabling all kinds of partners with customer ownership to provide insurance products across the European Union. In my role, I support sales and business development topics starting from the initial talks with a partner to the onboarding stages of the sales funnel. As our department grew so did my learning curve owing to my managers Francesca and Tim. 

What did you do before joining ELEMENT?  

Before joining ELEMENT, I tried myself in an entrepreneurial endeavour in Kazakhstan. During my bachelor’s studies there, together with my friend, we worked on multiple small business ideas. I remember fondly selling flowers online and how we ended up having tones of flowers unsold, with an expiry date of yesterday lol. That is how I learnt expectation and supply chain management. I remember also working on an app for online restaurant reservations seven years ago and being told that the product won't have any demand. But hey, when I visit Almaty now (where I come from) I can see that someone else did it after several years – apparently, it was all about the right timing. 

After moving to Berlin 5 years ago to do my master’s degree, I was genuinely amazed by how entrepreneurial the city is. I am in love with start-ups and was lucky to be part of one during my studies here. I worked for one of the most successful start-ups in the German blockchain scene - Nuri (formerly Bitwala) before joining ELEMENT. 

In your role as a Junior Solutions Manager, what the most difficult challenge you have experienced at ELEMENT?  

The most challenging thing in my daily tasks is the urgency of things. It requires being highly efficient and navigating between different stakeholders both internal and external. Looking at the past year, I can say that the urgency of things accelerated my learning process in many aspects. Together with my team of like-minded people ready to overcome any challenges, I find support and guidance in all the projects I am involved in.  

Describe how you have grown professionally since you started working at ELEMENT. 

As a junior member of the newly formed department, I was involved in market research tasks and building presentations. I could apply my business education and previous experience in business development to contribute to forming international sales within our larger client team. It helped me learn deeper about ELEMENT's unique B2B2X business model in the insurance space. Currently, I can handle tasks that require more responsibility as making my own judgements on partnerships and supporting the commercial side of several opportunities. I highly appreciate the trust my managers have in me. 

ELEMENT is committed to a culture that is inclusive and diverse, how has you experience been since joining? 

I see ELEMENT as a great example of what start-ups in the scale-up phase should be aiming for in terms of culture and acceptance. From the very first day at ELEMENT, I felt welcomed and enjoyed the challenge of learning the new industry. It is a nurturing environment where work is a part of your personal growth and a place to build connections. Moreover, I am incredibly grateful for the visa support that was offered at ELEMENT, (non-Europeans would know the struggle). 

Aside being the UNO champion at ELEMENT, what are three things that many people don’t know about you 

Haha, the Uno champion, probably speaks for itself: one of the things that I enjoy besides work is socialising with diverse groups of people. Whether it is a game night, sports or going out together - ELEMENT is a great place to do so. Living in Berlin was a creatively stimulating experience for me. It helped me unlock my artistic side. In my free time, I enjoy creating digital collages, taking pictures on my old analogue camera, and editing videos. It is the place for me where I can switch my mind from the business world and maintain a healthy work-life balance. It is like taking pictures, sometimes you need to "re-focus" to gain better focus.  

Looking into the future, what do you want to accomplish at ELEMENT.  

I see good growth opportunities for me within ELEMENT for both honing my skills in business development as well as personal growth. I want to envision myself handling more complex projects with larger business impact, taking on managerial roles in the future and most importantly supporting my team by being a team player they can rely on to succeed together.  

As always, we would like to thank Altynay for taking her time to answer questions and give us the scoop on her personal/professional life. Altynay’s continued hard work at ELEMENT has been significant in helping us shape the future of insurance.  

We are always looking for talented people to join our team and grow with us. Head on over to our careers page to check out what new positions we are hiring for. 

This interview was conducted by

Jacob Aryee

Jacob is part of the Marketing and Communications team and heads up ELEMENT’S Employer Branding and Internal Communications. Originally from Ghana but currently based in Berlin, he has a background in Communication, Marketing, and Psychology. When he is not caught up in cat videos, halloumi and listening to Prince, he spends his time globe-trotting in search of good food and exploring amazing cultures.

More Eyes on ELEMENT Interviews

Praveen Pillai (He/Him)

Senior Manager - Business Solutions

Altynay Suleimenova (She/Her)

Junior Solutions Manager

José Neves (He/Him)

Solutions Manager