Nataša Kapov – Head of Customer Services at Lemax

There are many skills that women naturally have, and these skills bring great value to companies and technology.

Nataša leads the Project management office, business analyst team and Customer care department in Lemax. She is responsible for 30+ people to be a happy and productive team. Her professional career started 15 years ago. When she was 26, she started her own surveying business which is still active and successful today. Entrepreneurship was challenging, but also the path to fast personal growth. In 2011. she focused on the IT industry and joined Lemax, when the company had ten employees. Lemax is a SaaS company developing its own software solution for the tourism industry for over 15 years. As a member of the management team, her focus is on company strategy, building and developing teams and hiring great people. Today, Lemax has a hundred employees.

She organizes ICT Supergirls conference every year that aims to encourage and empower girls and young women to consider their studies and careers in the growing field of ICT. Part of this conference is the mentoring program “You can do IT”.

Developing business, winning new markets, innovation & new ideas, socially responsible projects and business excellence is what motivates her!

In a nutshell, tell us a bit about your job, and what role technology plays in it?

Lemax helps travel companies transform their business with technology. It’s astounding how big of an impact technology can make on organizations, people, processes and businesses in general. It’s not easy for organizations to go through a digital transformation – so as the first step, a change in mindset is inevitable. When travel businesses see the long-term benefits of their organization’s digital transformation, it’s what intrigues them to embark on the journey.

My job is to give direction to my team, guide them, help and inspire them so they can give their best and lead the digital transformation for our clients. As a company, we are disrupting travel businesses and changing the way the travel industry works.

Where did your professional journey start and how did you get to where you are now?

My professional career started 15 years ago. I graduated from the Faculty of Geodesy and Geoinformatics and started my own business as a surveyor two years after I finished college. That business is still running. It was very interesting for me when I switched to IT. These are two different worlds and it’s very interesting to see and understand the differences, but also notice the similarities. This experience helped me grow and become the person I am today.

Accepting challenges is your opportunity for growth!

I would like to point out one more thing: accepting the challenges offered, not thinking too much about “what could go wrong” also brought me a lot of positive things. It wasn’t easy, but when I think about these opportunities now, I remember only the good things. Remember: accepting challenges is your opportunity for growth!

What is the greatest transformation in technology you’ve witnessed in your career?

I have witnessed a lot of huge digital transformations and what always excites me is how big the impact can be. There are still companies running parts of their businesses on paper. There are companies with future-facing projects, projects that have been built not only to transform their business but to bring change and prosperity to their countries and to change entire industries, disrupt them. In IT, anything can be done. Projects are interesting and challenging. Team dynamics can bring a project to life or destroy it. It’s a rollercoaster!

When you think about ‘women’ and ‘technology’ what comes to your mind first?

When I think about “women” and “technology”, the first thing that comes to mind is – dedication, excellence, hard work, intelligence, support. Lemax is 46% female and most of my team are women. Women bring special energy to teams and I adore working with them.

There’s a conference in Croatia that I organize, “ICT Supergirls” – which supports young women and helps them choose their careers in ICT. It’s part of an international Girls in ICT initiative. The conference is supported by women who come to talk and spread their ideas to help juniors direct their careers. I am very proud that the 200 women who attended last year pointed out that what makes a difference about this conference is the supportive, open, free spirit and “you can do it” atmosphere.

There still aren’t enough women in technology, but I see that in Croatia, this number is increasing each year – which is great! Although there are a lot of initiatives for women, there should be even more. These events and initiatives encourage women to choose what they want and give them confidence that they can be excellent in technology. I am sure that, in a few years, if we want to talk numbers – our number will be 50%. 🙂

What skills do you need for a career in tech (aside from the actual tech skills)?

There are many skills that women naturally have, and these skills bring great value to companies and technology. By nature, women are generally more supportive, compassionate and understanding, they have excellent time management and organizational skills, and they tend to bring out the best in people. Soft skills such as negotiation and focus on win-win situations are our strong side.

What and who were the influencers of who you are today?

When talking about the people who have influenced me, I think there were a lot of them throughout my life. In early childhood, it was my mother, who’s been an entrepreneur for 30 years, and my father who was very supportive. My boyfriend, today my husband, had an enormous impact on me deciding to start my own business years ago. I’ve had external mentors who offered me their insights, connections and help – they were all women, at least up until now. 🙂 I’d also like to point out how my mentees influenced me in so many ways as well, shaping me into a different and better person.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your 14-year-old self?

If I could go back to the past and talk to myself as a 14-year-old girl, I would tell her that she can do anything she wants and as soon as she starts believing in that, her life will change in so many positive ways. The moment she knows that is the moment she understands she is the creator of her own life!

Nataša Kapov leads the Project management office, business analyst team and Customer care department in Lemax. She is responsible for 30+ people to be a happy and productive team. Her professional career started 15 years ago. When she was 26, she started her own surveying business which is still active and successful today. Entrepreneurship was challenging, but also the path to fast personal growth. In 2011. she focused on the IT industry and joined Lemax, when the company had ten employees. Lemax is a SaaS company developing its own software solution for the tourism industry for over 15 years. As a member of the management team, her focus is on company strategy, building and developing teams and hiring great people. Today, Lemax has a hundred employees.

She organizes ICT Supergirls conference every year that aims to encourage and empower girls and young women to consider their studies and careers in the growing field of ICT. Part of this conference is the mentoring program “You can do IT”.

Developing business, winning new markets, innovation & new ideas, socially responsible projects and business excellence is what motivates her!

This interview has been made possible by Mia Biberović, Editor in Chief and COO at Netokracija, organizers of Ladies of New Business event, who connected us with Nataša Kapov.

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