It might be a bit different to Disneyland, but Christina Kae has climbed aboard the Hyphen rollercoaster and expects a thrill or two. A theme park fanatic who used to dream of designing attractions, now she will be helping to make the engagement experience as attractive as possible for our contractors. 

Just like her current home of Rome, Christina’s career wasn’t built in one day. During her years in customer-facing roles, she has acquired a collection of skills that could make a huge difference to the day-to-day lives of those partnering with Hyphen. 

Now she is looking forward to making her mark as part of our creative and talented team and ‘setting Hyphen apart from the rest’ – as well as having a bit of fun along the way. 

In this welcome Q&A, Christina reveals: 

• She feels energised by the ‘passion’ within our A-team. 
• The skills she thinks will help her thrive at Hyphen. 
• Her excitement for meeting the whole team in person in her home city.

 

What was it about Hyphen that first appealed to you and made you decide to apply?

CK: It really struck me how international the team is when I looked at the staff profiles so I thought it must have quite an interesting array of cultures – it intrigued me. 

There is also the fact that the company was founded on principles that I also highly value – these include empathy and building perfect partnerships, which are so important in all parts of life. 

I also thought this position would not only allow me to effectively utilise my current abilities, it would also allow me to grow and develop professionally

 

What are you most looking forward to doing in your new role? 

CK: I love data analysis and seeing what you can discover, but I also really enjoy helping people and finding innovative solutions to their problems. It’s quantitative and qualitative I suppose. I expect all my skills will come in handy for a job like this that could be so changeable day to day. 
I look forward to connecting with our experienced contractors across the globe and I am excited to be part of the vision of growth that the company has.  

 

You met some of the team during the interview process but what are your thoughts having met the rest of the group in Prague and Rome? 

CK: I had the pleasure of meeting Olgierd and Eliza, both of whom will be my Operations team colleagues; and Dora, who oversees HR, during the recruitment process. 

It was great to get such access to those at the top of the company during that time, too. I spoke with all three co-founders – Erhan, Avinash and Michael – and another senior figure in Akin, and those conversations helped me get a better feel for the company and what the plans are for the future. 

As for Prague, I really enjoyed spending a few days with the rest of the team during the co-working week, it was great to see everyone in person after making introductions on Slack and Teams. Seeing them in Rome was very special, helping everyone get to know the city I call home – I think everyone had a great time and I really enjoyed that experience of exploring with them.

Meeting the team in person has definitely made me feel more settled in and it’s a fun group, I’m already looking forward to seeing them for the other retreats, too!

 

Do you see this job as quite similar to other roles you have had during your career to date or do you feel that this is a chance to do something different? 

CK: It’s a bit of both in some ways. I feel that this role will utilise many qualities and aspects of my personality that I have built up in past roles. 

For example, one of the things I really enjoyed in one of my previous jobs was such as providing excellent customer service. I wanted to help form partnerships with individuals around the globe that pave the way for continuous growth and development, and it was gratifying when that happened. 

That all being said, I also feel that this position will allow me to learn new things which excites me! Being part of Hyphen’s Operations team allows me to use the skills I already have but I am also sure it will add some new ones to my repertoire.

 

How do you feel about the prospect of working for a startup like Hyphen? 

CK: When I think of start-ups, I think of unbridled passion. I particularly associate start-ups with the passion to leave your mark and set yourself apart from the rest. 

Working in a start-up with such passion, but also having such an international group of individuals who are creative, innovative and have experience will really be inspiring. 

 

You have acquired a range of skills over the course of your career to date – which ones do you think will stand in best stead for this role? 

CK: Every single position that I have held since I was 15 years old involved a strong amount of customer service, and that will be a major asset in this role. Another skill that will be very important will being able to problem solve quickly and think outside of the box to find solutions that will push Hyphen forward. I am very intrigued to see what the job throws at me, but I think my experiences elsewhere will really help me here and I am excited for the challenge.

 

Thinking about your life away from work, what do you enjoy doing in your free time? Do you have any hidden talents or passions? 

CK: I enjoy spending time with my husband, family and friends here in Rome but I also use my vacation time to fly back to the United States to see my family and friends. I love travelling to new countries to try and understand and experience how different people experience the world. I love to read historical fiction and enjoy arriving to an airport early just to relax, read and have a cup of coffee. 

When I was growing up, travelling to Disney World many times left a strong impression on me and I even thought I would work for Disney, helping them to design new attractions for their theme parks. I still try to keep abreast on the changes occurring within the Disney Parks. 

Another passion of mine is farm-to-table restaurants. It’s really interesting being able to connect community members to their producers in new ways and preserving the indigenous crops and species that have high nutrient and phytochemical properties.