"I’ve always believed that growth happens when you step outside of your comfort zone."
Careers don’t always follow a straight path, and growth can take many forms - whether it’s deepening expertise, exploring new areas, or making bold transitions. At Mollie, we believe in supporting every step of that journey.
Meet Alina Andresiuk - a true Mollie veteran (six years and counting!) and a career chameleon who has experienced almost every part of the company.
Name: Alina Andresiuk, Senior Product Manager
Joined Mollie: April 2019
Roles: Financial Controller, Team Lead Financial Control, Sr. Business Controller, Senior Data Analyst, Head of Business Performance, Principal, Sr. Product Manager.
How would you describe your own career path at Mollie?
If I’d need to use one word, it would be ‘interesting’. I have always been driven by curiosity and the desire to learn new things. That led me to this career path, which is not a linear one, but rather something I call zig-zagging. I started in Finance with a couple of roles, then transitioned to Data. After that, I had an opportunity to take on the role of Chief of Staff to the CEO and recently I shifted to Product. This zig-zagging has allowed me to explore the narrow side of things, as well as zoom out and see the bigger picture – the combination of which I really appreciate.
After so many roles, you must fully understand this company in and out, right?
No, not at all. Even though I’ve been here through different stages of growth, Mollie continues to evolve, and with that comes new challenges and opportunities to learn. For me, when there’s nothing left to learn, that’s a sign to move on, but that’s definitely not the case here. There’s always something new to explore.
But because of that growth, you may also find those new challenges within the same role or domain. So, why did you choose to move around the company so much?
I’ve always believed that growth happens when you step outside of your comfort zone, and that’s been my approach at Mollie. For me, as soon as I start feeling too comfortable in a role, I know it’s time to take on a new challenge. Changing roles has allowed me to continuously broaden my knowledge, push my limits, and explore new areas of the business.
But I consider myself lucky that I was able to explore these different areas. Mollie creates that environment, which is not something I can imagine a lot of companies doing.
Some of us would already get imposter syndrome just by thinking about changing roles drastically. How was that for you?
I get that, but I believe it is about building the confidence that you can do it. The more you try new things, the more you will embrace the feeling of uncertainty because that is just part of it. I now know that at the start of each new role I will feel uncertain, but I also know that if I stay curious, be open-minded and ask questions I will eventually learn enough to do it and start making an impact. If you’re curious and willing to learn, you can figure it out.
Who supported you in your career development, and how?
You can learn from anyone around you, and that’s been my experience at Mollie. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with many colleagues who have shown me different ways of doing things — some approaches resonated with me, and I’ve adapted them into my own work, while others didn’t quite fit and led me to find my own way. I’ve also been lucky to work closely with the Management Team, learning a lot from them, especially in understanding how strategic decisions are made. These experiences have been key to my growth and career development.
What’s been the best part of your career journey so far?
All of them were the best parts haha…. But I’m super driven by the impact I can make. So the best part of my career journey has been seeing the real, tangible impact of the work I’ve done, no matter where.
But you must have encountered obstacles too!
For sure. Look, I think a linear career path is more clear; you know what you can expect. If you zig-zag like me it’s never clear, which is cool – but also frustrating. With this kind of career path you sometimes don’t take a step upward, because you’re entering an area you don’t know yet. So sometimes you need to take a step to the side or even a step back, before you can grow again. To me that’s okay, because I think progress is also when you learn more and grow skills – not just when you move up in the tree.
Do you have a career plan or certain ambitions of where you want to go?
No, I tried to create a plan early on, but I found that focusing on one set path made things more challenging. For now, I prefer to keep my mind open and explore different opportunities. I don’t want to narrow my options too soon, as exploring different roles and experiences helps me better understand what I enjoy. Eventually, I see myself choosing a more defined direction, but right now, I’m focused on discovering what aligns best with my interests.
What would you advise others who aspire to a similar career path?
Stay curious, be open to change, even if it feels uncertain. Trust that you can do it, keep moving and get out of your comfort zone as this is where growth happens!
Thank you Alina for sharing your thoughts 🙏.