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Some people manage teams. Aleksandra Arutsiunian builds the leaders within them. With over a decade in travel technology, Aleksandra is Head of Account Management at Kiwi.com, where she leads a team working with key global players including OTAs, airports, and Tourism Boards, delivering data-driven solutions across international markets. She came into mentoring almost by accident and never looked back. Today, helping first-time leaders find their authentic style and overcome self-doubt is one of her favourite things to do. Oh, and her best ideas come after midnight. Read on.
Travel was always my passion. For the last 10 years I was lucky to be part of the travel technology sector, leading international partnerships in fast-paced environments. Working with partners globally made me realise the power that communication and understanding cultural specifics has on business relations and success. For the last 5 years, I am leading a team who works with key global players, OTAs, airports, and Tourism Boards, offering data-driven solutions. Becoming a manager for a team of talented young professionals made me search for my authentic leadership style, and since I started mentoring, navigating the leadership path has become one of my favourite topics.
Fun facts: I am the opposite of a morning person and my best ideas come after midnight. And I cannot imagine my life without dancing, which I have done since I was a kid.
I actually became a mentor almost by accident. My mentoring journey started through an internal mentoring program at my company. When the first call for mentors was announced, I was eager to join, but having been promoted to my first leadership role less than a year earlier, I felt I needed a little more experience before taking on that responsibility. I decided to wait for the next round.
Luckily, an opportunity came sooner than expected. The program was looking for someone with my specific experience and skill set, and I was invited to become a mentor proactively. I happily accepted, and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
Since then, mentoring has become a true passion of mine. I genuinely enjoy helping people discover their strengths, build confidence, navigate challenges, and grow into leaders in their own way. Seeing someone realise their potential and achieve goals they once doubted were possible is incredibly fulfilling.
What I value most is the opportunity to help and support others' growth. I enjoy offering a different perspective, truly listening to mentees' concerns, validating that those concerns are real and valid, and helping them work through and override self-doubt. Giving mentees a voice and helping them build confidence is incredibly rewarding.
Mentoring has shown me how powerful listening and asking the right questions can be. Often, mentees already have the answers. They just need space, encouragement, and the right prompts to uncover them. I have also learned how important it is to normalise uncertainty as part of growth.
Never think that you are "not enough." Sometimes being just a few steps ahead can be immensely impactful, especially because you deeply understand and share your mentee's concerns and challenges. When those experiences are still fresh and vivid, you are often in the best position to offer relevant, practical, and empathetic advice.
Interestingly, I originally expected most of my mentees to be looking for support with the hard skills of Business Development and Account Management. While I do help with those areas, I have found that an increasing number of mentees are seeking guidance on career development and leadership.
Today, I primarily support professionals who are stepping into leadership roles for the first time. I help them navigate this transition, build confidence, find their authentic leadership style, and develop their own voice as team leaders.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is just how fragile confidence can be. It is heartbreaking to see how even highly capable, self-aware people can begin to question themselves because of a single comment made at the wrong moment.
No matter how well we recognise our strengths, self-doubt can quietly take over, and overcoming it is often much harder than we would like to admit. It is a powerful reminder that the words we choose matter, and that as leaders and colleagues, we have a real responsibility to build others up rather than unintentionally tear them down.
Has Aleksandra inspired you to work with a mentor? Learn more about our Mentoring program and apply here.
