Global Careers: From Buenos Aires to Berlin, taking on a new challenge.

In our series ‘Global Careers’ we talk to employees who have moved between different offices at Delivery Hero. We operate in around 50 countries, and that’s a great starting point for having a truly global career. In our latest edition, meet Violeta Lennon.

Violeta will soon work as a Senior Analyst in People Analytics, at our Berlin Headquarters. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina Violeta worked in talent development implementing the Performance Review Process for the Latam Region. In Autumn 2021, Violeta felt ready for a new challenge, new experiences, and a new country – and she decided to change jobs (and country!) within the Delivery Hero Group.

Read on to find out why!

It was February 2021;  whilst it was still pandemic times, I was working with my parents in our little cottage in Patagonia. I remember walking after work through the mountains and talking to my dad about how much I wanted an internal movement after the project I was working on was completed. 

From Argentina to Germany

That day the opportunity came, I was randomly searching just for fun or just for sport. I found an open position in Delivery Hero HQ Berlin and started the interview process.

I remember like it was yesterday; that Friday morning when my Director called me and told me she wanted me on her team. I went to that meeting sure I wasn’t gonna get the job, and I had the whole speech ready. I guess for me it still looked like a crazy opportunity, the one you hear others get but never really looks within reach. 

I said yes without a thought. It wasn’t much of a decision for me – I knew I wanted this experience. With my strong yes and excitement, the call ended and I sat there in my room in silence processing what just happened. I went running to my dad who was just on the other side of the house and hugged him with all my strength and told him: “Dad I got the job, thank you for investing in my education and supporting me.” He has seen me work and study like no one else and he knew what this meant for me. But on a personal note, that’s when it hit me how much I was going to miss them (and between us, he hates flights!). So at that moment, I made my Dad, a lawyer, by the way, promise me that he would visit before 2022 was over and take a 16h flight to see my new life in Berlin. 

A fresh start

I moved to Berlin in August last year. Ever since I set foot in the country and started to work with the new team, the world looked smaller and smaller. I met people from all around the globe, from partners to colleagues and friends. Professionally I learned that there are millions of ways to reach the same objective, and every one of us brings different ideas, thoughts, solutions, and backgrounds. Working together made all the difference. I think that this move is going to be one of those moments in my life that when I look back, I will realize it was a milestone. 

This journey came with many learning experiences, challenges, and many benefits. As I went through the experience of getting a work visa and relocating to a new country in which I didn’t even know the language, I learned that almost everything in life and at work has a solution. No matter how hard it is, there’s always a way. 

In Berlin, I learned to be surprised and grateful for the small things in life, even if it’s just because the sun is out (and if you live in Berlin, you’ll understand what I mean). 

I learned that if you put your mind to it, the sky’s the limit, and I mean it. If you had asked me two years ago where I would be today, and who would I be working with, I would have never guessed this amazing outcome. 

A new future abroad

I think going abroad for work brings along many experiences and benefits. You meet a lot of new people, you learn new things, and you get to know yourself better, personally and professionally. You learn to break down big projects and challenges into small steps like doing check-ins, what to take and what not to take in your suitcase, or how to find the right yogurt in the supermarket. Very small things, but step by step you start to adapt and it’s quite an accomplishment when you do. 

I do miss Argentina, our routines, famous barbecues, and my family and friends! But I  have built a new life here in Berlin and I’m beyond happy with my new day-to-day life. I have new habits, and made new friends which, in a way, are like family here. 

And yes, of course, my Dad kept his promise and came to visit me in June 2022, and made the promise to come once a year to visit!

I have nothing to say but a big thank you first to my dad who keeps on supporting me every step of the way. But also to Delivery Hero for this opportunity, and to my team who makes my new life in Berlin a rollercoaster full of laughs, jokes, and new exciting experiences.