My Career Journey: Yaroslava Tverskaya, Chief Operations Officer

Introduction

Q: Yaroslava, could you shed some light on your current role and key responsibilities? 

As Chief Operations Officer, I’m coordinating three key verticals: Admin, Device, and Event. For the Admin team, it’s all about keeping office operations running smoothly. The Device team handles everything related to equipment: purchasing, managing, enrolling, and rotating devices. And then there’s the Event team, which covers organizing fun stuff like team buildings, company birthdays, family days, charity events. And I also manage the company’s entire budget process, so I’m always keeping an eye on the numbers 💪 

Q: Wow, that’s a lot on your plate! What’s your favorite part about your role?

Everything! I absolutely love my team and what I do. The excitement of finishing a task that once seemed impossible, the everyday thrill, our ambitions, and the amazing chemistry with my people. It definitely feels like a perfect match.

Let’s Reflect

Q: Can you share your journey at SupportYourApp?

Ohhh, that’s an interesting one. Before joining SUP, I worked in commercial real estate and investment business, and during that time, I was looking for a tenant for an office building. That’s when Peter, SupportYourApp’s Advisor, reached out to me to discuss available office options, so I suggested that one we had. After several office tours and long negotiations, we closed the deal.

Later, I decided to explore a career change and asked Peter if he knew of any companies looking for responsible people. And he said: “Well, we [SupportYourApp] are”. After some interviews, I was offered the position of COO. Oh, and by the way, the office I was talking about is actually our Office 2 that we still rent ✌️

Q: That’s fate! Tell us if working in IT felt different compared to the real estate industry?

On my first day of onboarding, I walked into the room, saw the iMacs and was like “Oh wow, this is the next level”. After working with Windows for so many years, getting used to Mac was a huge change. I believe this cultural shock was the reason I now manage the Device team.

And the second challenge…..getting used to the company’s culture. Coming from a very formal-writing-formal-everything world, I realized SUP had a completely different vibe. Kseniya Savchenko, my colleague and sensei at the time, was incredibly helpful in guiding me through the transition. She even proofread my first emails correcting the structure and tone of voice. 

Q: And now both you and Kseniya manage separate departments, so inspiring ✨

Yes, we both handled Chief Operations Officer tasks, but over time, our roles naturally began to separate. Kseniya focused on compensation reviews, internal teams, and milestone talks, while I concentrated on the business side, including the budget process. This led to the creation of two departments — Human Capital and Operations. Looking back at what we’ve built, the processes we’ve developed from scratch, our teams, and the new verticals — it honestly feels unreal.

Q: Do you feel the company has evolved as well?

Absolutely! I have this deep, almost philosophical thought: we’ve become more complex to keep up with a complex world. People tend to tackle challenges they understand rather than those they have. Over the six years I’ve been with the company, the level of challenges we understand has boosted significantly. We’ve developed expertise in areas that seemed difficult to comprehend just a few years ago, and to me, that’s the true essence of evolution.

The Subtle Art of Operations: Career Insights

Q: What skills are essential for joining the Operations department?

My team consists of autonomous, stress-resistant, and persistent people who rarely say “I don’t know what to do”. Instead, they find solutions, think through several scenarios, prepare a plan, and then come to me for advice or approval. That’s what I value the most. I know I can fully trust them, and they know I’ll never be upset with them for making mistakes.

Q: Can you recall a funny or memorable case from your professional life?

A long time ago, we were planning a New Year party, and since we had a lot of people invited, we decided to split them into two groups for two parties: one on Friday and one on Sunday. A few TOP team members were invited to both parties for some internal reasons. It was my first time planning an event, and I didn’t take into account that we had a strategic session scheduled for Saturday. 

Imagine Friday: everything is great, everyone is having fun. Saturday: yearly reporting and strategic planning. And then Sunday…. Well, everyone was so exhausted there was only one dream – to get some sleep.  The moral of the story: always plan a gap between fun and work 😅

Outside the Office

Q: Now it’s time for a round of personal questions. If you weren’t in this profession, what career would you have pursued and why?

With a degree in Finance and a passion for strategic and risk planning, I would probably go for a Chief Strategy Officer or Chief Budget Officer position, possibly in an international project with a deep, meaningful impact.

Q: Great choice! What are your hobbies or passions outside of work?

Jogging and swimming are my forms of meditation. These activities help me clear my mind and manage stress. I also have an 11-year-old son, so spending time with my family, whether it’s taking a walk in a beautiful place or simply enjoying each other’s company, always boosts my mood.

Q: And our last, and probably most fun, question: can you share an interesting fact about yourself that most people don’t know?

When I was a child, I almost drowned in the lake, and my teenage brother saved me. Despite this, I love everything related to water: drinking it, swimming, and even just looking at it. It has a calming effect on me.

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