FarrPoint’s Head of Marketing and Business Development is a guru in her field and a catalyst for injecting fun into the workplace. With her boundless enthusiasm and dedication, she's always on the lookout for innovative ways to develop the FarrPoint brand. If you need to find her, just follow the smell of fresh coffee - it's her morning routine!
1. You are Head of Marketing and Business Development at FarrPoint, but what did you want to be as a child?
I wanted to be a fashion designer. When I was younger, I would make dresses for my dolls, normally out of socks and my sister’s old clothes. I thought I was quite good. It really was a childhood dream as I wouldn’t say I was that fashionable. It was more the making and creativity I enjoyed, and to me, a Fashion Designer sounded a bit cooler than a Seamstress.
Kristina looking extra fashionable at the age of 4
2. What's your favourite FarrPoint moment and why?
I remember when FarrPoint won its first award. I wrote the award submission to ScotlandIS and we got shortlisted. We took the team to the ceremony, and it was just so nice to see everyone happy and proud of what we had achieved when FarrPoint's name got announced. Richard’s speech was great too.
3. What does a typical weekend look like for Kristina?
My typical weekend is not that exciting. Every Saturday morning, I make pancakes with my daughter Ula, and then we rush to Leith to get her to Lithuanian school. We often visit my family in Lithuania, so for me, it is important that she learns the language.
I often try to squeeze in seeing a film at the cinema or visit an exhibition. You can see I’m a city person. I also find browsing in charity shops very therapeutic – I collect blue and white ceramics and vintage bird pictures so I’m always on a lookout for those.
Some of Kristina's blue plates on display and other being used for planet themed pancakes
4. What has been the most memorable adventure or trip you've been on?
I think it would be the trip I did to the Eastern part of Turkey, a Kurdish city called Muş, which rarely gets any tourists.
I went there when I was around 20 years old, and it was my first proper work trip. I flew there alone, I didn’t know anyone and I don’t quite know how I had the courage.
I flew to a tiny airport which looked like it could be a NATO base and got stuck in a sheep traffic jam straight after.
It was for a social inclusion project with partners from across Europe. During the trip, I got to travel around, and it is so different from the rest of Turkey; it couldn’t be further from the all-inclusive resorts many associate it with. It was just culturally so unique and memorable because it is not a destination you would usually go to.
Kristina on her trip to Mus.
5. What is an interesting fact about you that not many people would know?
The fact that marketing isn’t my background. My university degree is actually in Public Service. After school I wanted to work in the public sector and change the world – you know the idea. Whilst at uni, I worked for a Social investment Management Centre managing EU projects. Then I went off to do an internship in Bologna, Italy doing more work with EU funds.
I always wanted to live by the sea, so later decided to move to Brighton. Getting a job in public service for someone not British wasn’t easy, so I ended up in an environmental consultancy. The company was keen for me to progress in accountancy and suggested I go back to study. Which got me thinking - I do want to study, just something else – marketing. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.
To be honest I still plan on working in public sector one day. My pre-retirement ambition is to move back to my hometown in Lithuania and run for Mayor, but that is another story.
6. What would you choose as your last meal?
Confit Duck with super smooth potato mash and a glass of sweet Spanish sherry. There used to be a Spanish tapas restaurant in Brighton that did the best confit duck. I must have ordered it at least 10 times and used to go there even after I moved to London.
7. How would you describe yourself in one word? What would it be and why?
Emmmm… My friends used to call me ‘snail’. I think because I’ve always been quite relaxed and didn’t like to rush anything. A lot of things have changed over the years, but I’m still not the type that gets to places early.
8. If you had a time machine, would you choose to go to the future or the past?
I would go to the past.
I would like to go back and meet relatives that died before I was born, in particular my grandad, who was part of the team liquidising the consequences of Chernobyl. Or my uncle. I heard so many stories about them from family. I also wish I could meet my Great Grandparents at my age, it would be so interesting.
If there was no limit on the number of times I could travel back in time, I would also want to go see iconic bands in their prime like Queen, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac etc.
9. What is the best decision you have ever made?
If this question is in relation to work, I would say it was changing the course of my career and studying Marketing. Life wise it is 100% having my daughter Ula. Even though she can be hard work at times, she is the best, and also so funny. She is at the age where we now have nice chats, and she makes me laugh every day.
Kristina with her daughter at Teide park in Tenerife
10. Who do you want to nominate as the next MAF?
Joe
We are always interested in speaking with good people who would like to pursue a career at FarrPoint, visit our careers page or get in touch.
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