Julija Bondere: bees’ work results in nutritious honey, ours in satisfied customers

Julija Bondere, the Manager of Customer Service at Holm Bank Latvia is leading the team that makes loan decisions and secures that clients’ expectations are attended to by the highest standards of Holm Bank.

„Every day I am surrounded by great people, whose job is to make responsible decisions and support our clients,“ Julija makes an introduction. „My team are the ones who make Holm client service excel with agile and caring, yet responsible approach to our customers’ needs. I often see my team as bees in a beehive – there is a system in place for who does what and which are the most efficient routes for successful cooperation“.  She draws a picture of a neverending process – whenever the cycle of customer servicing finishes with one client, it starts with another. Be it decision-making for a loan application, consulting a customer by phone, solving some technical issues with a merchant partner, or advising a colleague to help with a specific situation. „If bees’ work results in nutritious honey, our work results in satisfied clients and business partners. It is truly enjoyable to be able to offer solutions,“ says Julija.

Grateful for challenges

„I had been with Holm Bank as a specialist only a couple of months when I was offered the possibility to lead the Customer Service department. I was pleased with the opportunity, as I already knew people in the team and loved my work,“ Julija is still in awe of how it all worked out superbly for her. „I am ever so happy to have earned my team’s trust and respect and I would never let them down,“ praises Julija the fruits that the Holm Bank has had to offer. „The support of my team and my superiors is a great motivator for me,“ she adds.

Laugh as a remedy

„Having done this job for the last two years, I can easily say I have a variety of specialists inside me. An economist, a financier, a psychologist, a lawyer, a teacher,“ she counts. „This is a unique feeling and it makes Holm Bank so important and fascinating to me. I am sure the list of specialists inside me continues to grow,“ half-jokes Julija. „Yet, I must admit there are stressful situations also,“ ponders Julija, but then turns into a joyful laugh. She explains that laughing is a remedy to stress. „This is something we consciously use in our team when we feel stress growing. We stop what we are doing, take a cup of coffee or go on a lunch break and just laugh… It is liberating and an effective remedy that I recommend for everybody,“ says Julija.

Aim high, but recognise human limits

Julija’s colleagues know her as a person who first and foremost is demanding towards herself. By doing so she sets an example for others to always try harder and achieve more and better. Only a few know she has tested her limits and gained smartness that lasts for a lifetime. As such, she enrolled on further studies during her maternity leave although already possessing two University diplomas. That turned into one of the greatest lessons of her life and she realized each human being has limits and moments when you cannot have it all, instead you have to prioritize and make choices.  For her, the choice was her family. This experience taught her to evaluate her energy level, possibilities and priorities, which she now utilises daily in her private and business life, and what helps her keep both sides balanced.