Elena Spagnuolo: An Influential Trendsetter Propelling the Marketing Industry with AI

Bunker DB is a tech company specialised in helping marketing departments be more efficient and productive by processing and analyzing data using artificial intelligence. 

The company believes data is the heart of any strategy, which is why it has spent the last five years developing one of the most influential and user-friendly technology platforms in the world. 

Bunker DB's technology allows brands to process and centralize in one place an unlimited number of information from multiple data sources and displays it in a friendly and intuitive way. It exponentially improves brand performance considering all digital touchpoints, also combined with offline efforts. 

In short, it helps brands turn their data into knowledge so they can connect with their consumers in a more relevant and efficient way. The company views itself as an intentionally simple platform, but at the same time, sophisticated against the backdrop of today's times. 

Embarking a Mission Towards Excellence 

Elena Spagnuolo's journey starts 20 years ago while she set out to study Graphic Design. At that moment, web design wasn't part of the degree, but her college offered a workshop on building a website. This was enough to spark an interest in her and got her excited to be part of the "digital world." This further drove Elena to specialize more in this field while taking some freelance jobs. 

 Elena considers herself a hands-on type of person, i.e., if she needs something, she tries to learn how to do it; if the computer broke, she studies how to fix it, and that is how and when she got her first "real" job. She applied for a design job position, and the interviewers saw that she had studied computer repair and couldn't believe that a woman could perform such a task. They asked Elena if she could build a computer during the interview, so she did it. They hired her as a computer repairwoman while she also helped develop their website. She also began to get involved with commercial related issues, pricing, budgeting, customer service, and business negotiations. 

 Elena was involved in many positions in different companies, but all of them were related to design. 

 She was so in love with the design and paying attention to details that she was in touch with developers all the time, trying to know how the website was doing, giving instructions, sharing ideas about the project, and so on. It was then when her managerial skills started to show up. Elena became a Project Leader in a very natural way, and she kept getting better at it. 

Life and work drove her to different paths, and designing was no longer a part of her everyday life. She started to lead technical and marketing projects until she was responsible for a Project Management department. 

 "Of course, that managing was an essential part of my role, and my feeling was that I needed to learn more about it, I needed to share experiences with other managers," she says. The natural path to take was to keep studying and learning, so she and her husband decided to start an MBA. It sure was a lot of work to do, keeping a balance between work, studying, and social life, but it was all worth it for Elena. 

 And then the opportunity showed up. Avedis Boudakian (CEO & Founder) invited her to work at Bunker DB with him, a startup company that needed to be developed in every possible way. From marketing, commercial, communication (inside and outside), customer service and support, product development to organizational culture, and HR. 

Developing all the areas with Avedis was the key for her, fulfilling her current role as Chief Business Officer. She can talk face to face with all areas and departments because she was a part of them. From there, she continued to build up a team, a trusty, focused, and reliable team. 

 Also, Elena felt she was learning so much that she wished to share her knowledge and experience; she wasn't sure if it would be able to be of any help. Nevertheless, she started teaching at university, college degree, and an MBA in Uruguay and Paraguay. Now, Elena recalls it as a great experience to pass all her knowledge and deem herself grateful to have learned from her students. 

Mitigating Challenges  

Since Elena had a graduation in graphic design, it was challenging for her not to have hard skills in finance, management, and HR. However, she didn't let herself feel undermined. Elena thinks there's always time to learn, and even though one's academic knowledge may not define oneself or what he does, it will give him a broader picture, and in the end, it will always help. 

 Elena says, "We have to do what we have to do, play the role needed, whether it is marketing, finance, HR, or just being there to listen to the people. But the real deal is to move fast, not be afraid, trust your team, trust in yourself, listen to your guts, and do your best, and of course, your team has to do their best." 

Portfolio of an Exemplary Leader 

 Elena keenly believes that human values should be at the core of any transformational process. She mentions that we work with people who have their skills, interest, attitudes, culture, etc. The company must share its vision, and the people should be aligned to it. In this process, leaders need to challenge their team, make them part of the process. While their work necessitates being tangible, it is essential to remember to take care of them, listen to them, no matter how busy you are, and let them make mistakes, so they grow stronger. 

Providing Tailored Services to the Clients 

Customer feedback is essential. Elena cannot emphasize enough how important it is for a company to be close to its customers, listen to them, understand their needs, and transform those needs in solutions. She points out that market and industry trends will always exist, but a company has the potential to generate a trend by merely listening to its customers' needs. 

Meeting Industry Demands with Disruptive Technologies 

Information is overwhelming; now more than ever, it is essential to turn data into knowledge. This is why Elena asserts that companies must start to adopt technology as part of their culture; it is a process that needs to begin, that must be planned and executed, and as always, baby steps are to be followed. 

 The pandemic situation that the world is living has helped to accelerate this process. Companies are finally coming to understand the importance of being more efficient in using data. Since budgets are not the same, the need to maximize revenue and minimize expenditures is louder than ever. Hence companies need to leverage technology and data in the present climate. 

Aspiring for Future Expansion 

Elena points out that today, we live in a world where the amount of data increases exponentially, and the time intended for its analysis decreases. This is why placing technology at the core of the business will enable companies to make a difference. Otherwise, they will be left behind, without the power to react neither in time nor in form. 

 She conveys her belief that it is essential to to democratize data access for better understanding. Her priority is on changing the misbelief that platforms such as Bunker DB are only for a few or hard to use. Though it is a challenge, it will shift to a much broader approach, where data can be easily accessed to make decisions by everyone within a company. So Bunker DB's focus is on its customers, offering them better solutions and making things easier. 

 A few years ago, the company developed a Lab & Data Science department, which continues to develop fascinating automated solutions for the customers. Bunker DB's goal is to find hidden efficiencies in data to simplify work by optimizing campaigns and marketing efforts. 

 That's why the company acts as people changers rather than company changes. To do this, Bunker DB solve as many difficulties as possible in the shortest period and as inexpensive as it can be. 

 Elena is convinced that Bunker DB is redefining the way Marketing and Communications work and will continue to do so. 

Advice to Next Generation Leaders 

Elena says that change will always be a part of our lives. The good news is, we do not need to be afraid. Instead, we ought to take advantage of the opportunities at all times, drive our own career. Elena conveys the proverbial that the work as a leader never ends. She also asks to remember that hard work is essential, but it's not enough; commitment, mentoring, continuous learning, honesty, and moving fast are also essential to achieve one's goals. 

 Data analytics is becoming a powerful asset for companies, and the recent pandemic situation has shown its importance in decision making. The key is to be aware that technology and data should run in the DNA of everyone within an organization.