Recruitment That Secured Business Continuity and Enabled Growth
Viva Wallet set out to find a Sales Manager with a true scale-up mindset. Someone energized by change, eager to build new ways of working, and passionate about helping customers succeed.
Timing was everything. The recruitment was launched at a strategically smart moment, one that supported both business continuity and long-term growth.
The selected candidate would first lead sales operations solo during a parental leave period. Later, they would form a leadership duo to build and lead two growing sales teams, together driving the company’s next stage of expansion.
Building Growth on Dual Leadership
Viva Wallet is the first European neobank fully built on Microsoft Azure, offering cloud-based payment and banking services across 24 European countries. While headquartered in Athens, its success relies on strong local presence and adaptability to each market’s payment habits.
The Finnish office was established in spring 2020, right in the middle of the first lockdown. With operations initially small, the focus is now firmly on scaling the business.
To reach those ambitions, Viva Wallet needed people whose expertise could turn growth targets into reality. The Sales Manager duo and their future teams would play a central role in that mission.
“We wanted to find someone who gets energy from helping entrepreneurs in their everyday business,” says Panu Poutanen, Country Manager at Viva Wallet.
Finding the Right Fit Beyond Technical Skills
Viva Wallet stands out from traditional payment providers by combining banking capabilities with advanced technology. While technical know-how is part of the foundation, this search focused on the person behind the skills: empathy, initiative, and curiosity.
“We wanted someone who thrives in a fast-evolving environment. The key is ensuring that every employee can get what they need from their employer, because that benefits everyone,” Poutanen says.
We began with a deep-dive kick-off to understand Viva Wallet’s current state, vision, and the role’s strategic importance. We also prepared a set of example candidate profiles to test and clarify expectations before the actual search began.
“The example profiles brought real-life context. They helped us crystalize what we were truly looking for,” Poutanen reflects.
Precision, Transparency, and Genuine Dialogue
Our recruitment approach is hands-on, research-driven, and based on clear structure. Every candidate receives a personalized outreach message that explains why they were chosen, what they could bring to the company, and what the opportunity could bring to them.
This thoughtful, personal approach earned strong feedback from candidates for clarity, communication, and pace.
“In a competitive market, talent needs to be truly engaged and supported through every stage. Otherwise, they’ll move on to the next opportunity,” our recruitment consultant notes.
Transparency was central throughout — from early conversations about rewards to open discussions about company goals and challenges. This built trust and strengthened Viva Wallet’s employer reputation, even among those not actively applying.
A Trusted Partnership That Saved Time and Focus
The close collaboration and open communication ensured that the process stayed aligned and efficient.
“I could follow the progress at every step and felt confident in the process. That’s invaluable when your focus is divided across so many priorities,” says Poutanen.
Through a blend of insight, structure, and personal commitment, we helped Viva Wallet find the right person to lead sales and support its next growth chapter — enabling continuity today and creating the conditions for tomorrow’s success.