25 YEARS OF EMOTIONS, RIGHT PEOPLE, AND GOALS
- IRENE PEPE: How do you feel about your company turning 25 this year?
Alessandro Farina: I have to tell you that it’s a great emotion because 25 years, you know a quarter of century, it’s something that makes you think that you become older, wiser, that you go through like a lot of different let’s say challenges and wonderful and difficult periods of course because they are never missed and with a little bit of emotion of course.
- IP: Nice and how has your business changed during these 25 years?
AF: It is changed completely in the way I mean the field of business, of course, is still the same we are still serving entrepreneurs and managers who come to this country to develop business and we provide them all services in terms of accounting, taxes, legal, payrolling, HR, real estate and so on to facilitate their business. But what is true is that 25 years ago Hungary was different, so let’s say the type of services and the client’s expectations were much much lower than today. Today you really need, let’s say, “Top people” to work out what is needed and the speed of business is dramatical increasing so of course, we need also to do huge investment in technology and develop our business in them today.
- IP: What would you consider your biggest achievement in these 25 years?
AF: My biggest achievement I would say without any doubts is the people because today we achieved a great great team of fantastic people, loyal people and I can feel and see them every day and this is the real asset of the company, no questions about that.
- IP: What would be the biggest challenge that you had to face?
AF: AH, that’s a difficult answer to give because we had so many challenges to face to save and to develop the business of our clients in this last 25 years that we went through with such a huge creativity sometimes to come out from days of trouble or to facilitate their business that I would say that each day is a big challenge honestly in what we do.
- IP: But do you think that you have a work ethic inspired by someone that you knew or other entrepreneurs do you look up to?
AF: Well, I would say that definitely my family background has helped a lot in this respect. I’ve always believed very much in the history where we came from and so my father definitely and my mother were, without willing to be, the emotional part but they definitely were the inspiring ones for the constructive ways of the ethical being that we are still running today.
If you ask me, entrepreneurs who has inspired me, I can’t give you a name specifically but I would say that mostly I look with admiration to those entrepreneurs that are naturals leaders, so they are able not because their achievements but the way they are working and the way they are followed by the people it’s something that is touching.
- IP: What values do you think an entrepreneur should have for its role as a leader?
AF: Well, two things to me are the key points. As we were saying before, the first thing is the ethical way because if you want great people next to you, you have also to be an example for them, and there is no question that you cannot be an example just on Monday or Wednesday. You have to be that 7 days a week and every year for years, years and years to build a strong solid base.
The other part is the love for the job that you do. I mean for me, ITL today after 25 years is still coming to my office with a smile and with happiness to do what I do. I think that’s the key to enjoy and to make with passion what you want to do.
- IP: How do you think the market will change during the next 5 – 10 years?
AF: For what we do, the market is in several sectors.Technology is going to change several patterns and no questions about it. That’s why since a few years we started to try to follow as much as possible these technological improvements with the different software’s investments. We believed that of course, part of the so-called “manual work” that was true 20 years ago will slowly, slowly disappear. Let’s say common sense about artificial intelligence whatever else but still. I think that the knowledge is what we will have to push and to invest more in the future more than the accounting of one item or anything like that. But that’s something that we are doing and creating every day, so I think that these changes will hopefully not be a surprise to us, but instead a part of our every day in the development of the company.
- IP: What do you suggest to other entrepreneurs that are opening nowadays in Hungary?
AF: I would suggest them to come with the right knowledge about the country because Hungary has developed so quickly in the last period in time and it’s gone at such a speed that you really need to understand the country well and to get the right information before acting. But the key point is once again to found the right people so they have to invest in the HR part as much as possible.
- IP: I totally agree. If you have an Anniversary cake what do you wish for :
AF: When I blow my candles? I would like to see the next 25.
- IP: Ok that’s a good one. So when is going to be the party for the 25th anniversary party?
AF: Well, ITL Group was set up on the 13 of December 1995 if I remember well so, I will say that definitely the party will be to celebrate especially our people because as I said before, they’re my key customer and my key of proudness in the company. I think we are going to do it around that day for sure. The place is still to be decided.
IP: Ok thank you, I guess we will find out!
Here is the link for the Video of the full interview on Youtube.
