Job Challenges & Life Joys of Michal, Business Development Manager of AI

Michal is one of the key representatives of the Lundegaarden family. He works for a very dynamically passed team, which develops solutions based on predictions of artificial intelligence. At the very beginning, there was only an idea and a few enthusiasts, skilled IT pioneers.

Nowadays, their product Zoe.ai helps banks and insurance companies to boost their online retail business by helping them understand the behavior & real needs of fully online customers, reducing fraud and uncovering false identities.

Taking a snapshot outside of the office

What is your role at Lundegaard?

I am a member of the Fast AI team named after its focus on fast data processing, responsible mainly for business development & delivery of our tools to our customers, based on artificial intelligence.

Why did you join Lundegaard and what has kept you here?

I always wanted to participate in shaping our future – and IT is the right industry for that. Once you work there, you obviously want to join one of the well-established companies. But I also need some sense of “freshness” connected with startup-culture and to participate in cutting-edge innovations and their delivery to real customers.

Lundegaard’s FAST AI team meets all these criteria. Day-to-day challenges connected with the constant development of our solutions (which are not simple at all) is what gives me a sense of progress. It is definitely not about “standing still”.

What are your primary responsibilities and what does your day-to-day look like?

As a Business Development Manager, my goal is to find real customers for our solutions and, ideally, to be able to provide them with the best way to optimize their current online business – this is our main focus.

So, this entails the constant building of our network of potential leads, talking with companies to find out the best possible solutions, as well as taking care of current customers and their needs.

However, my work is not only sales–based, I am also involved in the development of the complexities of our product, by giving necessary feedback from real customers to the development team itself.

Diversity is what I like the most. Actually, there is no day-to-day regime in my work. But it is primarily about communication, making offers and product presentations, constantly tracking KPIs of our solutions, giving feedback and research to our developers of new potential use cases.

What do you find the most challenging at Lundegaard?

Programs based and that run on artificial intelligence – specifically on Machine Learning - it is definitely not an ordinary IT solution.

Even if you work on something virtual, normally the result is - if not visible at first glance – at least predictable.

However AI discipline is mainly about predicting something which may, or may not, be beneficial. So I have to convince my clients of the potential advantages but also to continuously observe the results and define the particular added value, while the solution itself is already running.

The other thing is that many companies look at AI as something futuristic, and do not believe this can positively affect their business. It is sometimes like cutting your way through a rainforest.

Nevertheless, these challenges are what is most attractive for me – it may involve working with something very abstract, but it is definitely not boring.

Life is short, don’t waste your time!

How do you spend your time outside of the office?

I am a very active person, so you won’t often find me lying on the sofa (unless it is the premier of a very good Netflix show). So I spend most of my out-of-office time with my family or friends, usually doing sports, playing board games, or going out for a good beer.

As far as sports go, I play floorball (a weird type of hockey popular only in the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Scandinavia), golf, tennis or beach volleyball in summertime and I go skiing a lot in wintertime.

We have a weekend house in the lovely southern part of the Czech Republic, so this is an ideal location for cycling or inline skating too. And of course, I like to travel, especially to Balkan countries which I really enjoy. Your time is really precious – do not waste it!

How do you balance your career at Lundegaard and friends & family?

This is one of the biggest advantages of working in Lundegaard and especially in the “sales” department – flexibility. I have important responsibilities and there are strong expectations connected with my role. On the other hand, I am able to arrange my working day on my own and do home-office almost at will.

How do you compare your work personality vs. your home life personality?

The main difference is in seriousness. In my work, it’s one of the principles I build on – I have to think and act precisely, rigorously, and responsibly. Our business is orientated mainly on banks, big insurance and e-commerce companies; where accuracy is very appreciated.

On the other hand, I try to enjoy my personal life by staying calm and relaxed most of the time. However, a sense of responsibility, if sometimes a bit unnecessary, would be a kind of connection between the two. However, in general, life is too short to stress yourself with the little things.

Are you an iPhone or Android type of person?

Android type. I still can’t understand the advantages of “closed” systems, the need for special accessories or the relation to their price, and the absence of a classical headphone jack on your phone.

Enjoying a good hike!

What is the best vacation you’ve been to?

I spent two months a few years ago in Western Canada – more precisely British Columbia and Alberta. We had rented a caravan and made a circuit of over 2000 miles through the Rocky Mountains.

I’ve also been to Vancouver and Vancouver Island – the diversity of nature there is really stunning. I highly recommend it and hope I can go back sometime.

If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see?

Definitely Live Aid Concert in London’s Wembley, 13th July 1985. The top of music creators of all the time. Probably would have bought an additional ticket for my father on his 30th birthday right on that day. 😊

Want to discover more about how Lundegaarden artificial intelligence works?

Interested in an opportunity to participate in the development of our innovative tools? Pull up a chair and make yourself at home, we look forward to getting to know you and your good ideas. Our FAST AI Express will kindly appreciate meeting with you!