By Anastasiia Lushyna
We keep introducing our team members to you and sharing their insights! You have already “met” Hanna Zhukovska, our project manager. This time, we are interviewing Olena Chudinovych, our chief product officer.
Thanks for joining our interview series! So, how did you start your career in the AdTech industry?
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story and thoughts! Actually, before joining Attekmi (still SmartHub at that time), I worked in the jurisprudence sphere for five years. However, it turned out that jurisprudence was not the area that could help me grow and reach new heights. Searching for new challenges, I decided to try my hand at the programmatic industry, and doing this became a true step out of my comfort zone.
My journey into the magical world of Programmatic AdTech started with the role of an account manager, where I gained a deep understanding of client needs and challenges. Later, I advanced to team lead of the account management team, refining my leadership skills while staying closely connected to clients. From there, I transitioned into the role of a project manager, where I began using tools and strategies to address those client needs more effectively. Finally, stepping into the CPO role required me to think on a much broader scale, working not just to solve immediate issues but to anticipate and address the long-term needs of our customers while shaping the company’s product strategy.
From your experience, what skills does a good CPO require?
First and foremost, a good CPO must deeply understand the product – including its technical aspects. Without this knowledge, it’s impossible to improve the solution or deliver greater value to clients. For me, this understanding came through hands-on experience as an account manager and later as a project manager, where I gained insights into both client needs and the product’s capabilities.
Secondly, you must be interested in your work, be ready to learn continuously and have a customer-centric focus. This will help you detect new opportunities. Additionally, an effective CPO requires strong communication and analytics skills. Critical and strategic thinking is also a must-have.
Last but not least, you should be a good leader for your team. Therefore, you need robust soft skills.
What is your greatest achievement at Attekmi?
Well, getting the position of chief product officer is an achievement on its own, but that is not the only thing I am proud of.
For instance, I managed the development of our platforms’ unique optimization tools: Demand Booster, Adaptive Margin, Win Rate Booster, and some others. Analytics features were on the list as well. All these capabilities help our partners maximize the performance of their solutions and drive better results.
Together with my team, we launched new versions of our products, focusing on improved functionality, enhanced user experience, and better scalability to meet the evolving needs of our clients. When they achieve their goals, I consider this as an achievement for my team and me. Seeing our clients’ success makes me feel proud of what we do at Attekmi. Besides, after rebranding, we became even more competitive and “upgraded” the AdTech industry in general. I am happy to be a part of this progress.
And what about challenges?
I would say that the main challenge for a CPO in an AdTech company is keeping the product relevant and planning its updates. The market evolves continuously, and this process is very quick. One day, you may discover that there is a growing demand for a specific feature, but this trend may come to nothing tomorrow. Therefore, prioritizing new functionalities can be a complex task. To solve it, my team and I focus on our partners’ needs – this helps us understand how exactly we should upgrade our software.
Obviously, we constantly keep an eye on the AdTech trends, but our clients are our number one priority. We improve our products according to their feedback and requirements.
What motivates you to reach new heights and overcome challenges?
For me, challenges are a great motivation and inspiration on their own. If there is a challenge, this means that you need to learn something new or enhance your skills. Otherwise, if everything always goes according to the plan, you may simply find yourself going with the flow one day. For a CPO, this is not a path to follow.
My team is another key motivator. I am incredibly proud of the team fit and spirit we’ve built together. Every member is not only a contributor to the product’s growth but also someone who constantly evolves as a professional. By working together, we create an environment where ideas thrive, the product improves, and everyone advances in their own expertise. Being surrounded by such passionate and talented colleagues drives me to achieve more.
However, the biggest source of motivation in my life is undoubtedly my family and friends. Their constant support and belief give me the strength to face challenges and keep pushing for new achievements, even while balancing work and motherhood.
As a CPO, how do you keep your team productive?
Clear workflows guide us from gathering requirements to turning ideas into product releases, ensuring that every concept is effectively translated into value for our clients. Communication processes are also structured with established policies and workflows, where every interaction has a clear agenda and a focus on achieving concrete results. This ensures transparency and efficiency across the team, helping us stay aligned and productive.
From your experience, what is the most effective way to stay ahead of competitors?
The key thing to do here is to listen to your clients – they are the guiding light for a CPO in any industry.
My team and I continuously analyze their requests and needs to identify both weaknesses and opportunities. As a result, if our solutions meet their requirements in full and even exceed their expectations, that becomes a great competitive advantage. Additionally, at Attekmi, we regularly release new features (again, considering the needs of our partners). Constant progress helps us stay ahead.
However, upgrading the product according to the clients’ needs is not the only thing essential for being a leader in the market. One more factor allowing us to outperform our rivals is our exceptional support service. An all-encompassing approach has already brought us multiple awards (for instance, from Exchange Wire), and even more achievements are yet to come.
Besides, we strive to be the right partner in any AdTech matter – apart from ad exchange solutions, we offer custom development services, as well as Ad Ops and AdTech training and Ad Ops outstaffing services.
Do you have any recommendations for those planning to become CPOs in the AdTech industry?
Being a CPO in an AdTech company can be challenging, so here are some insights I gained while working at Attekmi:
Learn everything about your product. When you understand all its aspects and nuances, it becomes much easier for you to decide how to improve it.
Consider starting small. If you are switching to AdTech from a completely different niche, it can be useful to start, for instance, as an account manager. In this way, you will gain all the essential knowledge, which will help you grow professionally and get the position of a CPO in your new company later.
Prioritize your clients. Regardless of the industry, an effective chief product officer must focus on the clients’ needs, which involves collecting their feedback and improving the product according to their requirements. Keep in mind that it is a continuous process.
Always keep learning and enhance your skills. Failing to do this means that you will stop being effective at some point.
Monitor the industry news. The evolution of the AdTech industry never stands still, and you need to stay on top of the trends. Otherwise, you may miss loads of opportunities.
Communicate with your team. As a CPO, I communicate daily with our CEO, Roman Vrublivskyi, marketers, business analysts, account managers, and software and business developers. The success of a product or service is a shared responsibility, so establishing clear and regular communication is a must.
Keep an eye on your competitors. There are a lot of AdTech providers in the market, so it is important to monitor their activities, products, and services. Doing so is a way to understand how you can differentiate your offer. Besides, remember that it is essential to be not just an AdTech provider, but a credible partner – being such a brand can become a great competitive advantage.
Considering my dynamic transition from jurisprudence to AdTech, I truly believe that no one should fear pursuing their dreams, even when others say you won’t be able to work in IT or any other “difficult” field. Dismiss these clichés, embrace the challenges, and dive into the unknown. With determination, persistence, and hard work, everything is achievable. Life is too short to spend on projects that don’t inspire you or help you grow.
Attekmi’s success relies on the skills and knowledge of every team member. Keep following our interview series to learn more about our amazing experts.
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