Insights From Our Department Managers

What does it take to be a good leader at First Line Software? We asked three of our Department Managers from three different locations what they've learned as DMs, and how their work influences our team.

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Arsland Vlahovljak

Deparment Manager, Montenegro

1. Which FLS value do you see in action most often?

Circle Time. It gives us a chance to connect, share ideas and opinions, and feel heard. I especially value that everyone’s perspective matters.

2. What should your team never be afraid to tell you?

That I’m wrong. I’m not perfect, and i make mistakes too.

3. What do you want to achieve through your work?

To leave a mark. not just within FLS, but in a broader sense. I want my work to have a meaningful impact and leave something behind that matters.

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Francisco Perino

Deparment Manager, Spain

1. What have you learned from the people you work with?

There’s rarely just one right way to solve a problem. Everyone brings different experience and perspectives, and the best solutions often come from bringing those together.

2. What should every manager do more often?

Listen. Really listen. Understand what your team needs, what motivates them, and where you can help. When you're truly part of the team, the synergy and results can be completely different.

3. What do you want to achieve through your work?

To create an environment where people can do their best work, keep growing, and feel that what they do matters.

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Elena Golovina

Deparment Manager, Slovakia

1. What should your team never be afraid to tell you?

That something isn’t working, whether it’s the workload, a client expectation, or a disagreement with a colleague. Problems are much easier to solve when we talk about them early. I’ll never treat honesty as a complaint.

2. What do you always encourage your team to do?

Plan: their work, learning, and rest. A well-planned break isn’t a luxury; it helps us do our best work. People who make time to recharge come back sharper, calmer, and more creative.

3. What have you learned from the people you work with?

There’s rarely one “right” way to communicate. I’ve learned to listen first and understand what a really needs before jumping to conclusions.

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Mark Siabatto

Department Manager, Colombia

1. What’s something you’ve learned from the people you work with?

‍I’ve learned a lot about empathy and the importance of understanding that everyone comes from a different background and has their own way of approaching, understanding or even interpreting things. Working with such a diverse global group of engineers has reinforced for me that good management is about understanding each engineer and finding the best approach that will help them succeed.

2. What’s one thing you never want your team to be afraid to tell you?

‍Anything. My objective as a manager is to earn each engineer’s trust and be someone they feel comfortable coming to, whether it’s something routine at work or a much more complex personal situation. I’m hired by FLS, but I work in my engineers’ best interest, and I want them to know they can always come to me when they need support.

‍3. What are you ultimately trying to achieve through your work?

‍I want my team to become highly successful and independent. I want them to continuously improve themselves, strengthen their profiles, and become the kind of people any team would want to have. Whether their career keeps them at FLS or eventually takes them somewhere else, I want them to leave my management better positioned to succeed than when we started working together.

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Want to join us and lead alongside inspirational teammates? Head to our open positions and see where you could be part of our crew!

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Insights From Our Department Managers

Arsland Vlahovljak

1. Which FLS value do you see in action most often?

2. What should your team never be afraid to tell you?

3. What do you want to achieve through your work?

Francisco Perino

1. What have you learned from the people you work with?

2. What should every manager do more often?

3. What do you want to achieve through your work?

Elena Golovina

1. What should your team never be afraid to tell you?

2. What do you always encourage your team to do?

3. What have you learned from the people you work with?

Mark Siabatto

1. What’s something you’ve learned from the people you work with?

2. What’s one thing you never want your team to be afraid to tell you?

‍3. What are you ultimately trying to achieve through your work?

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