Meet the Team!

This week we had the pleasure of interviewing the wonderful Lena, our valued International Development Executive (fancy title for a very fancy panda). 

Lena is undoubtedly the most stylish Panda but she also knows a thing or too about bamboo! So let's meet our multi-lingual superstar Lena and answer some VERY important questions... 

Tell us about your role at The Cheeky Panda and how you got here.

I started at The Cheeky Panda in 2019 as a part-time intern to launch the brand in the German market. The team was much smaller then and I began by reaching out to potential clients in the German speaking markets. Now, the team is 3 times the size of when I joined, and my role has also evolved from a part-time to a full-time position. I now work with most of our international clients across Europe, grow the brand with current clients and am always looking to enter new markets. My goal is to bring our sustainable bamboo products on as many shelves as possible and spread the word about them everywhere

What is the best, and most challenging part about your role?

I love to learn about different cultures and speaking different languages, working with clients from all over Europe gives me the opportunity to use the languages I speak every day and learn more about how sustainability is seen in other countries and what clients are looking for. Sustainability is something we hear so much about nowadays but often forget that everyone defines that in a different way – I find it fascinating to get to know those definitions.

Yet, those cultural differences are probably also the biggest challenge. An approach that works well in one country might not work well in another country. A lot of my work involves understanding what customers would be looking for in other countries and to pitch our products in the correct way.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

It is difficult to name one certain achievement, I believe in the art of the little things and that every small success should be celebrated. What I am most proud of is my overall journey at The Cheeky Panda, not only professionally but also personally. I feel that I have grown a lot in the past years, gained a lot of confidence, developed a much better understanding for sales and started to genuinely enjoy presenting and speaking to clients. If you had told me in high school that I would end up in a job that involves regular presentations, I probably wouldn’t have believed it!

What is your favourite Cheeky Panda product and why?

Most of the team knows that I am very passionate about beauty and skincare products so my favourite product is definitely our facial wipes! We have presented those at the “Beauty” show in Germany last year and everyone loved them (including me of course). I used to hate wipes because of the skin irritation they caused in my face but these are great for sensitive skin. I already started converting my family and friends to them and with our multilingual version of them launching soon I will make sure that they are available in more places!  

What is your favourite thing to do outside of work?

Running! It gives me a great balance to sitting on my desk and keeps me motivated. At the moment I am in the training for my next half-marathon. Apart from that I enjoy spending time with my friends, cooking and trying new foods. Of course, I also love traveling (seeing Cheeky Panda products abroad) and am always planning my next trip.