Cornwall-based Aztek customers – you might want to sit down before reading on.
While chatting to our Web and Marketing Support Manager Jelena Temunović, we discovered a shocking fact… she’s never had a Cornish pasty.
Let’s digest that for a moment. Jelena works in one of our international offices, but she does indeed visit the Cornwall office – sometimes for months at a time. But somehow, she’s yet to experience our legendary local cuisine.
Despite this bombshell, she has lovely things to say about her colleagues and the business, insights into her role and good website practices, and tells us about some pretty impressive personal accomplishments.
You read on. We’ll stock up on the pasties for her next visit…
Jelena's Journey into Tech
Jelena, tell us a bit about your role at Aztek.
A lot of my work involves CRM platforms, website management and maintenance, and connecting different tools and systems together that our clients use. I do a lot of problem solving and debugging, and a big part of my role is building workflows and automations that integrate apps, data, and AI tools.
So, you were always a natural problem-solver?
No! I was not born one at all. I don’t really like change, which is very ironic when you work in an industry where everything changes all the time and you’re constantly improving your skills. This role has pushed me outside of my comfort zone, helped me overcome a fear of the unknown, and allowed me to grow both professionally and personally.
How did you get into the world of IT?
If you’d asked me ten years ago whether I’d work in technology, I would probably have laughed and said no. My background is actually biology but life went in a different direction. After university, I worked in administration and sales, and then got the opportunity to work at Aztek part-time. That was the beginning of my journey in technology.
How has Aztek supported your career development?
Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned through Aztek – by working on real projects, solving client problems and having people around me who were willing to share their knowledge. And I think that says a lot about the company – it gives people a space to learn, grow and develop, even if they don’t come from a traditional tech background.
Life at Aztek
Why do such a high proportion of customers stay with us?
People here genuinely care. It’s never just about providing good service or finishing the task and moving on. We really want to understand the clients and their challenges and provide the help and support they need.
And what’s interesting is that Aztek has specialists in many different areas – IT support, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, CRMs like Pipedrive – so clients can get professional advice and support across a wide range of needs, but still feel like they’re working with one team.
On that note – how would you describe the Aztek culture?
I really like that it’s so human-oriented. I think that’s very important today, because everything is becoming AI-driven and sometimes less personal. Don’t get me wrong – innovation is good, but we should not lose that human touch. People here care for clients and each other. That’s very important.
There’s a family and friends vibe to Aztek. Can you tell us your part in this ever-interlinking story?
Petar, our in house Graphic Designer, Vlad, our Director of Development, and I have been friends since we were teenagers. It’s interesting, and quite funny, to see people you grew up with in a professional environment now.
And then there’s Goran, a Tier 2 Engineer – we studied in the same city, we were part of the same friendship group and my husband was his roommate at university. So we share a lot of different and interesting student stories. Most of which can’t be shared!
Beyond the Office
You speak four languages and are currently learning Turkish. We have to ask: why?
It’s about the culture. When I travel, I love learning about local history, food, people and the way they speak and live. I also love reading books and watching films and series in the original language because the emotion just isn’t the same in translated versions. I’m planning to travel to Turkey – so I need to know how to order!
But wait a minute – you work for a Cornwall-based IT company and we hear you have never had a Cornish pasty. What?!
I blame the people in the office – they didn’t introduce me to the basics! Next time I’m in Cornwall, that’s the first thing I’ll eat!
Back to the travel – you walked a part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail in Spain recently?
I walked 119km over six days. I went with my best friend, and it was honestly one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. You talk, you meet people, you share stories, and of course you enjoy amazing food and wine. It also gave me a lot of space to think, slow down, and find a deeper sense of peace. I would recommend it to everyone.
And bringing it all back home, you have dogs. A lot of dogs. Tell us more…
I live on what is pretty much a small farm in the countryside and we have chickens, pigs – and 13 dogs! It’s fun when you come home and everyone is around you wanting to play. Honestly, it’s very calming for me, returning to nature and the animals after my hours in the office.
Meet more Aztek people
See our staff profile with Gary Holmes, our Second Line Engineer who has a talent for moving beyond scripted talk and developing real, empathetic relationships with our clients.
Inspired by Jelena’s journey? Find out more about careers at Aztek.
