Our Senior Project Director and Team Lead
Kari Mandhyan
Kari Mandhyan is one of the most senior Project Coordinators at The Ortus Club and a highly valued team leader.
We asked her how she has developed her role over time and what she is most excited about for the company in 2021.
Tell us about your current role at The Ortus Club and how you got there.
I’m currently a Senior Project Director and Team Lead at The Ortus Club. Before Ortus, I was part of a small conference firm that organised annual regional conferences. They would take a whole year to plan in every detail liaising with speakers, attendees, and sponsors as well as organising awards and exhibits. In comparison, the work I do now is a lot more fast paced and it definitely took me a while to adjust to this new way of hosting events in my first months in. In all honesty, I wasn’t initially too confident I was a right fit for this team despite my experience in events.
Yet here I am, two years in and still learning every day! My added role as Team Lead has also brought me more responsibilities and I’m looking to master the skill of keeping an eye on the bigger picture, helping out and offering support to those who look for it.
What first made you join the Ortus team?
I joined the team because I found The Ortus Club’s offering very interesting and unique and I could tell it was something that attendees would actually find beneficial compared to typical networking events. They created environments for companies to strike conversations beyond their network and I thought it was all quite exciting.
What do you like most about working with The Ortus Club?
The team really stands out for me here, they’ve been a constant source of help, support and motivation since day one. That and of course, the opportunities given that challenge me beyond my comfort zone.
A lot of things changed for businesses all over the world this year, especially in the events industry. Do you think your role changed as a consequence? How?
The events industry as a whole will definitely bounce back after this pandemic – though it might take some time before it fully returns to how it used to be. In the interim, I think there will be a lot more virtual and hybrid events.
Yes, my role did change in the sense that I am now able to attend a lot more events. Our tasks changed as well as we had to adapt to a new format and this allowed me to gain more experience and gain a little more responsibility within the company’s operations. I think our themes for this year are set around becoming more resilient, flexible and empathic… and possibly, a little more creative!
“The team really stands out for me here, they’ve been a constant source of help, support and motivation since day one.”
What’s one thing you are excited about, thinking about the future of Ortus?
I’m excited to see this company grow – and I am seeing it every day! I feel so fortunate to be in a role where I see this future unraveling. It’s so nice to see new faces (both in team members and clients) and new roles being created to fit the current demands as we continue to grow in number and in the reach of our services.
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Discover new opportunities with Ortus and apply to join our team in Asia or Europe!