Portrait of employee – Chantal Azzam, account manager, support and development

After more than 13 years working in the purchasing field, Chantal Azzam left her native Belgium in 2010 to head to Quebec, where she focused on managing web marketing projects. Project Coordinator at Tink from 2017 to 2019, Chantal made a great return to our team in 2021, where she now holds the functions of account manager, support and evolution. Discover the important role she plays in our project office.

In a few words, how would you describe your job and your daily life?

I see my role as an account manager as that of a stage manager, always ready to intervene behind the scenes at any time with different stakeholders so that everything goes smoothly. The peculiarity of my position, however, lies in the fact that I am focusing specifically on one client: the Metro group.

Indeed, I am part of a team dedicated exclusively to the various websites of the Metro Group, whose digital needs are very important throughout the year. More specifically, the team in which I work focuses on all the features of websites. Its mission is to respond quickly to the needs of Metro. In my role, this involves always being ready to support the Metro team in the event of requests (urgent or not) on one of their websites. I am thus able to respond quickly to the customer in case of need. This is probably the aspect of my work that I like the most, since each of my days is somehow a new adventure where I have to be prepared for every chance!

In your opinion, what are the skills and know-how that a person needs to demonstrate in order to occupy a position like yours?

As I mentioned earlier, account management sometimes needs to deviate from its trajectory in order to adjust to the realities of customers. Managing your stress well and staying calm in urgent and unforeseen situations is therefore crucial, just as it is important to be organized to be effective and listening to understand requests. Having a good spirit of analysis also helps to effectively decode problems and be able to explain them clearly to find suitable solutions.

Obviously, holding a position like mine also requires good teamwork skills and close collaboration with all sorts of different profiles, with related and complementary specialties. That is the beauty of multidisciplinary teams like mine: each enriches itself with the experiences and skills of others!

Finally, natural curiosity is definitely an asset for working as an accountant, especially in the digital field, where everything moves at a great speed. Although a good technical knowledge base is obviously required, you are not (fortunately!) required to know everything to succeed in this profession. However, the more you're eager to learn, the better you will be able to understand problems and respond to them. Over time, I developed my own proactive technique, where I constantly document the things I learn on a daily basis. This is a great way to fill your thirst for discovery!

What did you learn during your years at Tink?

I would say that most of all I learned to get out of my comfort zone while surpassing myself every day! I already had a good web base when I applied to Tink, and I was able to enrich my technical knowledge "on the stack". This has enabled me to evolve within my functions, first as a digital marketing project coordinator, where I coordinated the content and visual requests of the Metro site, and then into my current position where I have to adopt a more functional approach.

What do you like about Tink, and what makes you stay?

I feel so thrilled to be part of a team where everyone plays a crucial role and can move forward in collaboration and mutual help. There's a nice warm atmosphere at Tink, and you quickly feel like you're part of the family. There is no hierarchical coldness, quite the contrary! No matter your age or your place in the organization, even the president knows your name and your history.

Tink also gives me the chance to combine work and pleasure during my days, as well as to learn and exchange with specialists in all fields. It is motivating to feel that we share the same goal: to work together for the success of our customers and our company.

What is your greatest professional achievement?

I am proud to have participated in the migration/creation of the websites for the Metro Group banners (Super C, Food Basics, Programme Moi, etc.) It was a long-term project that lasted several months, involving a lot of resources within Metro and Tink! It was sometimes intense, but the outcome is so satisfying: it's the product of exceptional teamwork that reflects our ability to generate value for our customers.

In other words, I am also very happy to have been able to build a strong business relationship with Metro over the years and to continue to participate in the evolution of their mobile sites and applications on a daily basis!

How would you describe the working atmosphere at Tink?

I love my colleagues and Tink's very collaborative atmosphere. Even if you work hard, there is still in the office a fairly nice atmosphere, free of any complacency, where everyone has the desire to help each other. You can feel how everyone cares about the good of the company and their colleagues!

I am happy to work in an organization with such a positive climate, which values well-being and pleasure, and where one feels supported and listened to. It definitely deserves to be highlighted!

For you, working at Tink means having the opportunity to...?

For me, it represents a unique opportunity to work with super competent people and to deepen my technological knowledge by working with a variety of professionals on a daily basis. It also gives me the chance to learn more about trades and specialties that I knew just before, as well as indirectly discover several varied companies in Tink's customer portfolio. Finally, it is a real privilege for me to contribute to the success of one of the most important independent agencies in Québec!

What advice would you give to future employees in your field?

Make sure that the unknown does not scare you, as you will sometimes have to deal with emergencies, challenges and unexpected events as an account manager: every new customer request may potentially involve a period of rediscovery! It is also important to be flexible to adapt to different situations and different clients if you are dealing with multiple accounts at once.

Soft skills such as organization, active listening, patience, passion and the ability to manage emergencies are also very important, as are technical knowledge (hard skills). And some of his skills can develop over time to gain experience. So do not be discouraged if you do not have all the answers: trust yourself and go! Don't hesitate to ask for help around you, because your colleagues are here to support you! The most important thing is to stay curious and passionate about what you're doing.