Interview in text form
Hi, thank you very much for the invitation. It’s a privilege to be here. My name is Darko Maletic, and I currently hold the position of Professional Services Manager at Axians Macedonia.
I started as a Network Security Engineer. It was a very interesting and demanding field back in 2000. I began learning about the seven-layer network architecture, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and public infrastructure. After a few years, just as I was becoming proficient in the field, my superior left the company. At that time, we were a very small team, and since there was no one else to take on the responsibilities, I began preparing and managing essential management files.
After several months, I became quite skilled in programming with Excel, which I believe is a valuable skill as well. Over time, I found myself creating more and more Excel sheets and configuring fewer and fewer routers—until eventually, it was 100% Excel. From that point, I continued with organizational tasks, which marked a kind of silent transition from an engineer to the Manager of Professional Services.
Before I dive into that, I’d like to share an interesting thought from Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba. He once said, “When you’re between 20 and 30 years old, find a good boss—not necessarily a good company, but a good boss you can learn from.” I was lucky because I found both—a good boss in a good company. At the time, I was working as an intern at another company.
My future boss noticed me because of the skills I had, and he invited me for an interview. I prepared thoroughly—took a shower, put on a new shirt, added a bit of perfume, and headed to the company for the interview. I was mentally preparing myself, thinking about what to say and how to respond. In the middle of the interview, I was asked, “What’s your horoscope sign?” I answered, “Leo.” The response was, “Okay, you can start tomorrow.” (laughs)
Axians is a multicultural company with offices all around the globe. Interacting with colleagues worldwide offers a huge advantage in knowledge sharing, collaboration, and working on diverse projects. Axians has a clearly defined mission, vision, and set of values, which are crucial for establishing a strong corporate culture.
One very important part of the day at Axians Macedonia is breakfast! But seriously, the day starts with reviewing emails, having live discussions about the tasks that need to be completed, and preparing for the day ahead. After this productive start, we usually have breakfast together.
Honestly, without this ritual, I’m not sure how the rest of the day would go! Of course, I’m joking—sort of. We have a lot of discussions with colleagues about ongoing projects, challenges we might face, and how to solve them. Occasionally, we go out for coffee to exchange important thoughts in an informal setting. I’d also highlight the strategic meetings we have, where we discuss how to differentiate ourselves from local competitors, what services we can offer to stand out, and which certifications could help us become more competitive.
In the early days of the company, we had a small team of engineers, and often one person was responsible for several specialized areas. As the team grew, I started to worry—“What if one of these key people leaves the company?” That was my biggest fear. And of course, that fear eventually became reality—one of our key engineers left, and we found ourselves in trouble. But the lesson I learned was that nothing is impossible.
It’s challenging, but not impossible, to organize people so they can temporarily cover critical activities. Everyone put in the effort to fill the gaps, and we managed to find replacements as quickly as possible. This happened multiple times, and while it’s always stressful, it taught me that adaptability and teamwork are crucial. In our industry, human resources remain the most critical asset.
I still remember one of my first tasks: installing a new Check Point firewall for a mobile operator. It was the scariest thing I’d ever done—such a large environment, massive internet traffic, hundreds of thousands of users. And there I was, an inexperienced guy handling his first major assignment. I must’ve reinstalled Linux and the firewall software over 50 times because of configuration changes and file issues.
Eventually, I realized it was easier to start from scratch each time rather than trying to fix everything. Luckily, the customer was very supportive. Whenever I’d say, “Okay, I’ll reinstall it from scratch,” they’d respond, “Yeah, maybe that’s better.” I also had strong support from my management. They believed in me, were patient, and encouraged me throughout the project. That belief gave me the strength to succeed. Projects like that shape not just your skills but your confidence.
My vision is to build a strong team of engineers—not strong in terms of muscles, but strong in knowledge, experience, and teamwork. I want our team to stand out in the market, specializing in areas that give us a competitive edge. Having global access to knowledge and leadership is a huge advantage, and my goal is to leverage that to position us at the top locally. The company currently supports this through investments in learning, training, certifications, and cross-country collaborations. I hope this support continues as we grow.
Thank you for your time and the valuable insights you have given us.
Interview
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