What do you do at Scuderia AlphaTauri?

I’m a Partnership Manager, responsible for the strategic planning and day-to-day management of the global sponsorship activation programs for multiple team Partners, specifically across our Technical Partnerships. I consult and work collaboratively with Partners daily to create a successful partnership activation strategy based on Partners’ commercial goals, ensuring the specific marketing objectives of partners are maximized and contractual rights are fully leveraged by delivering a range of marketing, PR, digital, and event projects. Another big part of my job takes place trackside – managing the Partner’s Guest experience during the Grand Prix, which includes logistics, hospitality, and relationship management.

How did your role at Scuderia AlphaTauri come about?

The power of LinkedIn and network. One day, a job posting magically popped up on my LinkedIn wall because one of my connections liked the Job Posting of my current boss. I wrote to him immediately and some minutes after, our call was set. The rest is history. Many ask if it was hard to get into F1 without any insider connections, I still think the most challenging part was step by step, building the right experience throughout my life, and being determined and persistent in achieving my goal.

What was the path you took to get here?

Every single decision and step throughout my life has brought me closer to who and where I am now.

My professional career started in my second year of university, when I did my internship in a corporate event organization company YEG! Your Event Group (Ex Ventana Group). This is when I found myself like a fish in water – a fast-paced environment, different projects with different clients, a constant balance between office work and traveling to diverse places, and a mix of organization and creativity. I loved the work and stayed there for another 4 years. One of the projects I got to oversee was the Sailing Event – GC32 Racing Tour – where I managed logistics and hospitality programs for guests in the Italian venues, leading a team of 5 during the on-site execution process. During that event, I realized I wanted to continue pursuing my career in Sports Events. Being an extraordinarily ambitious and organized person who focuses on professional and personal improvement, I’ve made a detailed plan of what next steps I should take to get closer to my dream – working in a leadership role in world first-class Sports Event.

The first step towards my goal was starting to work in a Sports Marketing Agency, AWE Sport, specializing in Sports Partnerships management and activation. For 2 years, I was Responsible for Jeep and Juventus Football Club Sponsorship contractual rights leverage and exploitation across the International Markets, together with other minor sports project management. To allow myself to bring my sports and marketing expertise to another level, finished my Sports Marketing and Sponsorship course at SDA Bocconi and enrolled in Executive Master’s in International Business at ESCP Business School. I did this while working full-time simultaneously. After gathering my rich cultural and experiential baggage, I’ve decided it’s time to go bigger.

Have you always wanted to be a part of F1/motorsports?

Growing up in Lithuania, I watched F1 races with my dad, but this world seemed so far away – the unreachable dream – so I never actually considered the possibility of being a part of F1. I knew I loved Events and Sports and followed that dream step by step.

If yes/no, what influenced or created this desire to work in motorsports?

I must thank my life partner, an automotive engineer and super F1 fan. He got me hyped about the sport, explaining racing strategy and teaching me the technical elements. With his support and inspiration, I felt I was good enough to pursue my career in the motorsport’s world.

What is most fulfilling about the work you do now? What do you enjoy the most?

I love every aspect of my job.

It’s diverse. Every day you need to work with different Partners, projects, Grands Prix, events, guests, and external and internal stakeholders, all from different places. You also work within different aspects of marketing and sports – PR, social media, commercial strategy, brand visibility, video and photo shootings, content creation, hospitality… You can never be bored while being a Partnership Manager.

It’s challenging. When people talk about a fast-paced environment, F1 represents it at best. Almost every week you’re in a different part of the world, coping with cultural and time differences. Also, the nature of events presents its own challenges. There are so many details to take into consideration and there’s always something that comes up unexpectedly. This means you need to have a high level of flexibility and problem-solving skills. In F1, I push myself out of my comfort zone, learning and growing daily.

Overall, I enjoy the possibility of being in contact with so many outstanding people worldwide – colleagues, other F1 teams, suppliers, clients, partners, and guests. The most rewarding feeling is when guests leave the Grand Prix or Partner event with the biggest smiles and hug you, thanking you a million times for the superb experience. The human connection is and always will be the central element of F1.

What does a typical day at Scuderia AlphaTauri look like for you?

My job divides into two: Office and Racetrack. While in the office, it’s the typical day for anyone – many meetings, e-mails, paperwork, brainstorming sessions, organization, and preparation for partnership activations programs. At the Racetrack, it becomes more exciting. It means traveling the world, exploring a new culture, meeting new people, and working with a minimum of three different time zones – that of the Factory, the race, and Partners. Everything is centered around caring for our guests and ensuring they have the best race experience or activation event.

What is your advice to someone looking for a career in motorsports or a male-dominated field?

I remember when I shared my aims of going bigger and the dream of working in F1. Everybody reacted similarly: “Girl, know your place, don’t push too hard because it’s impossible.” Well, I didn’t listen to them. So do the same, listen only to your heart and believe in yourself. You can do better. You can go bigger. If you want something, plan with little steps on how to get closer and don’t stop until you get there. It will take time and probably be challenging, but you must be persistent and determined. Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. The 1,001 attempt was the successful one. However, be flexible enough to welcome any change because our purpose could be slightly different from what we have in our minds.

F1 is historically viewed as being a male-dominated sport, do you think that is changing, and if so, how?

F1, for many years, was indeed considered a male-dominated environment but in the past years, the number of incredible women working in the Paddock has been growing. Most of them work in Marketing, PR, and Hospitality, but also in Strategy Engineering. The situation is also changing thanks to many projects dedicated to Women’s inclusion within the sport. For example, collaboration with schools and girls studying STEM subjects and the ‘Girls On Track’ program. The W Series, a dedicated female racing series, shares the racetrack with F1 during one-third of the season.

Are there any unique challenges or surprises to being a woman in F1?

I can share one of the biggest personal challenges. I look very young for my age (I’m 29, but everyone estimates me to be 16-18 years old), so every time I’m introduced to a client or a stakeholder, at first sight, they see a girl who seems to have no experience and knowledge about mechanics, engineering or F1. Hence, I always need to go the extra mile to earn respect and trust, showcasing my rich experience and deep knowledge about the business.

What do you think is the main difference between how F1 is portrayed in TV and movies versus real life?

I believe that F1 is much more than is portrayed in TV and movies. On screens, you can mainly see the racing itself, interviews and maybe some behind-the-scenes, all focusing on drivers and team principles. But it’s more than that, it’s thousands of people working together. F1 is an event, or better, 23 global events, requiring top-class management worldwide. It includes local and external stakeholders of logistics, maintenance, security, PR, marketing, hospitality, catering, doctors, suppliers, TV broadcasting, mechanics, engineers, cameras, journalists, agencies, physios, guests, partners… and everything to mount and dismount weekly, to bring from one part of the world to another, sometimes simultaneously, and over 5 continents. Every little detail counts, every little second counts, and the amount of work behind the scenes is impressive.

What is your favorite time in the season and why?

I think the start of the season is the most exciting time of the year. Everyone returns after winter break, full of energy and excitement for the new season ahead. Nobody knows how F1 cars will look or how they will perform on track with the latest changes. The top team could be the last, while the last team could have unlocked the potential to be the fastest. It is also when drivers may have changed teams, or new drivers come in. Overall, it’s the excitement of the unknown – the fresh start each race week.

What is the best advice you’ve been given (who/when/what)?

Oh, I have a bunch of those. I’m very into personal and professional development and improvement – always seeking feedback and advice. But the one that comes to my mind first: pick your battles. In life, personal and professional, there will always be some unfavourable conflicts coming your way. It’s up to us to choose which issues are worth fighting and which ones are better to let go of. Rather than dealing with too many things at once, it’s better to save your time and energy for the things that really matter.

Tell us a secret:

Lithuania is a Northern European country, with the national language being Lithuanian which has nothing to do with Russian or any other Slavic culture. We’re Baltics. It’s a secret because nobody knows about it!

Favorite Ziba product:

Baby Pistachios!