Shlomi Weisel is the manager of the R&D center of Cognyte Bulgaria. The company is a world leader in the development of investigative analysis software, helping various organizations to systematize large volumes of data. The software Cognyte develops enables customers to accelerate and improve investigations and decision-making processes.
Currently, Mr. Weisel is responsible for the work of 150 professionals in Cognyte’s R&D office in Sofia. However, his path to this position passes through various challenges. From a not particularly studious and energetic child, he grew into a responsible and experienced leader who graduated with honors in three serious majors – “Statistics and Operating Systems”, “Business Management” and “Law”.
Shlomi Weisel arrived in Bulgaria in 2001. In our country, he faced a number of cultural differences that he had to overcome in order to unite the team he led.
Getting to know the Bulgarian culture also played an important role in his leadership approach, motivating him to make Cognyte’s Bulgarian representative office one of the company’s most successful R&D centers.
He himself tells the details of this amazing career path in the following interview.
Source: Cognyte
Can you tell us more about yourself, your career path, how you settled in Bulgaria and, of course, your current position as Cognyte’s R&D Center Manager?
I was born and raised in Israel. I was an energetic and creative child, but studying was not my favorite thing. The teachers “struggled” to deal with me, but at every parent-teacher conference my parents were worried about what they were about to hear.
Although I faced many challenges, I eventually graduated from high school and joined the Air Force for three years of military service. This experience taught me discipline, responsibility and how to achieve results.. During my last year of military service, I realized the importance of education and I started planning my future.
I enrolled in a preparatory year for the university, achieved excellent results and was subsequently accepted into the prestigious Faculty of “Industrial Engineering”, specialization “Statistics and Information Systems” at Tel Aviv University. My goal was to accelerate the completion of my education in order to devote time of his career. The university offered me the opportunity to obtain an additional “bachelor’s” degree that would allow me to be a teacher, but I declined.
I decided to broaden my horizons by joining a study abroad program at the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. I graduated with honors.
When I returned to Israel, I pursued a master’s degree in business management, which I successfully completed. In parallel with my main career, I started teaching students. I felt the need for legal knowledge, so I decided to enroll in law. After four years of hard work, I also obtained a bachelor’s degree in law in Israel.
Looking back, it’s quite a long way for a boy who never liked learning. I have achieved more than I could have imagined, surpassing many of my school mates. This shows that we should never judge a man by where he started. With desire and ambition, anyone can achieve amazing things.
My professional path is marked by holding leading management positions in well-known organizations such as Volaro, Tradologic, VBS, Spiral Solutions, Formula Telecom, Arthur Andersen & Co. (now known as Accenture), as well as Ernst & Young.
The positions I held in these companies required me to lead global R&D teams, operations and play a key role in the validation and management of major projects around the world with an entrepreneurial spirit and drive for excellence.
My life in Bulgaria began in 2001, when I took over the management of Formula Telecom Solutions. During this period, I managed a significant and complex key project for A1 (then Mobiltel), including system integration, training and support of over 25 different software and hardware solutions.
Managing teams in Israel and Bulgaria, as well as working together with various subcontractors, marked the beginning of my lasting relationship with this dynamic country, which I now consider my home. Eight years ago, I was given the opportunity to lead Cognyte Bulgaria (then known as Verint).
Tell us more about Cognyte?
Cognyte is a global leader in investigative analytics software. Exploratory analytics is a powerful data analysis and visualization tool used by law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies, and other organizations seeking to organize and systematize large volumes of data.
Our customers use our technology to predict criminal trends by detecting patterns of behavior and identifying inconsistencies, extracting valuable information from vast amounts of data and sources, enabling them to make critical decisions quickly.
This is how our investigative analytics software helps make the world a safer place.
When I joined Cognyte Bulgaria, the situation was complex, I was faced with a challenge. As a new manager, I realized that there is a significant cultural difference between the people who work in Israel and those in Bulgaria. Lack of understanding of the local culture, people, knowledge and expectations was a significant obstacle.
I felt that the teams I led felt like they were part of a system they didn’t understand and couldn’t relate to. So my mission became clear – I had to earn their trust, foster a sense of belonging and provide local employees with the support they needed to succeed in the company.
Can you provide an example of a cultural difference?
Personally, I encountered an amusing cultural difference some time ago when I presented to an audience of about 40 Bulgarians who were nodding their heads from left to right and back. For Israelis, this is interpreted as disagreement, and for Bulgarians – as agreement. This example was quite telling and turned out to be a good lesson.
During the period in which I led and continue to lead Bulgarians, I learned that they listen carefully before forming an opinion and reaching a conclusion. They tend to take their time thinking questions through before asking them. That impresses me.
Getting to know Bulgarian culture also played a central role in my leadership approach. Celebrating local holidays, participating in cultural events and getting to know Bulgarian traditions helped build trust and connection with the team. Understanding and respecting work-life balance in Bulgarian culture has also influenced my management style.
I believe there is no absolute right or absolute wrong when it comes to understanding others. The important thing is to be able to “read” the other person through non-verbal communication, the tone, as well as the choice of words. This skill proved essential in adapting my leadership approach and management style to be able to effectively relate to others.
Overcoming initial skepticism as a foreigner required demonstrating competence, commitment and a genuine interest in the success of both the team and the company.
It is probably a big challenge to be a manager of foreign origin in Bulgaria. Can you describe some of the key moments and experiences that have influenced your leadership approach?
One of the first challenges I faced as a manager from abroad was adapting to the local business culture and understanding the unique dynamics of the workplace in Bulgaria. Building good relationships with my team members and fostering open communication were important steps in overcoming this challenge.
My professional path helped me gain valuable knowledge and experience working with people from different cultures, which has a positive impact on my personality today – I am able to adapt to different situations and create relationships with people from different cultures.
How do you manage to create a balance between your personal and professional life, combining your responsibilities as a family man and manager of an international company?
Maintaining a balance between my personal and professional life is of the utmost importance to me and is not an easy task. Considering my roles as a manager of around 150 employees, a happily married man to a wonderful Bulgarian woman and a father of seven children who sometimes feel like 150.
It’s important for me to have clear boundaries and priorities established in order to achieve the best possible balance. I’m also lucky enough to work for a company that supports me.
Over time, I realized that the key to this balance is effective time management. Every morning I prioritize my tasks according to their urgency and importance. I make sure that I fulfill my professional commitments without neglecting my personal responsibilities. Setting realistic goals is a strategy I use both at work and at home to reduce excess stress and maintain work-life balance.
When it comes to talking on the phone or email, I try not to interfere with quality time with my family. Achieving a balance in the use of technology is essential to maintaining a healthy work-life integration.
What are your goals and ambitions for the company’s presence on the Bulgarian market in the future?
Our goals and ambitions are focused on supporting the growth and development of our talented employees and fostering innovation in the dynamic field of intelligence solutions.
Above all, we see Cognyte Bulgaria as a Hub of Excellence representation of the company with the highest achievements, which has a significant contribution to our global success. Innovation is at the heart of our future ambitions and aspirations. We are determined to remain at the top of technological achievements, and our presence in Bulgaria is of crucial importance for this.
We hope to constantly expand our operational teams in view of the extraordinary potential of the talents in Bulgaria.
What advice would you give to young professionals who dream of following a similar path in international management, especially in Bulgaria?
I cannot stress enough the importance of intense curiosity. Curiosity leads not only to enriching knowledge, but also shows a commitment to understanding the complexities of international business.
Another key piece of advice I can give is to approach challenges with a mindset of embracing different perspectives. International management often involves dealing with different cultures and markets.
Open-mindedness and a willingness to think differently can be a valuable asset in effectively dealing with the complexities inherent in cross-border business.
Tags: Israel Bulgaria learning cultures plays role building leadership approach
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