Welcome to Leader’s Insights, a place where The Future asks the simplest yet most interesting questions to the executives of well-known companies, startups, and innovators.
This time, under the interrogation spotlight, is Eva Samburova, Chief HR Officer at Finyard, a company specialising in innovative financial technology solutions. Finyard focuses on reshaping digital finance by offering tools and platforms for secure, efficient, and user-friendly financial services, helping businesses and individuals navigate the digital economy with ease.
Eva began her journey studying psychology, worked as a QA engineer and Agile coach, and eventually moved into HR, completing a full circle back to working with people. Along the way, she gained essential insights into development and process design.
She established a strategic HR function from the ground up and created processes for Training and Development, Employer Branding, Communications, HR Business Partnership, and Culture. She has successfully achieved all the business goals, whether reducing turnover, increasing engagement, or enhancing management development.
She enjoys challenges and prefers building systems and structures, adapting them to suit various stages of the company’s lifecycle. She is always looking for ways to improve and streamline work to benefit the company, employees, and the team as a whole.
She continually learns to bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and alternative viewpoints.
Let’s see what Eva has to say…
1. Do you remember your first day on the job at Finyard?
Absolutely. I met many wonderful, friendly, and incredibly talented people. I was given a comprehensive overview of key information about the company and had the opportunity to get to know the team better.
2. What is more difficult: being interviewed to join a team or doing the interviews yourself?
It’s very different when you’re interviewing people — it’s crucial to understand what’s behind their words, the kind of person they are, whether they’ll be a good fit for us, and if they’ll strengthen and improve the team. You need to assess how their experience can enhance our company’s capabilities. In terms of responsibility, hiring carries a much greater weight.
3. What do you most value in your employees?
I most value their ability to work as a cohesive team, their proactive approach to problem-solving, strong communication skills, and the positive energy they bring to every challenge.
Teamwork–I believe that we can achieve extraordinary results only as a team. Each individual can excel, but true potential shines in the collective synergy.
Proactivity is about recognizing opportunities for improvement, generating ideas to enhance processes, tasks, or workflows, and taking responsibility to make those changes happen. It reflects a genuine commitment to improving things.
Communication–The ability to communicate, negotiate, and stay open to different perspectives is essential. We must appreciate that everyone is unique, and finding common ground is key to succeeding together.
Energy and a Positive Attitude–Together, we can accomplish anything; for that, we always need energy and a belief in a better tomorrow.
4. Which is a motto/quote you use in your work?
“Impossible is nothing.”
While commonly attributed to Muhammad Ali, this quote actually originated in an Adidas campaign. Regardless, I absolutely love it. The quote speaks to breaking boundaries and embracing the belief that, with the right mindset, nothing is truly out of reach.
[Full quote – “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”]
5. If you were back to the start, what would you advise yourself for a great career?
No matter what happens, remember that there is always a solution.
Trust your intuition—it will guide you in building the best team you can rely on.
Don’t compromise when it comes to people—bring on only those who are the perfect fit.
6. How do you pump up your creativity?
Team brainstorming–collective discussions where even a seemingly funny idea can become the source of a brilliant solution.
Learning, art, movies, and music; what sparks creativity for one person, might simply be a good eye for detail for another.
7. What is a talent you would like to have?
I wish I could fit everything into 24 hours: work, explore the world, pursue my hobbies, and spend quality time with my family.
8. How do you balance work and personal life?
It’s challenging! When you love your work, it becomes an important part of your life, making it hard to balance with other passions. However, I know how crucial it is to switch off to remain effective. That’s why I have hobbies I enjoy, spend time with loved ones, and go for walks—anything that helps me clear my mind and gather new ideas and impressions that I can later apply to my work.
9. What are the top five foods you like in Cyprus?
Mediterranean cuisine is fantastic, and living close to the sea allows me to enjoy plenty of seafood, which tops my favourite list—octopus, fish, and more.
10. Can you name your top five favourite places in Cyprus?
The mountains are my absolute favourite!
11. Which personality, throughout history, do you admire most?
I am deeply inspired by the story of Ignaz Semmelweis, the obstetrician who discovered the importance of handwashing to prevent the spread of disease. He reduced the mortality rate of mothers in his department from 60% to 0.85% through this simple practice. What shocks me is that he was mocked and rejected by most other doctors, who refused to adopt his methods. Despite that, he never gave up. It took years for his discovery to be accepted, but he continued to push forward. To me, his story is a powerful example of keen observation, sharp intellect, unwavering belief in his ideas, and determination to fight for what he believed in.
12. Who is your favourite author/book that helped your career?
Buckingham’s First, Break All the Rules is an excellent book that emphasises focusing on people’s strengths and offers a different approach to personal development—one that stands apart from the standard ‘one-size-fits-all’ method. Each of us is unique, and that’s where our strength lies; it’s something we should nurture and develop.
13. Where would you advise our readers to go this winter vacation?
When you wake up in the morning and think, “I wish I could be in…,” just buy the tickets and go! Some people find happiness in the nature of Norway, others on the ski slopes of Austria, or the beaches of Bali. It’s wonderful that everyone can discover their special place to recharge, find inspiration, and return, ready to embrace new opportunities and create something amazing.
