Appnovator Spotlight: Ana Iritsu

Ana Iritsu, a Project Manager, will be celebrating her 4th anniversary with Appnovation in April. Recruited from LinkedIn, she was the third hire for the Brazilian office, which now has 31 employees. We asked Ana to share with us some of her experiences with Appnovation to get some insight into role and interests.

Tell us about your role?
As a project manager, my main focus is to ensure that the projects are successfully delivered on time with quality and guarantee the stakeholders and the company satisfaction. It also includes to lead the team and assure the communication is well driven, internally and externally.  Mapping the risks, keeping track of the budget, setting tasks and priorities, and scheduling a lot of meetings are all part of daily work.

What do you enjoy most about working at Appnovation and being part of a global team?
One of the things I enjoy most at Appnovation is working with people from all over the world. I live in São Paulo, the largest city in South America, so the closest I get to nature are the wild birds and the zoo. It was quite an interesting experience to hear people casually mention seeing bears in their backyard during a meeting.

What makes Appnovation’s nearshore model unique, especially for clients in high-compliance industries like healthcare or finance?
Appnovation's nearshore model is supported by a highly skilled team that can support a high-compliance industry. Our deep industry expertise ensures we bring both knowledge and insight to every project. Additionally, Brazil has a huge cultural diversity making it easier to integrate and engage the team while working collaboratively with teams from other countries.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Appnovation team in Brazil, and how does the team collaborate across regions?
What I appreciate most about working at Appnovation in Brazil is the sense of teamwork. I've had the opportunity to be part of multiple projects for various clients, collaborating with different Appnovators across regions, and in every experience, the common thread has been that everyone truly embraces being a team player

In your time off, what’s your favourite hobby? 
As a true Gemini, I have a lot of hobbies and interests. I’m addicted to escape rooms to the point where I’ve already traveled to other cities and countries just to play since São Paulo is running out of options for me. I also like taking care of my plants and my Neocaridina shrimps. I also spend time doing crochet, crafting, baking, and reading books.
Last year,  I decided to embrace a healthier lifestyle and took up running. As I said, I’m an authentic gemini!

Favourite food?
As a Japanese descendent, I feel like I need to choose a Japanese dish, like sushi, udon or sukiyaki. But honestly, I love a Brazilian barbecue style with a good picanha cut.

Give us your best podcast/book recommendation.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg gave me valuable insights and much to reflect on.

Thanks Ana for sharing your experiences with Appnovation and your daily life with us!

Want to learn about joining our team? Follow Appnovation on LinkedIn or visit our Careers page to apply to one of our open positions (yes, we’re hiring!).