Meet Ivaylo Chenchev, one of the leading Consulting Managers in Do IT Wise. He is a true inspiration for bringing the team together, uplifting the spirit in the office, and constantly leading by example.
His job and hobbies are intertwined, and he finds real pleasure in everything IT-related. You can also spot him often in the mountains, enjoying the power and calmness of nature.
1. I am Ivaylo Chenchev
People call me just Ivo or by my interesting family name Chenchev. My path in IT started for as long as I can remember. I have spent my high school years at the Vocational School of Computer Technology in Pravets. Maybe it is just in the vibes and history of the city that is strongly related to computers. After that, I studied for Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science, and recently I successfully finished and defended my PhD Thesis “Information Processing and Protection in Decentralized Networks” at Technical University – Sofia, Bulgaria.
My previous experience contains being a Head of Technical support on UNIX machines, Technical Consultant, Solutions Architect, Team Lead of both physical and virtual teams in some of the biggest Telecom and IT companies.
2. My role in Do IT Wise
My position in Do IT Wise is ITOM Consulting Manager. Leading a team of highly motivated and skilled IT Operations Management technology consultants, providing end-to-end monitoring solutions, digital transformations, automation and advisory. What I love about working in a company like ours is the opportunity to work on so much more than what the role traditionally requires. Lately, I am also participating in some of the presales projects. That is a great way to have a good overview of the whole process and develop new skills.
3. Why Do IT Wise?
First of all, the culture of the company is similar to what is important for me in my work – to have the opportunity to grow and learn, while being in a friendly and inspiring environment of like-minded people. It comes down to one simple thing – do you come to work in the morning with joy and excitement for the upcoming tasks and challenges? And yes, in Do IT Wise, I do.
It was quite an easy transition for me when I changed my job and came to the company because I have the right skill set for the work here and I know most of the team from years before, and we have worked together on many successful projects in the past as well.
4. Welcome to my day
Usually, I have a different schedule every day, but there are a few things I always try to implement daily:
- Task list – I always start my day with a few minutes to write down my tasks, prioritize them and create an action plan. The key is to have a good overview and to be adaptable.
- Thinking time – In the morning when I am well rested and focused, I like to dedicate time to the most creative and time-consuming tasks that require deep thinking. This is the most effective way for me to be more productive.
- Emails – Time to check and respond to the upcoming communication.
- Meetings – Most of my days are dedicated to discussions with the team and our clients.
Every two weeks we have a team meeting to sync all tasks and resources and to solve potential problems or cases our colleagues may have. During the week we don’t have a group meeting, we always have face-to-face meetings with each team member to discuss everything work-related, projects, problems and new ideas. And this is why in Do IT Wise everyone gets personal attention and can communicate openly.
And of course, we have meetings with the other Consulting Managers and Team Leaders and daily progress check-up meetings with clients.
5. My most significant achievement
If we speak about work, I think in Do IT Wise I have two moments that I am particularly proud of. In both of them I managed to help my colleagues with tough client cases they were working on. Together with our combined expertise, knowledge and the new perspective from my side of not being involved in the project, we created the right solution within hours. That is one of the great things about our team as a whole, everyone will jump in to help you in any way they can.
And if I have to highlight achievement in my personal life, I would say a childhood dream of mine to get first dan in karate.
6. Sharing is caring
One of my main drivers in life is developing yourself every day. Now we have endless bits of information around us and for me, it’s a pleasure to constantly learn new things. Of course, the main sources are books and the mighty internet, but I can recommend A Cloud Guru for everything IT-related. There you can find an enormous number of digital courses and resources that can help you grow. I have personally subscribed for years and am totally satisfied. Another place I get useful, up-to-date information is from our internal Knowledge sharing base, where every colleague can write about the updates in their specific area.
Recently we have decided to share this knowledge and professional tips with our audience in our blog on the website since that kind of information is specific and hard to find. There you can expect to find materials about Digital Transformation, ServiceNow and many more.
Read the latest article about implementing Google Analytics on a ServiceNow Portal page.
7. Personal “motto” – spoken or unspoken?
The day you stop teaching is the day you stop learning.
8. My hobbies
I practice dynamic shooting according to the rules of IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation) on a shooting range. Shooting is so much more than just aiming at a target – security, protection and strict adherence to the rules. Then comes discipline and a lot of concentration. Despite I don’t usually participate in competitions, once I reached 4th place at the National tournament in Bulgaria.
My other passions are hiking in the mountains and photography – mostly landscapes.
9. What is your favorite family tradition?
No matter how busy you are or how much you love your job, always take quality time to spend with your loved ones. As a happy family man and a nature lover, in the last couple of years I have developed a great tradition with family – every year at the end of May, we go on a vacation in Sandanski. It is a small town near the border with Greece, situated in a valley at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. Peace, fresh air, great people, the mountains, and time just for ourselves. You just cannot ask for more.
10. Favorite book
“Winnetou” by Carl May. Probably I have read all the novels at least 4 times each. I love to read it on an airplane, it grabs my full attention. I love the way the author represents freedom and what does it mean for the characters. Also how they look at life in general. We can learn a lot from the classics.
11. A word to the wise
The most important thing for every person is to determine for themselves what is the work they will find pleasure in doing, what kind of company and culture will fit their requirements and after they clarify that to start the search for the perfect match. That is the way to have a happy and successful professional life.
Find more of our incredible team members and their personal stories in “Meet the Wise Team”. You can read more about one of our Project Managers – Gergana Trifonova and her unexpected hobbies.
