It’s May 27th and I’m sitting in Efi’s office. Efi is our COO, and her office has quietly become the unofficial HQ for Snappi Journal interviews. This time, I’m joined by Ioanna Tsekoura, our Employee of the Month. But that’s just the beginning. Around here, she’s often referred to as the soul of the company. 

And the timing couldn’t be more poetic. As I finally sit down to write this in the beginning of June, Ioanna has just been appointed Head of Customer Experience at Snappi, a role that brings together UX/UI, Loyalty, and all customer journey touchpoints under one roof. A huge leap but honestly? Not a surprise. 

Our conversation takes us back to her Snappi beginning in January 2023, when we were only 30 people. No Teams, no structure, no blueprints just energy, chaos, and purpose. Ioanna confesses she cried after her first week. (Can you blame her?) But she stayed. Built. Led. Grew. And now, whenever she vents, her brother reminds her with a smile: 
“Too late for that now. Be careful what you wish for.” 

Banking, it turns out, was always her wish. 
“It powers everyday life” she says. 
“It helps the world go round. And it can make people’s lives better. At least, that’s how it should be.” 

Today, her focus is fully on our customers. 
“Until now, we were building the product,” she says. 
“But now? It’s the people. The customers. They’re the soul. If we win an award but they’re not happy, it means nothing.” 

So how did she get dubbed the soul of Snappi? She thinks it started when she stepped in to lead UAT testing, without much experience, and without enough testers. 
“I put all my soul into it,” she says. 
“Making people feel excited, motivated, even when it was repetitive work. That’s where it started.” 

But her strength goes far beyond that moment. 
Three degrees. A son. A career that spans teaching German; practising psychology; building the best PR practices; and playing a pivotal role in the digital transformation journey of Attica Bank, as part of the core team. And now, she’s building Snappi from the ground up. 

Ioanna is a force of nature. 
But what moves me most is how deeply she embraces the human journey behind the strategy. She speaks openly about her insecurities. About how she realized everything starts with communication. 
About the courage it takes to leap even when you’re not ready. 

When I ask how she feels now, she smiles: 
“Excited! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to do something with impact. I want my son to see that what we do matters.” 

She’s proud. But not naive. 
“What comes easy is rarely worth it.” 

And if she had to describe Snappi in one word? 
“Empowering,” she says without hesitation. 
“For users. And for every single one of us building it.” 

That’s exactly the kind of banking the world needs. 

At that point, I can’t help myself. I want to meet her parents. How is someone this otherworldly, this prepared for the future? 

And then the final piece clicks into place: 
Ioanna was born and raised in Germany. Her family owned a restaurant near Nuremberg called Bei Willi and yes, it’s still open. I feel like flying there tomorrow. She moved to Greece at 16, but all her childhood summers were spent here. 
And that’s where the passion comes from. The fire. The soul. 

So what does she dream of? 
Work-life balance and happiness. 

“Happiness is work-life balance,” she says. 
“It’s health. It’s being able to dream, to think, to move in the direction you choose. It’s people. Community.” That’s very Greek, I think to myself. 

Even her relationship with money reflects this philosophy. 
“Money was made for a good life,” she says. 
“You work hard, you should enjoy something. A gift for a friend. A dinner. Respect money, but enjoy what comes with it.” 

As we wrap up, I ask this woman of two worlds — Greece and Germany — what she loves most about Greece. 
“Athens. The sea. The energy. It has mountains, it has waves, it grounds you. It has a vibe. It has everything.” 

Her top recommendations for visitors? 
“The Acropolis, you can feel something in the energy there. The sea always. Take the road from the city to the coast, it’s like driving toward freedom. And of course Greek cuisine. All of it.” 

The Greek word I learned from her today? 
Ilikrínia (ειλικρίνεια), the courage to speak the truth. 

And honestly? That’s just so Ioanna.