IT COFFEE BREAK

Hosted by EPAM Systems

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Apr 2026

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About the show

IT Coffee Break is a podcast featuring EPAM professionals and leading experts who share their career paths, experiences and personal stories from the world of tech. Each episode explores a different domain and highlights the real journeys behind the roles — from professional growth to international opportunities. Grab a coffee and join us on the adventure at EPAM.

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60 recent

June 15, 202635 min

From Economics to AI: How David Atanaszov Turns Data Into Business Decisions

David Atanaszov, Chief BI Analyst at EPAM Hungary, traces his journey from behavioral economics and a decade of teaching to leading complex analytics projects for global enterprise clients. The conversation covers how AI is reshaping business intelligence, where it genuinely helps and where human expertise still matters most.00:00 – Introduction and educational background05:37 – Career path from Nielsen to Morgan Stanley to EPAM13:35 – What a Chief BI Analyst actually does day to day20:40 – Gross margin optimization and real-world analytics in life sciences29:29 – How AI is changing analytics and where its limits are

April 30, 202628 min

Redefining Leadership: Insights from a Gen Z Sales Lead

Giovanna Pimenta, Sales Development Lead at EPAM Hungary, is part of a new wave of Gen Z leaders redefining leadership. Despite her young age, she brings several years of experience and has intentionally shaped her leadership style through continuous learning and practice. Timestamps:1:00 – Giovanna’s career journey and early leadership signals4:30 – Learning to lead: studying communication, feedback, and team dynamics7:00 – How to handle people who resist feedback and support10:30 – Core sales mindset: curiosity, flexibility, humility, and proactivity13:30 – Motivation strategies and building a clear career progression path16:30 – Gen Z leadership: impatience, ambition, and “trusting the process”23:00 – Leading across generations and adapting communication styles

March 20, 202636 min

What do clients want?

Inecke Snyder-Laurens has over 30 years of experience in project management. She has worked in the financial and automotive industries in both large and small organisations. Currently, she is overseeing 9 project management teams and is the principal delivery manager for a major client at EPAM.Timestamps:0:19 – Introduction and overview of Ineke Snyder Lawrence’s career1:32 – Ineke’s career journey and current role as Principal Delivery Manager at EPAM3:07 – Women at EPAM initiatives and mentoring programs6:06 – How project management skills transfer across industries11:19 – Managing global teams across countries and cultures19:33 – Handling challenging projects and legacy system transformation24:03 – How AI is changing project management32:17 – The human side of AI adoption and addressing job concerns

February 25, 202628 min

Solution Architects: The Power Players Between Tech and Business

When EPAM Systems Hungary brought together tech professionals for the CEE Tech Meetup, one role took center stage: the Solution Architect.And for good reason.Solution Architects sit exactly where technology meets business strategy. They translate complex technical possibilities into real business value.Timestamps:00:21 – Introduction01:14 – Career beginnings02:51 – Misconceptions about solution architecture05:55 – Essential skills for solution architects07:47 – Career paths and training14:13 – Documentation and processes15:01 – AI in solution architecture23:46 – Client projects and impact

February 12, 202621 min

Bridging the Gap: Accelerating Careers Through EPAM Campus

Dávid Hegyi and Henrietta Ábrányi, two software engineers at EPAM Hungary, are participating in a flagship initiative designed to accelerate the onboarding of EPAM Campus graduates onto projects through the combination of AI and structured mentorship.Timestamps:1:15 – Guest Introductions2:00 – Campus Program Overview4:33 – Henrietta’s Campus Experience7:57 – Transition to Epam Company13:14 – AI in Mentorship and Work17:44 – Roles as Mentor and Mentee

December 19, 202528 min

2025 Wrapped: How AI Shaped Our Year

A look back at the most exciting AI conversations of the year. In this special Wrapped episode, we revisit key insights, bold ideas and memorable moments shared by our guests in 2025 — from real-world AI use cases to future-looking perspectives.

November 26, 202517 min

Staying relevant in the age of AI

Anna Aksenova is a Senior Data Engineer, whose work has reformed customer experience and corporate workflows through many of her projects that use Large Language Models to automate processes and substitute human labour. As companies strive to incorporate more AI tools into their workflows, it is even more important for engineers to stay relevant and excel at their work. Timestamps:00:31 - Introduction01:45 - Journey into Data Science03:55 - Focus on Machine Learning05:58 - Work at EPAM07:18 - Challenges in Generative AI12:07 - Mentoring and Education13:45 - Key Skills & Academia vs Industry

November 12, 202524 min

Mirroring and creating human connections

Timestamps; 01:00 – Giovanna shares her international career journey and cultural experiences03:30 – Adapting communication styles for North America, Germany, and Latin America05:45 – Insights from the “Mastering Communication Skills” workshops for tech professionals07:00 – The LEARN framework: Listen, Empathize, Acknowledge, Negotiate, Respond10:30 – Communicating differently with executives vs. technical teams13:45 – How AI supports communication while keeping the human touch17:00 – Leading multicultural teams and empowering people to find their own style

October 30, 202525 min

What does the Head of Data and AI do?

Apostolos Lampropoulos is Head of Data and Analytics of EPAM in the Adriatic region, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Croatia. He describes his job as a series of multitasking, as there are many important aspects of his job that he needs to do on a daily basis.Timestamps:01:40 - Career Journey03:08 - Role and Responsibilities05:19 - Becoming an AI-First Company07:31 - Client Challenges and AI Integration10:31 - Upskilling and Workforce Development13:39 - Bridging Business and Technology17:04 - Change Management & AI and Jobs19:38 - AI Project Lifecycle22:29 - Regional Focus and AI Transformation

October 15, 202538 min

Razvan Podovei and the Essence of Visionary Leadership

Since February 2025, Razvan Podovei has been leading EPAM Romania’s Cloud Practice, bringing with him not only extensive technical expertise but also a deeply reflective perspective on what it means to lead. For Razvan, leadership isn’t simply a title — it’s a mindset shaped by experience, persistence, and a genuine commitment to people.01:30 – Razvan’s background & career path06:20 – How he started at EPAM12:10 – Leadership approach18:40 – Cloud trends in Romania25:00 – Message to future colleagues28:00 – Outro