Meet Gaisa Raig: Travels, Opportunities & Shifting Career Paths

For almost ten years, Gaisa Raig has been a familiar face within Safebridge and Mintra, building strong relationships with customers and colleagues alike.

Originally from Pärnu, a picturesque seaside city in Estonia, Gaisa moved to Cyprus 15 years ago in search of warmer weather and a different pace of life. What was initially intended as a new adventure quickly became home.

The experience of adapting to a new country, culture and language taught her valuable life lessons. While she already spoke English, trying to learning Greek became an important part of settling into life in Cyprus and integrating into the local community.

"Making the effort to speak the language is a sign of respect, so it was important to me to persevere with learning Greek. Moving abroad teaches you independence and gives you life experience that you simply wouldn't gain otherwise, and this has been a huge benefit to me and my approach to work."

"I have always had a big heart and enjoyed helping others. Studying social work taught me a lot about different people and their experiences." Patience and self-control are also qualities that have stayed with her since childhood. Until age 16 Gaisa competed in archery and became an Estonian champion in her age group. She learnt that you cannot always win and that sometimes it is important to slow down, stay focused and not let emotions take over.

Her professional journey began unexpectedly while working in a local restaurant. After meeting a friend during a Pilates class who worked at Safebridge, she was encouraged to apply for an open role. "Getting the opportunity meant a lot to me. It was my first real step onto the career ladder."

Over the following eight years, Gaisa became a trusted member of the customer support team, developing extensive knowledge of the company's products and building long-standing relationships with customers around the world. The role was fast-paced and demanding, requiring quick problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of customer needs.

When Safebridge became part of Mintra in 2021, her experience and product knowledge proved invaluable, particularly during the migration of customers onto Mintra's platforms, one of the achievements she is most proud of.

Two years ago, encouraged and supported by Channel Director Emmanolia Kolias, Gaisa moved into the sales team. While she already knew many of Mintra's customers and products, the transition required a completely different approach.

"In support, everything is about solving issues quickly. Sales gives you more time to understand customers, learn about their businesses and work out how Mintra can best support them."

Today, Gaisa works as an Inside Sales Representative working mostly across Southern Europe but also supporting existing and prospective customers around the world. The role involves understanding customers' operations, identifying their challenges and helping them find the right solutions to support their learning and competence needs.

She particularly enjoys the collaborative nature of the role and the strong team culture within Mintra's sales function. Regular meetings provide an opportunity to discuss priorities, share ideas and support one another, creating an environment where everyone works towards the same goals.

Moving into sales has also given Gaisa the confidence to take on new experiences, including representing Mintra at industry events and conferences such as Maritime Cyprus, where she enjoyed meeting customers face-to-face having spoken to many of them remotely over the years.

"We all help each other and genuinely care about one another. Many colleagues have become close friends." As well as the close-knit and supportive culture, she also greatly appreciates the flexibility that Mintra offers employees. As someone who loves travelling and has built a life away from her home country, the ability to work remotely allows her to spend longer periods with family and friends in Estonia while continuing to support customers and colleagues.

"When you live abroad, those connections with family and friends become even more important. Being able to spend more time with them, without having to step away from my role, means a lot to me." For Gaisa, Mintra has also been a place where she has been encouraged to grow professionally, giving her the confidence to take on new challenges and continue developing her skills.

Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, having now visited 29 countries, as well as swimming in the sea, going to the gym and maintaining an impressive walking streak of more than 2,000 consecutive days of reaching at least 10,000 steps.

"I get 10,000 steps every day, whether it is minus 20 or plus 40 degrees. At this point, it's simply become part of who I am. I can't stop now!"

Looking ahead, Gaisa hopes to continue expanding her knowledge of the maritime industry, deepening her understanding of its different sectors and evolving challenges. As she continues to grow in her sales career, she is keen to keep stepping outside her comfort zone, building confidence through new experiences and embracing opportunities to represent Mintra across the industry.

Outside of work, she looks forward to continuing her adventures, exploring new destinations and cultures, and achieving one long-standing personal ambition to get her driver's licence. Hopefully, much like the lessons she learned through archery as a teenager, the patience, focus and perseverance will get her exactly where she needs to be!