O2 Career: meet Lauriane, Product Owner

Lauriane has been with O2 Web for two years. This passionate and versatile worker started out as a quality assurance (QA) analyst and went on to become a product owner.

1. What made you decide to join O2 Web?

I moved to Canada in late 2018 and O2 Web is the first web agency I’ve worked for. During the interview, I felt a good connection with the managers and realized that my varied work history aligned nicely with the agency’s mindset.

2. What has your experience been like at O2 Web?

I was hired as a QA analyst and assigned to a team of four people. We were tasked with designing, writing, implementing and executing various tests to validate the quality and operability of an e-commerce platform.

My supervisor noticed that I had management and planning skills, so they asked if I was interested in taking a temporary position as a project manager, while someone else was away. I accepted the challenge. I really enjoyed coordinating projects, managing teams and making sure that everyone felt at ease and able to deliver.

Then a product owner position opened up. I decided to apply as an internal applicant and I was selected for the job! After that, I dedicated half of my time to the product owner role and the other half to my quality assurance analyst responsibilities so that I could tie up loose ends. 

I’m now 100% dedicated to product management, and I’m really loving it! We act as the liaison between clients’ business needs and the solutions that O2 Web develops. We need to know everything that’s happening on a project. First and foremost, we work for the clients. It’s our job to make sure the agency’s in-house experts—the strategists, designers and technical team—meet the needs expressed by our clients. To make this happen, I often have to challenge our developers, but I also maintain a strong collaborative relationship with them throughout the duration of the project.

3. What do you like most about working at O2 Web?

The thing I like most about working at O2 Web is the flexibility. We can set our work hours and choose when we want to work from home or at the office. This is totally different from my previous employers and it helps me strike a balance between my personal and professional obligations. 

O2 also has a really unique work atmosphere. I feel really lucky to work with fun people who are always willing to help!

4. What’s your best memory to date?

You might think that the website go-live period is a stressful time, but it’s what I enjoy the most and have the best memories of. Websites often go up late at night, when our teams are feeling relaxed, though with a bit of adrenaline going. It’s rare that we have unpleasant surprises because our QA analysts and developers collaborate so well before we get to that point.

5. How would you describe your colleagues?

I love how we all help each other. When the need arises, we create “war rooms” with developers to find solutions. I love feeling all the energy come together and seeing the light bulbs go off in people’s heads when they find the right solution. 

O2 Web is also focused on fun. There are lots of organized events, such as the “Tpain” team-building day and the “Retreat” to celebrate the holiday season and take a look back on the year that’s ending. Our social committee spends months preparing these events and we always have a great time!

Like Lauriane, you are interested in being a Product Owner at O2 Web? Visit our career page to learn more about our values and benefits.