Many IT professionals from Turkey and worldwide will attend Authority Partners global Job Fair set for Friday, October 15th, to discover the possibilities of joining a leading IT company operating in the global market. This was a perfect opportunity to talk to Founders of AP, Maja and Erol Karabeg, both of Bosnia and Herzegovina origins, but citizens of the world by nature.
They opened the doors of Authority Partners HQ 23 years ago in California, USA, followed by technology centers in Sarajevo – launched 16 years ago and Istanbul, Turkey – launched 1 year ago. Presently, the AP team is almost 500+ strong, working from 33 countries from the offices and remotely. Maja and Erol believe that after the AP Job Fair, the company will be enriched by some remarkable people from Turkey and worldwide.
Talking to Maja and Erol is always a groundbreaking and inspirational experience. This time it was about how their story started, the further expansion of TC Istanbul, and the importance of the global Authority Partners Job Fair. Finally, this interview is also about the company culture embedded in every aspect of Authority Partners.
AP: You were born and raised in B&H, later moved to the US, and established a successful company 23 years ago, operating in 33 countries today. What was the drive behind that path to success?
Maja Karabeg: I would say that one thing led to another. Erol opened his first company in our hometown Mostar, B&H, in the early 90s. I joined them as the first employee in June of 1991. After that, we moved to Austria, then to the USA.
We always loved technology and were passionate about software development. This is a very creative profession, there are many ways to do something, so you are on a constant mission to be better, more efficient, more scalable.
Working in the US, where there is a constant need for IT talent, inspired us to open our first technology center in Sarajevo, B&H, in 2005. That was the beginning of our global story. By 2014, we were 200 consultants strong, 300 in 2019, 400 in 2020, and we are hoping to be 500 soon officially.
AP: What is an advantage for IT professionals to work within the global team?
Maja Karabeg: Globalization has happened, and in my opinion, the IT sector is one perfect and positive example of it. It is interesting to work with colleagues from different countries, cultures, backgrounds. It tears down many stereotypes, and you realize that we have more in common than you originally thought. It gives you the opportunity to work on the latest technologies outside of any “physical” borders created by human rules and regulations.
I like to repeat – smart, capable, knowledgeable, motivated, educated, professional people live everywhere, we are not defined by country of our origin.
AP: Where are all the AP technology centers located, and how do they work?
Erol Karabeg: Currently, we have 3 AP technology centers in Irvine, California, Sarajevo, B&H and Istanbul, Turkey. We are planning to open one more TC in Southern America soon.
Our consultants are working together on different projects that are not organized by geographical location. We use agile methodology, and our consultants are organized in teams (up to 7 members). Depending on project size, we can have multiple teams working on one project. Each project has its scrum master(s), program manager(s), architect(s), engineering manager(s) etc. It is a very dynamic but well-organized system. We are very proud of our processes and ready for future growth and development.
AP: When did you launch Tech Center in Istanbul, and why?
Erol Karabeg: We opened our TC in Istanbul in 2020. We started hiring international consultants in 2018 and were looking for clusters of great professionals in different time zones. It looked like we had many of them in Istanbul, so we decided to go there. Unfortunately, right after that, the Covid pandemic started that slowed down our growth. But we are back, looking forward to expanding this office!
AP: Was that a new chapter for AP? Do you have any plans for the further development of TC Istanbul?
Erol Karabeg: As I mentioned, we would like to grow our Istanbul office and make it one of our main technology centers. We believe that we are a good match for IT professionals in Istanbul, we offer competitive salaries/benefits, and there is a fantastic potential for personal growth and development with AP. We work on the latest technologies with clients from the US and Europe, we are stable and strong and as the company has been in business for 23+ years.
AP: On October 15th, AP will be hosting the global AP Job Fair with a focus on IT professionals from Turkey and other countries as well. Why do you consider this event important for the further development of the AP team?
Maja Karabeg: First of all, we would like to use this opportunity to present AP, our company culture and our values. In today’s world, IT professionals have the choice, and in my opinion, it is important that we work in a company which values are aligned with ours.
On the other side, we currently have about 50 openings for different positions/career paths, so we hope that we will meet some qualified candidates willing to join our team.
AP: What would be your message to IT professionals worldwide?
Maja Karabeg: If you are curious, smart, ambitious, open-minded, love what you do, looking for a position that will enable your constant professional growth and development, would like to be a part of the global, growing team of IT professionals, join our team.
#GrowingTogether with our clients on the path to success is our specialty!