Lorina Balan, our Marketing Specialist

This month marks a special milestone for Lorina, our passionate Marketing Specialist: her 1-year anniversary at XWiki! 🎉 To celebrate, we sat down with her to chat about her career journey, what it’s like being part of the Marketing team, her experience as an XWikier, and even a few fun things she enjoys outside of work.

Get to know Lorina better in the latest edition of our Team Series below! 👇 

Lorina

in 5 things

• Favorite artist: Foo Fighters would be on top of my list.

• Best book ever read: "The color purple" by Alice Walker

• Dream destination: Cuba for the music, India for the culture and Ireland for the views.

• Quote you live by: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” Chuang Tzu

• At the office or remote? At the office for the conversations and fun, at home for focus.

Tell me about yourself briefly

I’m Lorina, a Digital Marketing Specialist who joined XWiki’s Marketing team in April 2024 and now wears the PR & Events hat. I’m a true extrovert and volunteer at heart, whether it’s leading a community project or helping out at local events. When I’m off the clock, you’ll find me with my nose in a book, out on a hiking trail, or embracing my scout spirit in the great outdoors, with my cubs squad.

🌄 The journey to XWiki

What were you doing before XWiki? Did you change careers when joining our team?

My background is quite diverse, with a few crossroads and turns along the way. From being an Assistant Project Manager to being a Kindergarten Teacher or a Marketing Specialist, all the fields I worked in had some common grounds: being creative, working with people and building communities, either online or offline.

Before joining XWiki I was a Jane-of-all-trades in marketing (officially a Digital Marketing Specialist) for ecommerce brands from the EU and US. I also developed some Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns and launched some successful brands on Amazon. 

So, joining XWiki was not really another big career turn, but rather focusing on growing as a marketeer in a company with values that align with my own: being open, transparent and ethical.

What is it like to be working in the Marketing team at XWiki?

Well, I can say for sure that it is intense, challenging, diverse and rewarding in the same time. Although the same domain, marketing in the open-source environment is quite different from marketing for ecommerce brands, so it took a while for me to adapt my voice and approach to it.

But I am lucky enough to be part of a team where everyone brings different skills set, from Dorina's strategical, technical overview, to Adina's focus on design and user experience, and Oana's attention to details when it comes to content quality. Also, I really do appreciate that marketing is not a remote island in XWiki, as XWikiers from other teams come with their own input, suggestions and remarks. 

As I am celebrating my first year of being an XWikier, I consider myself lucky to be in a team where communication is key, we rely on each other for new ideas, feedback and fresh perspectives. Work is never dull in the Marketing team at XWiki and ideas keep rolling all the time. So, it's only a matter of finding a way to expand time so we can trial and test all the tactics we have in mind.

🔎 Open-source impressions

Was open source something you had an interest in prior to XWiki?

I cannot say that I was aware of the open-source world per se, but I was using open-source software without even realizing it. In my previous job I often used Audacity for editing audio, VLC player is my favorite media player since forever, as it is well known for its ability to view almost any video file, including FLAC files. Also, I have been using LibreOffice for documentation and of course, PrestaShop to build and manage online shops for my ecommerce clients. 

But I never researched the licensing of the software. For me, it was just software that worked for what I had to do, and I was using it for the features. 

What's the open-source value you identify with most?

I would say there are 2 values I identify with most. First I'd mention transparency as I am myself an open book. What I discovered in XWiki is that all is open to debate and discussions, and I really do appreciate this, because when you have a say, you really get involved in the process.

Second, I always put great value in the power of communities. I learned that at a very young age from my grandmother. After years of building communities online and offline, both in my professional and personal life, I can really say that having a strong community to support your development is what makes the difference. Remembering an old saying I can conclude that as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a passionate community to maintain and develop an open-source tool like XWiki, already celebrating its 20 years anniversary.

⌛ Being an XWikier

How was the integration process at XWiki for you?

It was a steep learning curve to adapt my expectations and approach from Big Tech ecommerce to open source, but I had my team close during the entire process. I felt safe asking questions (well, a lot of them), coming with ideas to experiment or asking for feedback.

My first day at XWiki was also the day when the CEO, Ludovic Dubost, the Sales Director, Clément Aubin, and the Client Team CTO, Anca Luca where visiting from Paris. Needless to say how nervous was I to meet everyone in the same time. But I felt genuinely welcomed by everyone I interacted with. What really stuck with me is how Oana, our Content Specialist took a walk home with me at the end of the day and reassured me that it's ok to take my time to adjust.

What were the biggest ways in which XWiki changed during the time you've been around?

I would not say that a lot of things have changed overall in XWiki since I joined, but in the Marketing team there was a rollercoaster of changes. For me, it was a proof of the power of the team to adapt and always keep its true north.

What would you say is the most valuable lesson you learned during your time at XWiki?

That value is not (only) in the numbers, but mostly in the people. That patience is the real virtue when you are building for the long-term and that success is always a team effort.

What has kept you at XWiki so far?

I have not been that long with XWiki, but what keeps me here is the team.

If you could describe your XWiki's culture in one word, what would it be?

Collaboration

Favorite memory up until now at XWiki?

Definitely the 20 years party and the seminar that followed. We got to spend 1 week together to share ideas, work on new projects but also chill out, have fun and play.