Yuri enjoys the meaningful relationships he has forged with his colleagues over the years. For Yuri, those memorable moments started on day one. His manager at the time, Jim, left him in a conference room to complete an onboarding task. Jim told Yuri to find him once he finished, which he tried to do. “I went to look for Jim but got lost, so I asked a colleague, ‘Where is Jim?’ She said, ‘We don’t have a gym here.’ I said, ‘What do you mean you don’t have a Jim?’” They went back and forth a few times before realizing she had mistaken his question as a search for a gymnasium. Yuri shares that a few moments such as that one have occurred during his time with Phenomenex. English is not his first language, but his colleagues are always polite and helpful, and it has allowed him to share many laughs over the years.
Another favorite part of Yuri’s experience at Phenomenex is the day-to-day meetings he has with colleagues. “While meetings at other companies can be formal and dry, we try to host meetings in a fun, collaborative way,” said Yuri. “Even when discussing serious content, we ensure that the dialogue is open, inclusive, and welcoming to everyone involved. We work hard but have fun while we do it, which has a very positive impact on all team members.”
Yuri enjoys challenging his mind and body outside of work. “From my youth until recently, I’ve always played many different sports,” said Yuri. “It has become more challenging to stay active, but I continue to play chess—and nobody at Phenomenex has beaten me so far.”
Yuri lives near a large community composed of people from the collapse of the Soviet Union. It's important to him to give back and be involved in this community: “I try my best to help people who are in bad situations make changes in their lives. It keeps my spirits high when I can help others and make a contribution to my community.”