Welcome to We Are Acvian, an ongoing series of conversations with team members who bring our People First philosophy to life and elevate Employer of Record (EOR) services to the level of true customer care‍. While our industry relies on advanced software to keep EOR, payroll, immigration support, and HR outsourcing smooth, technology alone is never the whole story.

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International employment support is human-centered at its core and calls for experts who understand expat life from the inside. After all, which case manager would you trust more with your remote team – one who works from a distant office three time zones away, or one who has relocated multiple times, navigated foreign bureaucracies, lived the challenges your team may face, and can offer solutions before problems even arise?‍

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With this in mind, meet Vira Andreieva, our Key Account Manager with more than a decade-long history of expat life in Poland, who transitioned from a dynamic and restless big-corp environment to fully remote work at Acvian and has a unique understanding of international employment dynamics.

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Hi Vira! Joining Acvian usually means bringing along a tapestry of stories about relocation, career milestones, and the transition to remote work. We’d love to hear yours! When and where did your expat journey begin, and what was your career path like before EOR?

Hi! My expat journey began in 2012 when I, still a young adult, packed my entire life into two suitcases and moved to Poland to study international tourism. To support myself as a student, I took a job at an emerging booking software company. It was my first real experience with self-sufficiency, and I went above and beyond for the product and the team. I took on a variety of tasks to support the startup’s rapid growth, trained newbies, and very soon found myself in a managerial position. This job inspired me to continue my studies and pursue a Master’s degree in Management and helped me fund my first-ever vacation to Italy, the moment I discovered my lifelong passion for traveling. It also turned into the first career challenge: as I witnessed the company gradually go bankrupt, I learned valuable lessons about starting from scratch, adapting quickly, and embracing the opportunities that arise from a crisis. Hence, it was the reason for my next career step.

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Next, I joined a large international corporation as a content analyst and later a team lead. I balanced this role with postgraduate studies in Management, working in a highly diverse team where cultural and language exchanges were constant. I learned to look for the middle ground between seniority and companionship as a manager. Beyond my direct responsibilities, I took on tasks in corporate event management, charity projects, and other employee engagement initiatives. This gave me visibility across the company and a 360-degree view of how it functioned.

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As the team expanded, I recognized the need for stronger leadership development and created an internal training program that supported my mentees in advancing both within the company and in their long-term careers. At the same time, I observed how structured career ladders and a competitive atmosphere shaped teamwork dynamics, which taught me the importance of fostering collaboration even in highly competitive settings.

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At the beginning of the pandemic, seeking growth and a new environment, I joined another international company as a team lead. In this role, I built and managed international teams in a then-new remote environment, which helped me quickly adapt to the changing reality of remote leadership and project management. Later, I took on the role of transition manager and was in charge of transition processes across departments, covering everything from sales to operations. I ensured a smooth transfer of knowledge and risk mitigation, and kept operations running without disruption. This role strengthened my problem-solving and risk management skills, which directly align with my work at Acvian today.

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And what led you to the EOR industry and to Acvian specifically?

I’ve been living abroad and working non-stop since my early 20s, never taking enough time off to reset or reunite with my family. When remote work became the norm in the corporate world, I embraced it – it finally gave me location freedom. The EOR industry takes that even further: it’s digitally driven, and the clients’ teams mostly consist of expats like me, living and working away from their home countries. At Acvian, I help them navigate this experience with ease while enjoying the benefits of the same lifestyle myself.

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Today, my role is client-facing and communication-oriented. I am the main point of contact for country-specific information and the one who handles any urgent questions that may arise, ensuring smooth operations and peace of mind for our clients. 

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Many clients come to us looking for immigration support in Europe. How much of your personal expat experience do you bring to this job?

It’s impossible not to share knowledge once you’ve gained it. This is especially true for our cases in Poland: I am familiar with nearly every type of permit available, have personally gone through multiple application rounds, visited all the relevant administrative agencies, and stay up to date with the latest immigration laws. Over time, I’ve learned to forecast various scenarios for each unique case, which makes consulting our clients far more effective.

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I’ve also lived in Spain and built a reliable network there. Often, a personal insight from lived experience is worth more than hours of online research.

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How do you personally maximize the benefits of a remote role, and what is your formula for the work-life balance everyone is chasing?

Back in 2020, when the pandemic forced us to embrace the new reality of remote work, it took time to learn how to function effectively in the same space where I rest and unwind. By the time I joined Acvian five years later, I had a clear understanding of what works for me: enjoying spatial freedom, regular reunions with my family, and workations that allow me to recharge while staying on track with tasks. Home office or not, life happens after hours, and it’s my responsibility to enrich that time with experiences and meaningful connections.

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Setting up a routine is essential. I start my day with workouts – it’s cliche, but IT WORKS. The benefits go beyond fitness: mobility and back health (both of which are big concerns for people with desk jobs), mental well-being, and a consistent boost of dopamine that sets the tone for the day. Also, we all need to socialize. Having a community of inspiring people is not only my reason to go out and network, but also an amazing source of mutual support and motivation. Finally, it’s important to make time for a creative outlet. It’s both energizing and rewarding, and this creative energy feeds back into every area of my life, including my work.‍

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Here is my piece of advice to anyone navigating remote work: find what uniquely energizes you, establish routines that support both body and mind, maintain meaningful social connections, and make space for creative or personal passions. Work-life balance isn’t about strict separation – it’s about structuring your days mindfully to find both professional and personal well-being.