Bridging Cultures: Cultural Crossings and Career Milestones

Join us in this episode of the Age of Reinvention as we explore the incredible life of Alexey Shlykov. From moving countries multiple times to building a successful tech career across different cultures, Alexey’s journey is a testament to resilience and innovation. Discover his experiences in managing multicultural teams, mentoring immigrants, and supporting Ukrainian refugees. Learn how he juggles a diverse range of hobbies and personal interests, all while providing invaluable advice for anyone facing life changes.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:59 Meet Alexey Shlykov: A Journey of Resilience
03:24 Alexey’s Moves: From Uzbekistan to Canada
07:08 Navigating Multicultural Work Environments
10:52 Travel Tales and Life Lessons
14:27 Balancing Professional and Personal Life
19:33 Mentoring Immigrants in Canada
27:48 Supporting Ukrainian Refugees
31:45 Advice for Major Life Changes
35:09 Retirement Plans and Future Aspirations
38:11 Conclusion: Embracing Reinvention

Emily Bron: Hello, friends of the Age of Reinvention. Today, we have the privilege to delve into the remarkable life story of Alexey Shlykov, a man who has triumphed over numerous challenges with special bravery. Just imagine the courage it took to uproot from Uzbekistan to Russia, and after then again from Russia to Canada.

Alexey not only embraced new cultures and countries, but also managed to build a successful tech career, and nurture a rich tapestry of creative hobbies and passions with a career milestones that has left a significant mark through the over 30 major digital transformation initiatives. Alexey has not just shown us the power of crossing, cultural and technological boundaries, but also the potential for personal growth and career development in this field.

He has mastered the art of leveraging agile and waterfall methodologies to drive organizational success. His recent work constructing a robust digital experience platform that integrates content management system, digital asset management, Intranet and CRMs into one cohesive system is a testament of his innovative spirit and the impact he’s making with the tech world.

Are you ready to explore the multi faced journey of an immigrant who is literally redefining what it means to chase dreams and make them a reality? Let’s get into it. Hello? Alexey, I’m really happy to see you in my studio.

Alexey Shlykov: Hello, Emily. Good to be here.

Emily Bron: Alexey, we know each other for some time, but even working on the questions, I learned a lot about you.

And probably there are A lot of things that I don’t know we are all here about the big changes in midlife on the Age of Reinvention podcast. Could you share the ideas and aspiration behind your long past moves from Uzbekistan to Russia and later from Russia to Canada? What sparked the significant change and how did you feel stepping in the whole new world several times in your life?

Alexey Shlykov: When you when you put the question like that, it seems that I did something heroic while in, in my book, it was. Quite natural. And I guess that’s part of who I am as an individual. So for me moving away from my home country where I was born and grew up, Uzbekistan was quite easy because I wanted to study electronics and computer programming, and at that time there were a limited number of universities where you could do that.

So for me, it was like, okay, I know where I want to. Go to study and that place accidentally is in St. Petersburg, not in the city where I grew up. So off I go. So for me, it was quite an easy transition. I didn’t suffer homesickness. I just got acclimatized in a new place. I liked it and I enjoyed being there.

And in my subsequent moves from one place to the other, because I also Moved around quite a bit before I went to Canada from Moscow about 20 years ago. I worked in Latvia for about five years. I worked in Kazakhstan for about five years. And then in my last stretch of career while in Russia, I was responsible.

For a cluster of countries as a managing director in a German company, and that role had me move around constantly in various places, both in the former Soviet Union space and in Eastern and Central Europe. So when I moved to Canada, it was also quite natural because I, by that time I was used to moving from one place to the other and living and working there.

And that’s why I guess I. did not see those moves as something difficult to myself, although they definitely were not easy for my family. And I can witness that quite directly. It’s either me being more of a tumbleweed character compared to a typical individual or just being someone who enjoys being in different environments.

So that’s a long answer to your question.

Emily Bron: Thank you very much. It’s very informative. And, with all our experiences as an immigrant, we sometimes assume that it’s pretty easy, but for some people, it it’s still astonishing change in life. That’s why I’m sharing. stories of the immigrants and professional immigrants and expats just to people to listen different stories, how it happened.

I understand that moving inside former Soviet Union, From my experience, it was not very complicated. We use the same language, but obviously later on to come to Canada and to work with different Western countries or with Asia you probably, I’m sure, faced a lot of Cases communicating with people from the different cultures.

Yes. And even in Canada, I know from my personal experience we are living in multicultural country and we are dealing and communicating with people from all over the world. And yes let’s move forward. Alexey, you managed various teams spanning various geographies and technologies what key strategies or your philosophies you believe for foster work and collaboration in such Diverse environments.

Alexey Shlykov: This is actually something that I keep contemplating for longest time. So ever since I started to work in teams where people came from different cultures from different ethnic backgrounds, and it happened many years ago, like 25 maybe years ago, I started to ask myself this very Same question.

What do I need to do? How do I need to collaborate with people or organize them or manage them? How I create the team atmosphere in this multicultural work environment so that everybody feels that they want to be here. My my own. Recipe is probably not unique and I also read some literature on the subject.

So first first thing that helps me is that I am naturally very curious about other people’s backgrounds, personal stories, cultures, countries they come from. So whenever I meet a new person in private life or in work environment, I ask them about themselves. And people like being asked about who they are, what they represent and what their values, what their cultural background and story is.

And I just happened to be someone who sincerely wants to learn about them. And usually people feel that you are. Interested in understanding them that it’s not a token interest, but something much, much deeper. So that definitely helped. And every time I learn about a person in my team, I usually don’t forget this information.

I store it away, file it in, in, in my long term memory. And then when an appropriate occasion arises, I ask them About whether it’s I don’t know, Diwali celebration for someone who came from India and you ask them. Oh, I heard that Diwali is being celebrated this week. Tell us about what you are planning to do.

What are your family doing? Why you like it or why? Why you don’t like it? So people. Feel like they’re being given a chance to be who they are in the team. So those are the things that really help. But what also helped me a lot is that I’m trying to make sure that people feel being appreciated. Based on what they contribute to the team’s success.

So somebody is really good and deep technical specialist. Somebody is better as a process organizer. Somebody is better in working with a business customer and understanding their needs, and then translating it into the work process. Definition for the team. And if I can combine this people in a single process when everybody contributes what they can and they do what they do best, that also helps a lot.

It takes quite some time. It also takes a very careful selection for your team recruitment process. But it pays off big time because then the team tries to work because they feel they belong here and they also feel that they’re being used to the best of their ability.

Emily Bron: I wish all managers will use the same philosophy and be like you, see, it would eliminate a lot of issues that happened, but back to you and your life.

I know that you traveled a lot and you like to do it. Every journey teaches something, and it’s priceless. What are your travel tales and lessons? We’d love to hear them. Do you have any travel experiences that have particularly impacted your perspective on life and innovation?

Alexey Shlykov: Definitely. I like to travel and I think a lot about the impressions and experiences I collect during my travels.

I come back to my travels. I look at the pictures. I speak with my wife and my family members who accompanied me in a particular journey. And it generally enriches, I feel that it enriches me who I am. From the early age when I was very small I don’t know, maybe I was not even 10 years old.

My parents took me on a bus tour to the ancient cities of Uzbekistan. called Bukhara and Khiva. They’re really fascinating medieval fortresses, almost. And they have a lot of medieval architecture preserved. But in order to get there, we had to travel from the city where I was positioned to Bukhara.

Situated at that time to those ancient city, it took seven or eight hours by bus or maybe longer. I don’t remember exactly, but what I discovered for myself as a kid who grew up in a family of a university professor. Is that the life is completely different in the countryside in Uzbekistan.

I saw people who were very poor. I saw some little villages that were lacking basic life necessities and conveniences. I encountered a small boy in one of our stops when we had The meal in the local cafe he was hungry. Like he told me that he wasn’t fed by his family for more than a day.

And I shared my meal with him because I. I felt so bad that I wasn’t hungry and he went hungry for such a long period of time. So I collected those impressions and they’re still with me as you can see 15 years down the road. So that was one example that although it was not a big travel, but it really impacted me and my perception of what the life is.

There were obviously, other places and other countries that really fascinated me. Because I worked for a German company for a long time, I traveled to Germany multiple times. I took a language course in Germany using my own vacation because I wanted to speak German with people I worked with.

I was able, I wanted to be able to communicate with them in their language. So I dived into German culture of a small German town called Meersburg outside of any season. So it was in the middle of February. So it was nobody there apart from the local people. And it really impacted my understanding of what this country is, what this culture is and how these people feel about themselves and and and their life.

And the examples can, get You know, more and more elaborate as we move to other places, but for the sake of staying on the agenda and on, on time, I think I can limit myself just to those two.

Emily Bron: Thank you very much. Thank you. And you really have great memory and I learning from you every time.

I am also fascinated by your diverse range of interests outside of your professional life. It’s playing leading roles in the several performances in Toronto, Russian amateur theaters playing accordion and guitar volunteering for several organizations. Where did you find the time and energy for your multiple interests?

Alexey Shlykov: As everybody else I’m, of course, limited on the amount of free time I can dedicate to this activities because work and family usually are the things that you really want to balance before you spend time on anything else. What, however, is important for me to understand is that those hobbies and those activities, they actually unlock a lot of energy and although you have to speak, you spend your time and you sometimes you have to take this time from your family or from your other duties that it actually generates a lot of Reciprocal energy flows.

So you literally the next day you are more energized and you may have additional ideas that help you work or you may become more interesting as a family member as a result of those activities. Although. I was not specifically aiming at carving out this amount of time or that amount of time during the week.

It just happened so that if I did not dynamically, I couldn’t balance those things, then it actually increased my productivity and work. And, my, I guess my suitability as a partner in family life.

Emily Bron: And I know that you involve your wife in many of your activities. And Alexey, I know that you, as well as your wife for years had opened hearts and doors of your home to the local and the visiting guests, such as singers poets creating at your home kind of art salon for the local and international humanitarian purposes.

When and how you started it?

Alexey Shlykov: It was, the answer is easy. It was not me. It was my wife, Svetlana, who came up with this idea first a number of years ago on because we both are plugged into various communities and networks that related to various cultural Phenomena like the Russian speaking singers or performers or theatric, actors or, what have you.

She basically came up with this idea when we lived in one of our previous homes, she said, we have this. Room that is big enough to host 20 people, maybe 25 people. Why don’t we ask people to bring their own chairs and then we can post a small concert, a small event. And that’s how it started.

And then for a number of years, we We just were able to sometimes increase the number of people who would visit us. And sometimes there will be a new performance and the kind of performance that we didn’t even imagine was possible. Like for instance, through my wife’s childhood friend Because she she was studying at a Polytechnic University in Tallinn, in Estonia, when she was a young woman.

She had this friend from the university who now lives in Germany, and she is An entrepreneur who is managing a number of ethnic singing and dancing collectives. And one of her collectives is from Estonia. It’s a duo who perform a very interesting style of music. They call it a zombie punk something, and it’s all in, in ethnic style.

One of one of the months of I think it was in 2021. This group was, having the tour of Canada and they were in Toronto for a few days. And so my wife organized the concert in our home and it was totally success successful. We think we had about 70 people the two guys, the Estonian duo they made they did this performance.

And it was incredible. Like people were singing and chanting and dancing and we just had such a good time. And and there was like a jar at the entrance when people would be able to contribute to the performance fund, so to speak. And then the the singers and performers, so they were able to get something from this evening that was also pleasant for them.

Yeah, that’s that’s how it started.

Emily Bron: I participated in several of events in your home, and I can confirm that it’s always a very warm environment. There is always opportunity to meet incredible people, and you are excellent hosts, both of you and Svetlana. Thank you for all what you’re doing in this regard.

But Again your professional accomplishments are well known, and I know that for years you have also been a mentor for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council. Where you have been instrumental in helping professional moving to Canada better manage the transition to the Toronto area and Canadian employment market.

Could you share some of the most valuable advices you found yourself giving to Canadians?

Alexey Shlykov: Yes, this is indeed a very near and dear thing activity to, to me because I, I had to go through the same experience when I came to Canada and I had to struggle to establish my professional network, although I was very young.

Reasonably well positioned. I knew some people in Canada. I had some people who wanted to help me reestablish myself professionally. So I know it’s not easy and this is why this opportunity came up a few years ago. I got to know people from TREAC Toronto Regional Immigration Employment Council.

And they asked me if I wanted to be a mentor as a volunteer. And I said, yes. Over this period of time, I had mentees who were newcomers in Canada from all over the world. So I had people from coming from Egypt, from Ukraine, from India, from Iran, and from from South America. So multiple countries completely different cultures.

Completely different backgrounds, but what I learned from them because I was learning from them as well as they were hopefully learning something for me, is that if a person is professionally from the information technology area, they have this background whatever that training was, software developers business analysts QA engineers or project managers, there are certain things that really are the same, assuming that a person has a reasonably well reasonably good level of spoken and written English they can be

embedded within the professional community here. They just need to know a few tricks a few customs related to Canadian job market and then they can develop their network on their own and they can get their job and be successful. So that’s what I do. And this is why I was eager to help them. So you asked about what are the two or three standard recommendations I’m giving them.

My first recommendation, once I get to know a person and I understand that they are professionally at the right level and that they can express themselves in English and they can write in English I just tell them don’t give up on your dream. So if you were in this field in your home country.

And you come here don’t try to compromise. If you have an opportunity to search for job for a number of months, then look for the job that is best suited for your plans and aspirations. Don’t try to just grab any job and then get stuck in this job. And that’s, I think sometimes it’s a very. Good.

It’s a very good advice because a lot of people come in and they are a little bit confused. They think that even if they can support themselves for a few months, if they don’t start working, the next week after their arrival, it’s something bad and they are like going to go into some kind of a bad place financially.

But it’s in most cases, it’s not where they are. So you help them reestablish themselves psychologically because you tell them, look, you’re good enough for this job market. You just need to be connected to the right job opportunities. So once the person hears this message in many instances, it helps them.

But then the other couple of messages is Helping them to understand a process of looking for a job, how they need to build a plan, how they need to build a target list of companies where they will be working to find opportunities. And once they have this plan, once they have this list, Then it becomes more of a mechanical process, and then just follow it day in and day out, and at some point you’ll be successful.

And the third advice is in how to use the network. So I help them to establish this network. Sometimes I share my contacts with them. I introduce them to people I know in the area. But then I just help them to understand. The main principles of building and expanding their professional network. It’s slightly different, most likely here from the places where you, where they previously were, and I just let them, give them a little bit of information, give them a little bit of training with just some sometimes do mock meeting.

Conversations, mock interviews so that they feel more comfortable. And that’s it. So those are the three areas where I help them with a little bit of advice and sometimes with a little bit of introduction and most of the time they will be able to find their next job. Pretty soon, not because of me, but because they start trusting themselves in the new market.

And they understand that there is nothing terribly different or completely not they used to be doing previously.

Emily Bron: Truly believe that to get such a mentor like you providing, all the recommendations and advices and names for people who just relocated, it’s very valuable. And I’m wondering if you had experience came across people who professionals who relocated being after 50.

Starting the search, job search and actually adjustment to the new culture. How they succeeded at this stage.

Alexey Shlykov: Yeah, I did have similar experiences to and I think the there is no principal difference between younger generation of newcomers and this age bracket. What people need to sometimes understand is that the, especially in the technology industry in Canada.

There is no discrimination based on age in some of the countries people come from and, the former Soviet Union space was the same it was believed that the technology work is more a prerogative of younger generation. And once somebody is over 40 years old until, sorry, unless they are some kind of director or senior manager.

Then their career in technology is not going to happen. So it’s not true in Canada because you can see lots and lots of people in junior to middle level positions in IT organizations who are in their late 50s sometimes even older. And these people are quite content working in these roles. So the employers are quite.

Naturally Okay. To see people over 50 applying for jobs that are, low level or medium level in terms of the salary pay bands on the scale. So once a person understands this, once they understand that if they want to apply themselves in technology and those types of roles, that there will be no preference for younger people.

Then they feel confident and basically the rest is the same.

Emily Bron: Thank you. Very encouraging. I believe many people who thinking about relocation, it can be to Canada, maybe to other country and still dreaming to continue their professional path would be encouraged by your stories. I know that you and your family has been actively involved also in assisting Ukrainian refugees who have Recently arrived to Canada.

Can you share some of the most valuable advice you have found yourself giving to these people, refugees from Ukraine?

Alexey Shlykov: Yes, indeed. We were privileged to be able to help a few families in various ways. Initially my wife and I just decided to work with our friends and created a small fund to support one particular family who couldn’t get to Canada and we were able to mobilize enough enough funds to help them get to Canada and help them get established in Canada.

And in other cases, they were people who already came here and they needed. Maybe a temporary place to stay, or they needed literally an assistant insistence of getting on to the next part of their journey somewhere else in Canada or a professional advice. Learned anything by Interacting with people who came to Canada as refugees from Ukraine is that even when you are in this type of very crisis like situation, your country is at war, you had to go through very difficult times.

different period of your life, maybe being under shelling and bombing in Ukraine and then transitioning out, going in this overflowing trains through Western Ukraine, through Poland, and then moving on with your journey to other places and then ending up in Canada. So yeah you had this traumatic experience.

Yes. Your country of origin is in a very bad situation right now. But even though when you come to a new place, it is extremely important to have some kind of plan of what you are going to do. It could be perfectly fine to tell to yourself, I’m here for a year or two years, I just need to leave through this year or two, and then I’m going to go back, because then if you made this determination.

Then it is easier to plan your next steps, or you can say, okay, I’m here in this country and I think I’m going to stay in this country and I’m going to plan my next chapter of my life in this country. So then I need to have a different plan because then I need to build my life here and need to grow some roots and I need to decide where I want to be living, where I want my kids to grow up and go to school and so on.

So those are different plans, but it’s good to have a plan because if you come here and you don’t have a plan and you don’t know what you want to do, that’s the worst because then your life is really difficult to organize and even people who interact with you and who may be able to help you with with your job or with your housing situation or with.

anything else, they feel that you are undecided, so they don’t really know how to help you, or if they have a choice between helping you and somebody else who knows what they want, they would probably go in and help that other person, because it will be easier to see that this person will be able to use your help better.

So yeah, that those are little lessons that we learned from this.

Emily Bron: Sometimes people so stressed out that it takes time for them to get, to their feet and to the, some balance to, to decide about next steps. But it’s good that there are people who are ready to help. And I know that in our Toronto community there is you and plenty of others.

What would be your advice? You’re so good with advices. For people who are anticipating annual lifestyle change. It can be relocation starting new business after 50, starting maybe new career after 50s. Because sometimes people are lost in in fears or hesitant and not clear of from what to start,

Alexey Shlykov: right?

This is this is not an. easy solution and there are no easy advice here. I think everybody have their own ways of adjusting to the new place, new lifestyle, new realities. Sometimes people plan for this move and they initiate this move and sometimes something happens in the place where they leave and they just have to grab everything and just run away.

Those are different situations, but whatever the situation that made somebody change their lifestyle at this stage of their life. If I learned anything from my own experience those are the things related to how you look at yourself and how you look at this change. If because I had to do this transition myself multiple times, when you look at yourself at something.

An entity, it being who are already like created fully, like I am this, and this is what I’m going to be for the rest of my life. So then any change becomes difficult because you think, okay, I’m a fully cooked product. And if somebody wants to use me differently, Oh, that’s, I don’t want this.

If you look at yourself a little bit lighter as at someone who is still evolving and is still open to change and open to new experiences, then it becomes easier and because of that you are a little bit less in love with who you are and you are a little bit more open to new experiences. So that’s the first thing.

Just be this lighter person, easier to move and change person. And the second piece is Look for other people in the place where you are, where you find yourself after this move, after this change, who are more like you. They don’t need to necessarily be of your own background. They don’t necessarily have to speak the same language.

If you are able to communicate with them, build a network. It could be professional, could be a social. You can connect to something, a book club. I don’t know a some kind of charity Yeah, or a hobby circle and just connect with them. Even if you don’t fully understand what’s going on Even if you don’t necessarily totally in love with what they’re doing Just try it and then you try a few things and then you find You your own tribe your new tribe in the new place.

And that’s very important because then you will have some kind of support system. You’re not alone or at least not only within the confines of your own family. So I think that’s pretty much it. Those things could be helpful.

Emily Bron: Thank you very much for all your advices. I’m sure that you will live an active and fulfilling life even after retirement, whenever it will be.

Can you share any particular personal and family plans you have for this life chapter? How you see your retirement?

Alexey Shlykov: Yeah, I don’t know when the retirement comes because I have not fully planned or even I haven’t started yet. But what my wife and I want to do is to probably try it.

living at least part time in other places. So Canada is a great place to be, and we love being here and living here. We have lots of friends, but at the same time, we’ve been to other places where life can also be exciting. And sometimes it’s a good idea to maybe spend winter somewhere, which is warmer, and then try to work from that place, live there, get to know local people, and then come back to your base, spend some time in, in your place where you spent most of the time in previous years.

So that’s the model we’re looking at. For the next chapter of our life. So we’ll try to probably leave in two places, maybe a few months in each find out how we feel about the other place, other country or countries. If we end up trying a couple of other countries and then decide what we want to do next.

So I think having this a little bit open ended plan for this chapter is helpful because you don’t lock yourself up okay, I’m going to go to I don’t know, Uruguay, and that’s where I want to leave the rest of my life, because then it becomes a little bit suffocating. It’s a little bit easier to say, okay, I’ll try I don’t know, Honduras.

I don’t want to go to Honduras, but just for the sake of an example. I want to live in Costa Rica. I want to live in Spain for a bit and see how it goes. So with the current work life set up when people can work from different locations, I think it is quite possible and that’s what we want to try.

Emily Bron: Thank you very much. And that’s actually my own life model for the. Years to come. And I can tell that I’m myself working with other people on establishing such a company who would give opportunities for us to live and try lifestyle of the different countries in the different seasons. Because I believe it’s it’s better for people who like to explore new places and not to deal with real estate issues purchases to be Travelers, slow travelers and work at the same time if we need.

So thank you very much for confirming the market interest to this model. And I’m really happy was to speak with you again. And for our listeners, I would like to remember that today I had pleasure speaking with Alexey.

Alexey Shlykov: Thank you. It was good being here.

Emily Bron: Thank you very much, Alexey. And there we are, my friends.

Alexey’s story is a beacon for all of us. Looking to navigate the complexities of carving out new path, embracing change, and finding harmony in our multi faced identities. Feeling inspired? Do you have thoughts or stories you’d like to share? We are all ears and eager to hear your unique journeys. Drop us a line, and let’s keep this wonderful conversation going.

Till next time, keep embracing the beautiful chaos of reinvention, and remember, your next chapter might just be your masterpiece.

Alexey Shlykov

Enterprise Digital Transformation Practitioner, Mentor

An agile and capable digital transformation leader skilled in using technology platforms, change management, and motivated delivery teams to achieve organizational strategies. Delivered more than 30 successful enterprise-wide digital transformation programs and projects, using Agile and Waterfall methodologies in various industries. Possesses effective team building, motivation, and coaching skills, honed by multi-year practice in diverse cultural environments. Passionate about helping organizations to thrive in the VUCA world by safeguarding the competitive capabilities and developing the new ones by implementing well-tailored technology solutions.

Bridging Cultures: Cultural Crossings and Career Milestones

In the latest edition of the Age of Reinvention, we delve into the extraordinary journey of Alexey Shlykov, a renowned professional who has navigated significant geographical and career transitions with poise and determination. His story showcases the possibilities that arise when one embraces change and leverages diverse experiences for personal and professional growth.

A Global Journey: From Uzbekistan to Canada

Alexey Shlykov’s career and life journey are a testament to resilience and adaptability. Originating from Uzbekistan, Alexey ventured to St. Petersburg to pursue his passion for electronics and computer programming. This move marked the beginning of a series of relocations driven by career opportunities and personal aspirations. Transitioning from Russia to Canada, with interim stints in Latvia and Kazakhstan, he seamlessly integrated into new environments, each transition appearing almost effortless despite the underlying challenges.

These relocations not only expanded Alexey’s professional horizons but also enriched his cultural perspective. He expresses how each move felt like a natural progression in his quest for growth, driven by his unwavering commitment to his career and personal development.

Building and Leading Diverse Teams

A pivotal aspect of Alexey’s professional success is his proficiency in managing diverse teams. He possesses a deep understanding of the nuances involved in fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. His genuine curiosity about the backgrounds and cultures of his team members allows him to create an atmosphere where everyone feels valued.

Alexey believes in recognizing individual strengths and aligning them with organizational goals. His approach involves meticulous team recruitment and a commitment to nurturing an environment where each team member can contribute their best. This strategy not only enhances team cohesion but also drives successful project outcomes.

Cultural Enrichment Through Travel

Travel has played a significant role in shaping Alexey’s worldview. From early family trips to ancient Uzbek cities to professional travels across Europe, his experiences have broadened his understanding of different cultures and societal structures. These journeys have instilled in him a profound appreciation for diversity and global interconnectedness.

One memorable trip in his childhood to Bukhara and Khiva revealed stark contrasts in living conditions, leaving a lasting impact on his perception of social equity. Similarly, language courses in Germany immersed him in local culture, further enriching his professional and personal life.

Balancing Professional and Personal Interests

Alexey’s ability to balance a demanding career with diverse personal interests is commendable. Whether it’s performing in amateur theater, playing musical instruments, or volunteering, he finds these activities rejuvenating and integral to his overall productivity. He emphasizes the reciprocal energy these hobbies provide, enhancing his performance both at work and at home.

Creating a Cultural Nexus at Home

Together with his wife, Svetlana, Alexey has transformed their home into a cultural hub. Hosting artists, poets, and musicians, they have built a vibrant community space that fosters cultural exchange and creative expression. This initiative, primarily conceptualized by Svetlana, illustrates their commitment to cultural enrichment and community building.

Mentorship and Community Contributions

Beyond his professional achievements, Alexey is deeply involved in mentoring newcomers through the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). His guidance helps immigrants navigate the Canadian job market, emphasizing the importance of maintaining professional aspirations and building robust networks. His advice and introductions have proven invaluable to many seeking to establish their careers in a new country.

Lessons in Adaptability and Future Aspirations

Alexey advocates for a mindset of continuous evolution and openness to new experiences. His own journey underscores the importance of flexibility and the value of building supportive professional and social networks in new environments.

Looking ahead, Alexey and Svetlana aim to adopt a part-time nomadic lifestyle, exploring new countries while maintaining their Canadian base. This approach reflects their desire to continue learning and growing through diverse cultural experiences.

Conclusion

Alexey Shlykov’s professional journey is an inspiring example of how embracing change can lead to significant personal and career development. His story encourages us to view change as an opportunity for reinvention and growth. We invite you to reflect on your own journeys and share your stories of adaptation and success.