Read below the interview of AUBG alumnus Aleksi Kidzinidze (’19) for the Entrepreneur Georgia, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. The article was originally published in Georgian.
In an interview with Entrepreneur, Aleksi Kidzinidze, corporate and investment credit risk manager of the Bank of Georgia, said that despite his diverse experience, he has never given up on a career in finance.
While studying at school, he liked exact and natural sciences, especially physics and mathematics. It should be noted that Aleksi was the winner of the Physics Olympiad of Adjara and also graduated from school with a medal.
Aleksi recalled that he decided to get a Western education while still at school. He always liked the idea of getting a high-quality education and different experiences, which he could then apply in Georgia.
It was while studying at school that he learned about AUBG. This university attracted Aleksi’s attention for two reasons: a double (European-American) accredited degree and the chance to go to the States to gain relevant experience.
“The process of entering university was one of the biggest challenges in my life. Since I wanted financial independence from the beginning, I would not even consider studying at AUBG without a grant. That’s why I started preparing for the SAT and TOEFL exams, while at the same time I was preparing for the national exams. After reviewing the stages, I received grant funding and moved to Bulgaria. The main field of study in university was Business Administration and finance. However, I did not forget my interest in mathematics and I kept my minor in Mathematics and Economics,” Aleksi shared.
Aleksi’s profile is diverse. According to him, during his studies at the university, he wanted to develop the skills of delivery and presentation by gaining acting experience.
That is why he decided to try his luck as a dancer in the university’s musical. It is also interesting that the musical was organised every year on the AUBG stage under a Broadway license.
“Within the framework of this project, we held up to 10 performances in different cities of Bulgaria. I would highlight the two performances in Sofia, which were sold out. After the musical, I also participated in a play and took the main role, which significantly improved my presentation and stage performance skills,” Aleksi recalls.
Usually, AUBG students work in the States during the summer. The hardest part of going there was getting a job offer.
“I remember, during my first visit, I sent 254 emails to different employers and only 4 of them answered me. Only one of these four scheduled an interview and invited me to work,” Aleksi shared.
In the U.S., Aleksi started working as a chef’s assistant in one of the most successful restaurants, the “State Road Restaurant”. He tells us that the restaurant is located on the Martha’s Vineyard island near Boston, which is a popular destination for those well-off.
While working in a kitchen, he realised that the job gave him great pleasure. He worked in the restaurant for 4 years and during this time he was promoted to the position of ‘Sous-Chef’.
Many high-ranking politicians, Hollywood actors and other famous people visited the restaurant. Among them – Bruce Willis, Oscar winner Bill Muir and others. Aleksi remembers when Bill Clinton celebrated his anniversary there with his wife, Hillary Clinton, and the most emotional was the visit of the President of the U.S., Barack Obama, and his wife back in 2016:
“The time of the President’s visit was kept secret and we only learned an hour before that the restaurant would be closed and only those close to President Obama would be allowed in. The President was escorted by Secret Service agents and we were momentarily cut off from our cell phone networks. Each of us was watched by Mr. Obama’s personal chefs while our meals were being prepared. This day was a great challenge for me in the kitchen. After dinner, Mr. Obama asked for an interview with me and some other employees. It was such a surprise that I don’t remember it at all . When the secret service agents checked me and he hugged me in the hall, and we took a commemorative photo, it was one of the most amazing days in my life. Then, on New Year’s Eve, I received a package in AUBG coming from the White House, which contained a commemorative photo, a letter and presidential gifts. The letter said ‘Merry Christmas’. A copy of the photo was kept in the White House archives.”
After graduating from the university, Alex wanted to use the acquired knowledge in Georgia. He explained that returning to his home country was full of challenges and soon the Covid pandemic started. After considering several proposals, he chose credit risk management in the Bank of Georgia.
“For 5 years, with the help of extraordinary mentors and colleagues, I had various advances and promotions (express loans, microloans, SME- loans, corporate loans). Now I work in the sphere of corporate credit risks, which focuses on the largest companies operating in Georgia. The main focus of my portfolio is development, building materials, car dealerships and education sectors,” Aleksi Kidzinidze said.
Aleksi was named among the best employees of the Bank of Georgia in 2024. At this stage, his main goal is to advance more in the financial sector. He noted that finance is one of the oldest fields, it is constantly developing and there is always a way to improve it, which is a very interesting process.
