Introducing Aurelijus Valeisa: Driving Innovation as StrongPoint’s New CTO

How did you first get started in technology?

From a very young age, I was tinkering with computers, building things, going online, and experimenting. I started my first company at 15, I actually had arguments with my parents about whether I should finish high school. I didn’t want to but they insisted. My first ventures were building solutions for clients in the telecom, banking, and gaming industries. I ended up founding and selling two companies before business school.

You later moved into retail technology, how did that happen?

My first experience in retail tech was with Boozt, one of the biggest e-commerce players in Scandinavia. When I joined, we were just 20–30 people, and over the next 10 years we grew into a publicly listed company with thousands of employees. That was an incredible journey, not just building the technology but also scaling the business in a very healthy, sustainable way. Later, I joined Wayfair, helping them execute major digital transformation while expanding in Europe, and then InPost, which gave me a close look at fast-paced innovation in last-mile logistics.

Why did you decide to join StrongPoint?

I was really attracted to StrongPoint’s ability to scale solutions across markets. There’s a huge opportunity to bring new innovations to retailers through StrongPoint’s network. The product team at StrongPoint has already done an amazing job building and refining solutions that meet real grocery challenges, which makes it exciting to join forces with them. That means there’s a chance to contribute, solve problems, and create something new. I’m someone who thrives on challenges, and there’s plenty of important work to do here.

What skills and experiences do you hope to bring to StrongPoint?

I don’t think of it as one specific skill, but rather the combination of different experiences. I’ve done everything from hands-on engineering to product management to scaling systems to millions of users. I’ve worked on digital transformation projects, cybersecurity, and building sustainable growth structures. I want to bring all of that to StrongPoint. I see my role as complementing the strong foundation already built by the product team and helping them achieve even more.

Looking ahead, where do you see StrongPoint in the future?

I see StrongPoint becoming a leading player in grocery technology in Europe. The future of grocery retail – and retail in general – is a combination of physical stores and e-commerce, and StrongPoint is in a unique position to bring knowledge and solutions to both sides.

Finally, what would you like to see StrongPoint achieve in the next 5 years?

I would like to see us recognized as the go-to grocery technology partner in Europe and beyond. To get there, we need to keep innovating, keep solving grocery retailer problems, and keep driving our proprietary solutions into more markets.

A big part of that journey is taking the outstanding solutions that StrongPoint has developed and achieved strong traction in certain markets, and replicating that success more broadly. That success is a testament to the product team’s talent and dedication, and building on their work will be key to expanding into new markets. By building momentum across our full portfolio, not just one solution, we can accelerate our path to becoming the partner of choice for grocery retailers everywhere.