Groupon Employee Spotlight:
Svitlana Khytrenko 

Svitlana Khytrenko, Senior SEM Operations Specialist, is all about making data work for results. With a background in graphic design and customer support, she found her true calling in digital marketing after a game-changing Google Ads course. Now, she’s leading the charge in optimizing paid search performance. 

In this Spotlight, she talks about her passion for cracking the numbers, her strategic approach to challenges, and how she keeps her edge in the fast-paced world of performance marketing.

Tell us a little about yourself and your current role at Groupon. What excites you most about what you do?

My role primarily focuses on managing the ads that appear when users search for something on Google. It’s more of a "cracking the numbers" side of marketing, and that’s what I find the most interesting about it. I like digging into the data, finding patterns, and figuring out what changes need to be done to influence performance metrics to achieve desired results.

Can you walk us through your career journey? What led you to Groupon, and how has it shaped your professional growth?

Before digital marketing I did some graphic design and then sales/customer support. At the firm where I worked in sales the owner of the business offered to pay for a Google Ads course so I could move into a marketing role - I, of course, agreed. That’s how my path in digital marketing started. When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of my country, I moved abroad - and here I am today.

What do you believe are the key ingredients for both individuals and teams to thrive and achieve outstanding performance in an ever-evolving company like Groupon?

Ownership mindset, adaptability and critical thinking. For individuals I think also curiosity - good ideas often emerge from the ability to “connect the dots”, in the intersection of different domains.

High performance often requires balance. How do you manage to stay at your best while ensuring a healthy work-life balance?

I wouldn't say I have it perfectly figured out. Although I’ve learned the importance of properly “logging off”. Making small or not so small day review note in the notebook (the paper one) helps to cue the mind that this is the time and place where thoughts about work tasks should end for today.

Can you share a time when you faced a major challenge in achieving your goals?

When a major challenge comes up, I analyze the situation, break it down into manageable parts, focus on what I can control, and consider alternative solutions - I may opt for a workaround.

As Groupon continues to transform, how do you adjust your approach to ensure you're contributing to the company's long-term growth and success?

I’d say that’s something that happens very naturally. It makes no sense to stick to old ways of doing things if those old ways aren’t as efficient and meaningful anymore.

What was the very first Groupon experience you had, and how did it impact your view of the company?

I don’t specifically remember my first Groupon experience, but I do have a fun memory from that time. Back then (early 2023), the Warsaw office still had more space, and one of the floors had a vending machine with soft drinks. It was removed pretty quickly after my teammate discovered you didn’t actually need to put money in to get a drink. We used to joke that it wasn’t a coincidence. When I think about Groupon’s transformation, I always think about that poor vending machine - a martyr of essential cost cuts.

What’s one life lesson you’ve learned that has had a major impact on your professional journey and how you approach challenges at work?  

When I’m stuck overthinking a problem, I hit "record" on my phone’s audio recorder, talk through everything that’s in my head, and then leave it alone completely. I rarely even listen to the recordings - just knowing I have a backup makes it easier to stop obsessing over the problem. Almost always, by the next day, I can see things more clearly and find a solution faster than if I had kept pushing myself to figure it out the night before. So the lesson is - sometimes, the best way to find a solution is by stepping back and giving myself time to process. 

When you're not working, what’s a hobby or activity you’re passionate about that helps you recharge?

I go on city wandering walks. 

What’s something about you that might surprise people who only know you in a professional setting?

My age. Or that I went to music school (I play bandura — a Ukrainian string instrument that shares some features with the harp and lute; to hear how it sounds, I recommend listening to Maryna Krut’s music).

If you could swap lives with any fictional character for a day, who would you choose and why?

Doctor Strange before Avengers: Endgame. He owns a very interesting device.  

What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done, and would you do it again?

Backpacking across 8 cities in one trip. Absolutely.  

If you could host a dinner with any historical figure, who would you invite and what would be the one question you’d want to ask them?

Unsinkable Sam. Is it true?

If you could instantly master any skill or talent, what would it be and why?

Creative writing. I often feel like writing a book would be so me. It would never see the light of day, but I’d love to have it for myself.

What's the most embarrassing song on your playlist that you secretly love?

Croatia’s Eurovision 2023 entry - Let 3’s “Mama ŠČ!”

And finally, what was the last Groupon you bought?

Multikino cinema ticket.