Egidijus Galinauskas’s path into the construction sector was not planned from his first year of studies or from childhood.
As he says himself, much of it came through experimentation, exploration, and gradually understanding what truly interests him.
“I was born and raised in the town of Širvintos. After finishing school, I moved to Vilnius to study at a college. Why construction? It always seemed interesting, and my godfather worked in construction his entire life, so the field was always close to me.”
After graduating from college, Egidijus spent a year in the military. Upon returning, he started working at a construction materials factory in his hometown.
“I worked as a production line operator. While working there, I decided to continue my education and studied part‑time at VGTU (now Vilnius TECH). After a couple of years, a former college classmate suggested I come to Vilnius and try working at a construction company as a cost estimator.”
From estimates to systems
Egidijus enjoyed working as a cost estimator, but during that period he discovered an area that motivated him even more.
“Drawings and the technical side were interesting, but what really changed my career was my desire to make my daily work easier,” he says with a smile.
“The entire estimating software we were using was built on Excel. I started digging deeper into formulas, automation, and thinking about how certain tasks could be done faster and with less manual work. Later, other systems appeared that allowed us to work more efficiently.
Management noticed that I was genuinely motivated by finding technological solutions and that I was able to identify faster ways of doing the same tasks. They offered me the opportunity to work with systems, implementations, and administration. That’s when I realized — I want to work with IT in a construction company.
What fascinated me was that in the IT space, every case is different: you need to think, connect processes, and search for solutions. That’s where I truly found myself.”
Egidijus’s passion for technology began back in the 1990s.
“My interest in IT started in childhood. In 1998, while still at school, I won a computer in a TV lottery. At that time, having a computer at home in a small town was like driving a Bentley today. That’s where the excitement began — fixing things, programs, reinstallations, and everything else.
Today, my strength lies in the combination: I understand construction processes, and I understand what technology can do. When you bring in a pure IT specialist and start explaining how construction works, it can be very complicated. But when you see both sides — that’s where a powerful synergy appears.”
What does the Innovation and Development Department do?
Today, Egidijus leads the Innovation and Development Department at Gilesta, but he emphasizes that its scope is very broad:
“We’re not an IT company. Our IT resources are limited, so we end up doing a bit of everything. Sometimes a colleague will even ask me to help fix a computer because a screen won’t turn on during a video call,” he says with a smile.
However, the main goal always remains the same — to make colleagues’ work easier through technology, both on site and in the office.
“I’m constantly looking for what we can change so people don’t have to do repetitive, robotic tasks. So that systems help them get answers faster and make decisions more quickly.”
According to Egidijus, innovation in construction is a never‑ending process.
“What seemed great yesterday might already be outdated today. By working with different company processes every day and observing how colleagues work, you start to see areas where we could be more efficient or faster. Colleagues themselves come with needs — they tell you what they don’t like, where they spend too much time.
Then you attend a seminar or conference, see a tool, and think — maybe we could apply this? You start testing and implementing. Some things work, some don’t — but the movement never stops.”
Construction is much more than it looks
Egidijus notes that many young people still think construction is only about working on site.
“First of all, you need to understand yourself. Some people are driven by the construction site, change, and physical results. Others are interested in processes, internal mechanisms, and office work. Both are equally important.”
He sees his own career as proof that direction can reveal itself over time.
“I never imagined I’d work in construction IT. I discovered it while working. That’s why I always tell students — don’t be afraid to try.
There are no bad employees. There are just employees who are in the wrong place. A manager’s job is to help a young person see where their strengths lie and give them the opportunity to grow in that direction.”
Why Gilesta?
When asked why he has been working at Gilesta for five years, Egidijus speaks first and foremost about people.
“I really like the management’s approach — it’s human. I’ve seen companies grow and managers ‘break’. That doesn’t happen here. Sure, there’s a lot of work, but the team is very motivating. Colleagues look for ways to help each other. There’s support and teamwork. When someone helps you, you want to help them in return.”
He also values that technology at Gilesta is not just a “nice idea.”
“Management understands the power of IT and invests both attention and money into it. I’ve worked in companies where you propose cybersecurity solutions and get the response: ‘Why do we need that? We’re builders.’ At Gilesta, specialists are trusted.”