Gintare Paskauskaite: “The culture at Nua is hard to beat.”

Some people are drawn to hard problems and know how to make sense of them. That has long been Gintare Paskauskaite’s sweet spot. Over seven years at Nua Group, she has brought analytical depth, creativity, and trusted partnership to solving some of the clients’ toughest challenges.

In this “Nuaversary” conversation, Gintare shares how her thinking has evolved over the years, what continues to give her energy at work, and where she sees new opportunities ahead, from deepening her expertise to exploring what’s next in a changing world of work.

Seven years at Nua is a big milestone! When you look back, what stands out most to you?

Two things really stand out. The first is the variety. No two projects have been the same. Every client comes with a different problem, and those problems keep evolving, so you’re always thinking of creative ways to solve them. That keeps the work interesting, seven years in. 

The second is the people. The culture at Nua is hard to beat. Everyone is willing to help, even when they’re busy, and there’s a real sense of ownership over your work. You’re trusted to manage your own time and deliver, and that trust makes a huge difference.

Over that time, how has the way you think about compensation and benefits evolved?

A lot of it has been about learning to adapt. Compensation and benefits don’t sit still. The way you think about them has to move with what’s happening in the market and the world. The pandemic was a good example. People moved, remote and hybrid work became the norm, and we had to rethink how compensation worked in that environment. Now it’s AI, and the questions are different again. How will it change the way people work, and what should HR teams be thinking about when they design compensation for that? 

A big part of the job is anticipating where things are heading, not just responding to where they are today.

You’ve got a strong analytical background. What is it about compensation work that you find most interesting or satisfying?

Compensation work is really about data, and what I find most interesting is the puzzle of it. You often start with a handful of messy files that don’t make sense at first glance, and the satisfying part is pulling them together, figuring out what they’re telling you, and building a model that turns all of it into something a client can actually act on.

How did your actuarial background shape the way you approach problems today?

I see things through an analytical lens first. Actuarial training taught me to break problems down into smaller pieces and look for where the model could fail before trusting the answer. A lot of it is asking what if the assumptions shift or the inputs change, and making sure the conclusion still holds up.

Is there a piece of work or a moment at Nua that really stands out to you?

One that comes to mind is an ongoing embedded support engagement I’ve had with a client over the last year and a half or so. 

I’ve helped them through year-end focal reviews, promotions, and mid-year reviews, and a big part of the work is taking their data and turning it into a workbook that HR and the leadership team use internally to decide how to distribute merit and promotion budgets across the organization. After this past year-end cycle, the client passed along that the leaders had been impressed with the workbook and were joking, “whoever did this, can they make things for us too?” It was passed to me half as a joke, but it stuck with me. 

What I’ve enjoyed most about this kind of work is the relationship that builds up over time. Coming back to the same client across multiple cycles means I get to see the problems we worked through last time stay fixed, and we can focus on the next thing instead of starting from scratch. That continuity, and the trust that comes with it, is what makes the work feel meaningful.

Outside of work, what do you naturally gravitate towards to switch off or recharge?

Staying active. Lately, I’ve been playing pickleball, which has been a great way to get outside, meet people, and get a little competitive without taking it too seriously. I also love a U-Jam dance class at the gym. And living in the Bay Area, there’s so much nature close by, so getting out on a trail for a hike is another great way to recharge.

What are you looking forward to in the coming years, personally and professionally?

Professionally, AI is what I’m most curious about. It’s already starting to shift how we work, and I think the real win is that it gives us room to do bigger thinking: more analysis, stronger recommendations, more time spent solving problems with clients rather than just getting to the answer. Alongside that, I continue building my expertise in equity compensation. It’s an area I keep getting drawn to, and my goal is to build real depth in it over the next few years.

Personally, I want to keep improving my baking. I started making sourdough during the pandemic, and it’s grown from there into sourdough pizza and other treats. I just got back from a trip to Europe, where I took a croissant-making class in Paris and a pizza-making class in Naples, so I’m looking forward to putting those skills to use at home this coming year. 

Seven years in, what comes through in Gintare’s reflections is how much she enjoys both the work and the people behind it. Her thoughtful approach, analytical sharpness, and calm, steady way of working with clients have made a real mark over the years, and we’re lucky to have her as part of the team. We’re excited to celebrate this milestone and are looking forward to solving more client puzzles together. And if you would like to work with Gintare and the team, we are happy to chat!