Every Monday morning we fire five questions at leading C-suite figure in the business technology sector. Today, we’re pleased to be joined by Liza Russell, the CEO of workflow management and analytics tool specialist Inbotiqa.
Liza, What’s the Biggest Challenge for your Clients?
Our clients are predominately in Financial Services, managing high-volume shared mailboxes in their back- and middle-office operational areas. As with most large enterprises, it’s a challenge to integrate and promote new innovation into their existing and legacy systems.
The nature of larger, more hierarchical corporates also tends to mean they are slower to make decisions and slower to change their operating models. Even when the long-term benefits and cost-savings are clear, it can initially be costly to transition to new tech, requires existing staff members to embrace change and has the potential to negatively impact on client service during the transition if not properly managed.
We provide an enterprise email workflow and analytics platform that reduces both operational and regulatory risk, boosts productivity and provides in-depth data analytics that drives continuous improvements and streamline processes.
Technology that Excites You Most?
AI/Machine Learning (ML) are one of the most talked about innovations at this moment – when we attend conferences, we play buzz-word bingo as it is bandied about so often.
Yet most people do not really understand it and have not seen it being used to directly impact on and enhance their operational processes or business.
We have developed a ML module called YUDOsmart which uses ML in multiple ways to improve efficiency for our clients. For example, collapsing multiple global shared mailboxes down to one mailbox, identifying the priority and attributes and allocating to the correct person in the correct country for processing, thereby removing bottle necks, boosting productivity and reducing risk.
Greatest Success?
My family are my greatest personal success. I had my children whilst very young and stayed at home to raise them until my early thirties. It was only then that I started my career in Financial Services. My biggest success professionally has been making the transition from corporate security to start-up life and using my skills and experience to support a fantastic team to build and scale a business in FinTech.
Greatest Failure?
I wish there had been more time on the Barclays Accelerator Programme to attend more sessions for my own personal development as a CEO. It came at an incredibly busy time for us as a business.
Each team member was able to join and attend sessions throughout the programme so it was a real shame I was unable to lead or attend more of them. As one of only two female CEOs in a cohort of ten, I would have liked to have utilised the opportunities and experiences more to stand up as a female CEO and be a role model. I’ve been fortunate to attend many events for Women in Tech and provide interviews for Forbes, The Banker and other publications on this important matter.
In Another Life I would Be…
I would have trained in psychology and worked as a life coach. Nothing to do with tech but a real passion and interest that I follow.
Being in leadership roles gives you the opportunity to mentor and coach others and I find this the most rewarding when someone is able to advance their personal development and this is then reflected in their professional development and progression. I love empowering people and giving them the confidence to grow and fulfil their ambitions. Being a CEO with the responsibility to grow the team gives me the chance to embrace this aspect which is a real pleasure.
See also: Five Questions with… Teradata CTO Stephen Brobst
