S1 - Episode #6: Iryna Zhovtobryukh - Chief Technology Officer - Element Insurance AG
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About Iryna:
Iryna Zhovtobryukh is the Chief Technology Officer at Element Insurance AG, a leading digital insurance company based in Berlin, Germany. She has a decade and a half’s worth of experience building technology teams and companies and has expertise in software development, quality assurance, and end-to-end product development.
Starting her career as a software developer, Iryna has worked with the likes of Ciklum, Yapital, Censhare, and Element, to name a few. Proving time and again that it’s possible to seal your forte in the tech industry as a female, Iryna clarifies that none of the pervasive male domination needs to startle you if you have the curiosity and willingness to devour new skills. These can glide you forward in any tech-enabled company.
Synopsis:
In this episode of The Technology Leadership Podcast, Iryna and I discuss the workflow and processes at Element, also Germany's only 100% cloud-based InsurTech company. Speaking as both a recruiter and a candidate, Iryna shares why an enthusiastic and cooperative environment needs to be developed by both parties to create a healthy work environment. We also learn how a two-way interview process, transparent work requirements, and supportive work culture can help retract and retain the best gender-neutral technical talent in any company.
Key Takeaways:
The importance of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery for enabling faster product development
Deploying with very small batches to support the culture of embracing mistakes and ensuring transparency
The formula to retracting and retaining exceptional talent - autonomy, mastery, and purpose
Pointers to attracting new people to your company - make your company a good place to be in, aim for a direct connection between candidates and recruiters from the beginning, be honest and let them know what they’re signing up for
Ensuring a gender-neutral workforce - empowering female employees by providing leaves, knowledge transition, and pre-integration plans to support them through their maternity periods and motivating females to join the tech space
Continuous learning to stay ahead in the game always
Holding your systems together to avoid a collapse
Securing your systems and processes at all times and staying updated with any technological advancements to keep away from fraud
Episode Outline:
[00:32] Meet Iryna
[01:51] Iryna gives an overview of Elements and her role as the CTO there
[03:10] Do insurance companies get a competitive advantage by building their own tech?
[04:53] What is the role of a CTO in getting the business and teams ready?
[06:34] How did Iryna's tech team help ensure the stability of their platform?
[09:32] What are the benefits of not having a QA team?
[12:20] How do companies function without a QA team?
[15:38] How do you retract and retain the best technical talent for your company?
[20:09] The decentralized structure of operation at Elements and how it helps them.
[22:55] What can you do to encourage more women to join the tech space?
[28:42] What can you do to help entry-level or university-level women feel motivated to grab their dream jobs in the tech space?
[32:48] Advice for people who're at the start of their careers to make it big in the tech industry.
[40:55] How do you keep yourself motivated to work longer hours even, sometimes?
[43:34] Iryna talks about her most significant achievements in her career so far
[46:45] Some important lessons that helped Iryna grow into a strong leader
[53:22] What is the biggest challenge within the technology and start-up space right now?
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