Inside Temenos – A Series of Inspiring Career Journeys, Kanika Hope
“At Temenos you are empowered to take the initiative; autonomy and responsibility go hand in hand here, and this is why the company is continuously evolving and innovating”
At Temenos we believe that our people make the difference. What we create and achieve is a result of the aspirations and goals of the 4000+ unique individuals that make up Temenos today.
Our people drive real change, and working together as a team is what got us to where we are today.
In an effort to recognize and celebrate our talented colleagues, we’d like to share some of their inspirational stories, where they takes us along their journey before and after joining Temenos.
Kanika came to Temenos with a banking technology and operations background. She wanted to build on her experience with Tier 1 banks and move from an ERP to a specialist banking software provider – discover her journey:
1. Tell us about your role: When did you join Temenos? What is your position in the company?
I joined Temenos in January 2016 as Strategic Business Development Director, focused on developing sales opportunities with leading banks. It was a new role created in order to proactively engage with new banks as well as to engage with the business and C-level stakeholders at existing opportunities, from an industry thought-leadership perspective. The role involves three elements: proactive business development with prospects and partners, strategic deal support and industry research.
2. How did your career journey look before Temenos?
I came to Temenos with a banking technology and operations background, most recently from SAP where I spent 10 years in value-based selling to Tier 1 banks in Europe. Prior to that, I was a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company in their Business Technology Office (BTO) in London focused on Banking, and at General Electric in a variety of Information Technology roles across the globe.
3. What attracted you to Temenos?
I wanted to build on my experience at SAP with Tier 1 banks, and move from an ERP giant where banking is one of 26 industries, to a specialist banking software provider. I spoke to various industry analysts and trade journalists when I contemplated change, and virtually everyone suggested Temenos as the company to apply to. So I contacted Temenos proactively, had some great conversations with senior management who decided that my skills could serve their growth strategy and Tier 1 focus; so a role was created and here I am!
4. Tell us about your journey within Temenos. How did you progress from your first role? Did you have a mentor when you started your journey in Temenos?
Eighteen months in, just as I am starting to get comfortable in my newly created role at Temenos, I have been asked to step up and ‘recruit and manage’ a global strategic sales team. Temenos is an organization that constantly challenges you and motivates you to step out of your comfort zone, in my case from being a subject matter expert to becoming a line manager, even if for a group of independent and self-driven individuals.
Regarding mentorship, my career at Temenos has been driven by two individuals, both of whom are founders of the company and have been part of its trajectory since inception: The first is my manager, who is a passionate and inspiring sales leader with a strong vision for strategic and value selling. My other mentor heads up Business Solutions and has been instrumental in guiding me through the organisation’s history, beliefs and values, and how best to position the company and our products in light of these.
5. Tell us about yourself. What are you passionate about? Who are you at home?
Outside of work, I dabble in creative writing, both fiction and non-fiction. It is early days yet but it is fast becoming a passion. Right now, I pretty much write for myself and thoroughly enjoy the creative process, though last year, one of my articles got published in a mainstream newspaper, which was very exciting!
6. How do you think you passions/personal life link to your career?
I didn’t plan it but through the research articles and white papers I have been writing at Temenos, I have ended up leaning on my creative writing skills. I find this fun to do and hope to continue doing all the writing myself, eschewing professional writing assistance, on work-related articles and papers.
7. What do you love about your job at Temenos? What motivates you every day?
I get a buzz from being part of a successful, growing sales organization. Each new win makes the workplace atmosphere even more motivating and inspiring. One aspect that I notice in Temenos, unlike the much larger organizations I have worked at in the past, is the level of collaboration and team-work.
Having multiple facets to my job is also what keeps it so interesting. I could be meeting with senior clients or attending an external industry event or brainstorming the latest innovations with our product experts in a single day. This combination of client engagement on sales opportunities and intellectual stimulation is what I love about my job at Temenos.
8. What is the most important thing you’ve learned so far in Temenos?
I learnt that at Temenos, as an employee, you are empowered to take initiative; no one will hold your hand but you will be allowed to take risks. Autonomy and responsibility go hand in hand here, and this is why the company is continuously evolving and innovating rather than allowing itself to become complacent with success.
9. What advice would you give to someone looking to take their career in Fin Tech to the next level?
I can speak for what has worked for me (not sure it counts as advice!) – taking control of my career and shaping my role in order to set myself for personal growth and learning, within a receptive organization operating in a dynamic, fast-changing industry.