To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, we interviewed Sharegain’s Deputy CEO & Chief of Staff, Keren Halperin, to gain an insight into what it’s like leading a fast-growing, global Fintech.
How do you define leadership and what are the most important qualities leaders must have?
Positivity, as well as acknowledging and learning from both your successes and your failures. Remember, the journey is where you spend most of your time, so you better enjoy the road.
Recognizing each individual and their unique needs and skills is fundamental to leadership, as well as to the success of any company.
Leaders also need to have a strong sense of their core, as that enables them to be decisive, but this strength must be tempered with a flexibility to change course if the facts or circumstances change. Reacting to things that come your way and remaining agile in the face of uncertainty are key to strong leadership.
What’s it like being Deputy CEO and Chief of Staff of a fast-growing FinTech with global clients and a geographically spread workforce?
Being a Deputy CEO in a fast-growing company is very interesting and fulfilling, I love the fact every day is different. It’s also challenging, of course, which enables me to learn and do new things all the time. The foremost challenge is handling such a diverse and fast-moving brief. I’ll give two examples. Firstly, defining the communication lines amongst rapidly expanding teams based in three geographical zones produces numerous obstacles and requires constant creative solutions.
Secondly, securities lending is an environment that has remained relatively static for decades, so to be the new kid in town who is bringing innovative change, is not always easy. Nonetheless, the Sharegain DNA – the fact that we know what we are doing, what we stand for, and where we are going – is a key strength, as evidenced by our rapid growth and valued reputation in this space.
What are you most proud of at Sharegain?
Our team and culture. We have colleagues that started as interns and grew into highly effective managers, leading and directing successful teams. It’s truly inspiring to see such individual growth in this organization.
One of the things we do, in order to maintain our culture, is that Boaz Yaari, our CEO and Founder, and I meet every potential recruit personally, as the final round of our interview process. This way we can help to ensure cohesion, diversity and maintain the overall DNA of the team, while still growing globally.
Why do you think diversity in the workplace is so important?
Diversity and embracing individualism are vital to the long-term success of any organization. Empowering each colleague to be themselves and apply their unique skills enables companies to be truly innovative, collaborative, and trailblazing.
But diversity isn’t just about culture either. Research shows that diversity and inclusion have a direct effect on a company’s bottom line. For a global company, with clients around the world from diverse cultures, it’s crucial that we can draw on expertise from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, and identities.
What is the most important message you want to send to young women thinking about a career in Finance and/or Fintech?
Remember, you are the only one living your life, so choose what you want to do, not what others expect you to do. Find something you are good at, and that makes you happy. You might enjoy the tasks, the people, or the industry – no matter what it is – if you enjoy it, you will bring the best of you to the job.
From a young age, I was involved in computer science and had an interest in capital markets, so working in Finance and now in a Fintech was a natural path for me. By following my interests, and working hard through the years, I’m now in a position where I get to do exactly what I want for a living. As Mark Twain said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Sharegain is a tightly knit team combining Israeli tech knowledge with UK and US capital markets expertise. Every Sharegainer has their own backstory, but we all share an ambition to do things differently – better and greater – than they’ve ever been done before. Join us in our mission to democratize securities lending.
