FINASTRA
Elona Ruka-Wright , Chief Risk Officer at Finastra , talks strategy and thought leadership inside one of the world ’ s leading financial technology companies
Risk management is as much an art as it is a science ’, says Elona Ruka-Wright , Chief Risk Officer at Finastra . We ’ re speaking about the art of risk mitigation and her role on a Monday morning , and she dives right in . ‘ While there are aspects of risk that you can predict based on statistical data , no risk stands alone . You have to connect the dots ; think about unintended consequences ’.
This is partly what draws her to risk management : the intellectual challenge . ‘ You need critical thinking to constantly evaluate and make decisions ’, Elona explains . ‘ There is no business without risk . It ’ s about making informed and balanced decisions that maximise opportunities while minimising risk . You can ’ t let infinite available data paralyse you , or you run the risk of doing nothing ’. As Finastra ’ s Chief Risk Officer , she leads all aspects of the firm ’ s global risk management and governance practices , manages crisis situations , and builds strong relationships with regulators .
Having come to Finastra following a 20-year career built in established banks , Elona holds a unique perspective on the fintech industry . ‘ Fintechs are different ; they ’ re often more agile , more globally dispersed , and more diverse in their products and customers ’, she says . But both Black Knight ( where she worked previously ) and Finastra ( her current company ) serve big banks . ‘ In many ways ’, she says , ‘ we have similar risk management programmes and practices as the world ’ s largest institutions ’.
Elona Ruka-Wright
Chief Risk Officer at Finastra
50 September 2021