Introduction
The Intersection of Innovation and Finance
Tom Freston, the American entertainment industry executive, once said that "Innovation is taking two things that exist and putting them together in a new way". This quote encapsulates the essence of creativity and progress, highlighting the importance of combining existing elements to generate novel solutions. Today, this concept of innovation applies to various fields, including information technologies and finance. As these two areas continue to evolve and intersect, businesses and individuals are exploring new ways to connect, integrate, and optimize their operations. In this article, we will talk about the technical project manager Andrei Zarubaika, who, with brilliant success, manages to implement projects with the most innovative solutions and be at the peak of the industry. We also will explore information technologies innovations and their impact on the world of finance and explain the potential to solve an existing problem of standard finance institutes and make an impact on leading industries or even impact on a national level based on an innovative project, led by Andrei Zarubaika, Senior Development Manager.
From a Small Village to Senior Technical Project Manager
Andrei Zarubaika is a senior technical project manager who specializes in Bank and ERP API connectivity. Andrei was born and raised in a small village with a population of around 1000 people. He was a good student and excelled in math, receiving a gold medal for his academic achievements. After, Andrei enrolled in Belarusian State University, where he studied Applied Mathematics and Computer Science. Starting from second year of university, he held a part-time job as a software engineer in his third year, while he continued his education.
Andrei is an experienced software engineer with extensive IT experience and seven years of experience as a developer. He is a Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform, showcasing his expertise in Java programming. Starting as a Junior Software Engineer, Andrei quickly advanced to become a Software Engineer and then a Senior Software Engineer. In his early career, he worked on a travel department project, specializing in flights, insurance, hotels, and cars. He was responsible for various tasks such as UI and core development, unit testing, bug fixing, and customer support. Later, Andrei joined EPAM Systems and contributed to a project for Parallels, a prominent software company. He played a key role in research, analysis, sketch implementation, business analysis, and GUI flow implementation. Following that, he joined LANIT as a Senior Java Developer, where he focused on UI development, database development, code review, and business analysis. Andrei also handled project planning and client communication. Progressing in his career, Andrei assumed the position of Java Team Lead at SITRONICS IT. He worked on a project for Mobile Tele Systems, concentrating on digitalization and automation solutions for documentation. In this role, he was responsible for Java development, business analysis, team leadership, and mentoring. Andrei's extensive experience and expertise make him an asset as a developer, particularly in Java programming and various aspects of software development.
After working as a developer for several years, Andrei realized that projects speed and progress could be improved by having a different role. He eventually became a technical project manager and volunteered to take on a challenging project, in addition to the previous one which was delivered and required support. Sitronics company top management agreed to give him such responsibility based on constantly growing Andrei's performance team results. In a few quarters, he turned it into the most profitable project, resulting in bonuses for team members. When Andrei joined the project, it was incurring losses, with the company spending more on salaries than generating revenue from customers. However, under Andrei's leadership, the project's financial performance significantly improved. By the end of the first quarter, Andrei successfully managed the project to break even, eliminating the previous losses. In the second quarter, the project started generating a 30% profit. This remarkable achievement was a result of Andrei's diligent focus on managing the project's scope, adhering to timelines, ensuring high quality, and effectively addressing risks. With each subsequent quarter, the project consistently achieved a 30% profit, precisely in line with the planned margins from the project's inception. In some instances where the projected margin was only 20%, Andrei's proactive approach and the team's dedicated efforts propelled the profit to reach the targeted 30%. Andrei's outstanding performance and ability to drive profitability through efficient project management and risk mitigation demonstrate his exceptional value and expertise as a developer and leader.
Andrei's managerial experience began with overseeing complex system integration projects, particularly in terms of territorial coverage, while working for the top integrator in Russia. One notable project involved implementing electronic document management in Mobile Tele systems company, which effectively reduced costs and streamlined processes.
He then took on an even larger project for TELUS Communications in Canada, catering to millions of customers and requiring high availability. This project presented significant challenges but also served as a valuable learning opportunity, allowing Andrei to gain insights from various technical perspectives. Given the high professional growth rate, the employer knew that if the staff trusted Andrei, the result would be profitable.
Thus, Andrei successfully managed larger projects with a team of 35 individuals. Initially, the customer specified budget limitations for only 10 team members, necessitating a downsizing of the team while ensuring the preservation of expertise. However, a few months later, the customer expanded the budget to accommodate 70 team members, requiring rapid scaling of the team. Later in the year, the customer further expanded the budget to include 120 team members. Managing the ramp down and ramp up of teams, a highly complex task, was also part of Andrei's experience.
Venturing into Fintech by joining Kyriba Corp.
After successfully passing an interview a year before joining a Fintech company, Andrei's interest in the industry grew as he delved into extensive research. A year later, driven by his proactive exploration of the sector, he made the decision to pursue a career in Fintech and joined Kyriba Corp., a prominent industry leader known for its comprehensive solutions, technological innovation, global presence, commitment to security, and customer-centric approach.
Kyriba Corp founded in 2000, and at a time where large legacy software integrations were still dominant, was one of the world's first companies to develop a native SaaS (software as a service) solution for the financial industry. In 2003, office was established in San Diego as international corporate headquarters. New York office opened in 2007 and since then they have become a market leader of SaaS-based cash and treasury management solutions. Their global footprint increased in 2012 with the opening of their Japan and UK offices, in 2014 with the opening of Kyriba SEA in Singapore, and in 2015 with the opening of Kyriba Middle East
Now, Kyriba is a team of more than 1,000 employees located around the globe, supporting more than 2,500 clients in 160+ countries. In the US, they have over 300 employees across 30 different states. It's an exciting time to be part of Kyriba's exponential growth, providing a mission-critical solution that empowers their clients to transform how clients use liquidity as a dynamic catalyst for their own growth and value creation.
Andrei recognized that his prior experience in system integration, ensuring high availability, and managing substantial customer bases were all highly applicable and valuable within the Fintech industry.
Initially, Andrei joined a legacy connectivity project that had been operating for 20 years. During this time, he gained valuable experience working with a diverse range of customers, including notable organizations such as NetSuite, Bank of America, Deloitte, and others. His responsibilities included supporting the integration of Kyriba's solution with industry-standard protocols like SWIFT, EBICS, and PESIT, further enhancing his expertise in the fintech domain.
Driving Innovation in Fintech APIs Connectivity
Having a wide range of massive clients with various requests in the field of Fintech, Andrei was chosen to spearhead an innovative project focused on constructing connectivity using Fintech APIs. Drawing upon his extensive experience, he dedicated himself to building a robust and mature Minimum Viable Product while also embracing new technologies to ensure future adaptability. As a result, the project has emerged as one of the flagship initiatives within the company. It is now on the verge of achieving unlimited scalability and implementing self-service capabilities, enabling customers to seamlessly utilize the solutions without the need for support involvement.
Considering that Kyriba is a leading platform in treasury and financial management and that most famous corporations are using Kyriba, Andrei would like to use this opportunity as a booster to develop technologies and force adaptation of new technologies for all Kyriba customers. He believes that new technologies develop faster when started by large corporations, for example Bank of America, PSA Group, Sony, Deloitte, and others.
Andrei Zarubaika expertise and experience perfectly align with the transformative potential of information technologies in the field of finance. His background in system integration, project management, and technical proficiency uniquely positions him to drive innovation and solve long-standing issues in the Fintech industry. In Fintech, the integration of various technologies is key to unlocking game-changing solutions. Legacy systems, which often plague the industry, struggle to meet the demands of today's complex financial transactions and data requirements. However, by leveraging new technologies such as APIs, data lakes, and artificial intelligence, these systems can be modernized, streamlined, and made more efficient, secure, and cost-effective. Andrei's expertise in API connectivity and his ability to navigate complex projects make him well-suited to lead the charge in implementing these transformative solutions. The combination of different technologies offers Fintech companies the opportunity to create new business models and revenue streams. By leveraging APIs and machine learning, personalized financial advice and investment recommendations can be offered to customers, resulting in increased satisfaction and loyalty. Andrei's experience in managing substantial customer bases and his curiosity for new technologies positions him to pioneer these innovative approaches, ultimately driving growth and expansion in the Fintech industry.
In conclusion, Andrei Zarubaika journey is an excellent example of how hard work and curiosity within the industry can lead to enablement of worthwhile projects. Starting from a small village, he worked his way up to become a senior technical project manager with a specialization in Bank and ERP API connectivity at Kyriba Corp and playing a key role in technically managing a Fintech project that brings value to the U.S. economy. A successful convergence of technology and finance requires a professional with a unique and extensive background in managing complex projects and his curiosity for new technologies have led him to the Fintech industry, where he is currently making a significant impact. A professional with the right experience and expertise in the intersection of industries can achieve a breakthrough in the industry. His ultimate dream of improving the entire Fintech industry is a noble pursuit, and we look forward to seeing how.
