Q) Hi, how are you today?
Chilip: I’m good thanks!
Rieko: I am great, thank you.
Q) Can you please introduce yourself in case some of our readers aren’t familiar with you?
C: My name’s Chilip Lai and I focus on business development, partnerships and channels for LeapXpert – Responsible Business Communication
R: I am Rieko Moody. I am a subject matter expert at Shield, and help implement surveillance models. I also conduct market research to help with product development and roadmap
Q) How did you get started in the industry?
C: I’ve always had a keen interest in technology and software in particular to see how the latest innovations could help businesses improve efficiency and decision making. Having had several discussions with industry leaders and experts many years ago I decided to join a company that focused on Compliance and Risk with enterprise technology and data.
R: I come from a compliance background, and I have worked for a few different financial institutions. My background in e-communication surveillance fitted nicely with what Shield had been developing. Besides, working for a tech company is so much more fun than working for a finance company!
Q) What do you enjoy most about your role?
C: I enjoy meeting so many different types of people and their businesses from start-up digital asset companies to top tier global banks and law firms. Discovering together how our technology can solve their challenges and the success they have after deploying our innovations is the most rewarding part of my role.
R: As a vendor, we have the power to change and not just to execute, and I love that about my role. When everyone is working together towards a common goal, people tend to be very collaborative and creative. We learn and discover a lot from our partners, SMEs, and clients, and it’s great that we are always up for the next innovations as a company.
Q) What is a problem in your industry that people don’t suspect?
C: The evolution of communication where their customers are demanding to use their preferred method of communication – instant messaging apps. For many reasons such as compliance and security, businesses are not allowing their employees to build relationships with their customers where they’re most engaged and responsive. However, as we’ve seen particularly with regulated businesses that banning instant messaging isn’t a viable option as judging by the recent regulatory fines and sanctions.
R: In my opinion, a lot of companies face the challenge of having to manage 5-10 different e-communication solutions to cover end to end. It is a complicated process when you have to deal with data archiving, data management, supervision, e-discovery, and surveillance for so many different communication channels, and you need to be regulatory compliant (needless to say). Some people don’t realize that one enterprise solution could solve all the problems without comprising data security issues or regulatory requirements.
Q) Why did you choose this topic for your webinar? Why should people tune in?
C: The topic is very relevant not just for today but for the future of business communication. People will have some familiarity with the risks of instant messaging but they are many positive benefits for an enterprise to embrace this new communication technology from customer experience and insights to employee efficiency.
R: I think this topic is highly relevant right now since SEC and CFTC are investigating several banks’ record-keeping of communications through private platforms. We hope that everyone will be able to take some notes from this webinar and start thinking about what type of controls your firms should implement.
Q) Do you have any advice for younger people who are just getting started on their professional journey?
C: Keep learning from the industries or business leaders that most interest you. There’s lot of information online and with social platforms such as LinkedIn where companies and experts will share their latest updates and innovations. Creating and maintaining a professional online persona which will also help you to engage people in your target industry.
R: My mantra has always been that there is some value in some work that other people don’t want to do. I don’t think a lot of people realize how that can be the greatest currency later as you might become an SME of something that other people have no idea about. Another piece of advice is to keep learning even as you become more senior. Senior management with knowledge always earns more respect than managers who can lead the team without understanding what the team does.
Q) To close off – how do you relax in your free time?
C: I like to cook as it focuses my concentration on a single task without any other distractions. From buying the ingredients, preparation and cooking the meal itself it’s all enjoyable to me. Strangely enough I also enjoy washing up and returning everything back to how the kitchen was beforehand.
R: I like to go to a park and enjoy the sunshine (cold brew iced coffee is a must in the sunshine). I also love hot yoga, and it’s the best way to fight stress!
Click here to register for LeapXpert and Shield’s webinar on Wednesday 8th June 2022 at 3PM BST