How long have you been working at Siepe?
Six months – working from the office in Dallas.
What do you do at Siepe?
I’m an Information Technology Project Manager responsible for planning, coordinating and managing the onboarding process for clients, as well as liaising between our engineers and clients in establishing new features to suit their specific needs. I am also tasked with ensuring proof-of-concept and that the highest standard of work is delivered to our clients.
What initially attracted you to working at Siepe?
The technology aspect. Prior to joining Siepe, I had primarily worked in the technological side of businesses, starting out in the setup of phone networks and systems for Verizon and then, most recently, I delved into the development of retail and insurance software. Now, I’m really happy to be back in the tech world with the challenge of working in the asset management space.
As a techno-geek, I was really excited to start working for a company that was at the forefront of the industry but with continued focus on learning about new concepts and technologies to deliver a better experience for the end-user. I’m a process nerd too, so I was looking forward to being tasked with the development of an improved process for onboarding new clients. Also during the interview process, Michael Pusateri had a lot of enticing ideas when it came to thinking about new projects and showed willingness to work together with the team to develop them, which I hadn’t experienced from a CEO before.
In your opinion, what is the key differentiator of Siepe that influences financial firms to work with Siepe over other outsourced technology providers?
One thing that you’ll see with other managed services providers (MSPs) is that they are very rigid, and are unable to go off script when developing new solutions. Whereas at Siepe, we are very nimble. We’re able to adapt our solutions and take the next steps to provide the best service for our clients.
In the past, I have dealt with a lot of MSPs that provide multiple setup options for clients to choose from and many businesses found this method confusing. What’s great about Siepe is that we provide a base unit that can be augmented with solutions to fit any of our customers’ requirements – giving them the optionality to build a solution that caters to the unique needs of their operations.
What are some of the main technology challenges that you have seen over the past year, especially with the remote and hybrid working environments?
The first challenge that comes to mind is cybersecurity. For asset managers, data is very sensitive. It’s often the case that a lot of our clients have all of their data onsite on a server and what we’re doing is bringing this into the cloud while adding another layer of security.
We have had several prospective clients tell us that they have a basic setup when it comes to security, so we attempt to open the door for them to really crack down on ensuring they have the correct measures in place to safeguard their businesses. Some of these measures we have been providing range from:
- Establishing multi-factor authentication – adding additional layers of security to prevent unsolicited access to devices, accounts and/or data
- Implementing Microsoft Intune – enabling firms to control how their devices are used, while ensuring organization data stays protected and isolated from personal data
- Offering Cisco Umbrella to deliver multiple security functions into one solution that can be extended to remote users in distributed locations
As employees shifted to working remotely over the past year, many did not have the grade of security needed to ensure they are safe from data breaches. So, it’s no surprise that countless stories in the media surfaced around the increase in hackers attacking remote workers’ confidential information. This is why it’s crucial that organizations ensure all their employees are well-equipped to prevent these instances from happening.
What’s the best part about working at Siepe?
The environment. It’s a very open society here and the management team is always looking out for their employees. I love working with engineers who are constantly thinking outside the box to come up with new ways to better deliver our solutions to clients. Oh and not to mention – there’s free food!
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I’m a giggler. I’ve always been told I’m a bit like a radio DJ because I like to talk about fun and interesting things – and even when I’m giving the most straightforward answer, I’m still giggling!
