Hanna Helin is the Global Head of Technology Innovation at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). In this role she leads LSEG’s Technology Innovation across their global Technology organization. Hanna has worked in a variety of technology and business leadership positions and is experienced in developing, leading and executing large technology and data initiatives. Hanna chatted with us about what is happening in the market around emerging technology. She explains how she is engaged in the global ecosystem through understanding cutting edge technologies, collaborating with venture capital to understand investment approach and focus areas, and engaging organizations in academic research.
3 Takeaways:
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Key Quotes:
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Best Career Advice:
Understand yourself, your business, and your customer. Open up your sights to new opportunities and technologies to help you achieve the highest level of knowledge, efficiency, and success. In doing that, also continue to use the expertise you have gained throughout the years and build upon that as you are exposed to different things.
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Bio:
Hanna Helin
Global Head of Technology Innovation, CTO Office at London Stock Exchange Group
Hanna Helin has worked in a variety of technology and business leadership positions. She is experienced in developing, leading and executing large technology and data initiatives. In her current role as a Global Head of Technology Innovation, Hanna is leading LSEG’s Technology Innovation across their global Technology organization including 13,000 people. She has a keen interest in innovation, new technologies and the FinTech industry. Hanna has two Master’s degrees from ESCP Europe and University of Vaasa. She has lived in six different countries in Europe and Asia and is now based in New York City.
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For more information:
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahelin/
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About the Hosts
Matthew O'Neill is a husband, dad, geek and Industry Managing Director, Advanced Technology Group in the Office of the CTO at VMware.
You can find Matthew on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Brian Hayes is an audiophile, dad, builder of sheds, maker of mirth, world traveler and EMEA Financial Services Industry Lead at VMware.
You can find Brian on LinkedIn.
[00:00:00] Hanna Helin: I think what we have seen is that many of the large organizations back in the days, like they set up these almost like a separate innovation teams to, to do innovation on the site, but it's really becoming more and more important. But the kind of like the core of the organization also innovate and is enabled to, to innovate.
[00:00:24] Matthew O’Neill: Welcome to don't break the bank, run it and change it. Our podcast for curious minds in the financial services industry, I'm Matthew O'Neill and together with my co-host Brian Hayes, we've both worked for over 30 years in banking and banking in it. Before joining VMware. In today's episode, we speak with Hannah Helen.
[00:00:44] Matthew O’Neill: Hannah is the global head of technology innovation at the London stock exchange group. Hannah talks with us about the future of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Including the ethics surrounding it and how these technologies can help take on industry challenges. She [00:01:00] also talks with us about customer engagement and where the market's going next.
[00:01:03] Matthew O’Neill: As she aims to drive wider technology innovation programs, they're enabled to leverage some of the latest tools, technologies, and approaches to drive better business and greater collaboration. Welcome Hannah. Great to have you join us
[00:01:16] Hanna Helin: today. Thank you Matthew. Very nice to be here. So
[00:01:19] Matthew O’Neill: Hannah, can you give us a quick intro about you and your role?
[00:01:22] Matthew O’Neill: Sure.
[00:01:23] Hanna Helin: Absolutely. So Hannah, he I'm actually based in New York, I'm originally from Finland. So I have gone through lots of re iterations throughout my career. I'm currently working for London stock exchange group. So I run our, uh, technology innovation strategy within our CTO organization. So in my team, uh, we are very focused on tracking what is happening externally in the market around emerging technologies.
[00:01:50] Hanna Helin: So we are very focused on public cloud enhancements. I would say AI machine learning, lots of things happening there, as well as blockchain, we have started [00:02:00] hearing more about things like metaverse and augmented reality. So really anything that might impact IEC and obviously our customers. And then within my.
[00:02:10] Hanna Helin: Group. What we also do is that we are engaging with the global ecosystem. So mostly with the large technology firms. So really understanding from them that what are those new kind cutting edge capabilities that are coming through as well as smaller startup companies. So whenever there are more specialized companies that we should take a look at and, and engagement, we work with them.
[00:02:31] Hanna Helin: And then as a part of those ecosystem engagements, we also collaborate with venture capital firms. So really understanding the investment approach and, and focus areas as well as, uh, we have also academic, uh, engagement program where we operate with leading academic institutions on, on research, and also obviously kind of like talent pipeline for the organization.
[00:02:55] Hanna Helin: And then obviously on top of that, lots of different customer engagement. So speaking obviously [00:03:00] with, uh, our, our client CTOs and CEOs and seeing where the market will be, will be going next. One of the key things. In my role, as well as to try this wider technology innovation program across the whole LSAC technology team, which is really all about making sure that our technologies are enabled to leverage the latest and greatest technologies, and then also really learn, learn more about them.
[00:03:26] Hanna Helin: And we also have also like more sort of innovative elements as a part of that program. So we have also provided, for example, technology innovation. For technologies so that they, they can then seek funding for their ideas, but lots of different, you know, aspects that we are looking at within this group.
[00:03:43] Hanna Helin: So
[00:03:43] Matthew O’Neill: then from a career perspective, then how did you end up getting here? What was it you wanted to, to do when you left school? You know, how'd you get started?
[00:03:50] Hanna Helin: It's a good question. I didn't really think about it initially that I would be. Getting into these kind of roles. So I think initially back in the days [00:04:00] when I graduated, I actually wanted to become an ambassador.
[00:04:03] Hanna Helin: So I quite like the approach where I would be able to move from one country to another, every couple of years and really learn about lots of like local cultures. But then I actually worked for embassy of Finland in Sweden for a while, and I felt that it was quite slowly moving. Like it felt a little bit like, I don't know, it just didn't do it for me.
[00:04:26] Hanna Helin: So then I did like a kind of like second master DEC and then actually started back in the days at Tombros. So I kind of like joined the financial services industry. It wasn't probably the best time to join though. Like it was like, okay. Back back in 2007, Market meltdown, lots of like, uh, institutions going bust.
[00:04:46] Hanna Helin: So again, like kind of like diving straight into, into that deep end. And then I think kind of like throughout my career, like kind of like stayed in the financial services now about, I guess, 13, 14 years now or already, but have been moving kind of like [00:05:00] every other year have been moving to new positions and have kind of like transitioned to more kind of like, I would say strategy roles as well as then.
[00:05:08] Hanna Helin: To data management roles. And then now in the, in more technology roles for about seven, eight years now. So it, it wasn't really planned from the get go .
[00:05:20] Matthew O’Neill: Okay. So, so looking back then, what, what would you say has been your career defining moment? I think it
[00:05:25] Hanna Helin: kind of comes back to the managers I've had throughout the years.
[00:05:29] Hanna Helin: So I think, I remember still the time when I specifically moved from London to, to New York. So at that time, so I was, as I mentioned, like I worked in, in Toro sales team and worked as an account manager and I kind of realized that I, I don't think sales was really for, for me. Like I just didn't. I dunno, it just didn't work for me.
[00:05:54] Hanna Helin: And I actually came to visit my brother in New York and I found that, oh, like, this is quite a [00:06:00] nice city. Like very energetic, lots of things seems to be happening here. So I then went to my manager in London to say that, you know, like it would be quite nice to identify opportunities in, in New York. And she was very supportive.
[00:06:12] Hanna Helin: She was like, yep, you can absolutely go there, but do identify local opportunities there. And I remember having lots of meeting. In, in New York at that time with the senior leadership team and kind like identifying those opportunities. And then one of the guys was actually heading innovation team at that time, a guy called team baker.
[00:06:33] Hanna Helin: So he actually then had a meeting with me and he happened to have an opportunity where he then eventually hired me before. And I feel that that really coming from sales. To the more kind of like strategy and innovation for withdrawals was really kind of like the big, big change for, for my career. And I think oftentimes you find in, in these kind of roles that people are maybe not as open-minded like, they see that, for example, if you [00:07:00] work in sales, you will work in sales.
[00:07:02] Hanna Helin: Like you're not necessarily moving to, to other kind of positions. So I think that was really crucial for, for my career. And then I think. Kind of like leveraging that experience. Like I've been able to make those similar jumps from there. Like I think when you end up working in these kind of like innovation roles, you tend to get kind of a lot of exposure to different areas and then you can kind of like leverage your expertise different ways.
[00:07:29] Hanna Helin: And I think that has then enabled me to move over to this even eventually to this more kind of like technology focus roles.
[00:07:37] Matthew O’Neill: So what's been your proudest moment from a professional perspective. So.
[00:07:41] Hanna Helin: Good question. I think you like, uh, one of the things which I always like in these positions is that it tends to be very kind of collaborative effort.
[00:07:49] Hanna Helin: So throughout your career, like you get to see these, I guess, working in these like small teams where you really kind of like, identify like, uh, Very small group [00:08:00] of people that you, you work with and you execute a certain project. And I think we I've had, I've been lucky enough to have a couple of those occasions where I've worked in those groups and really launched new market offerings to the market, especially, you know, on the big data side.
[00:08:15] Hanna Helin: And now on, on the technology side, I think those are really always. The, the fun, fun experience is that you can like collaboratively kind of like share that almost like celebration to together with the team. And then I think oftentimes as well, like when you get to present to like senior leadership team or you get to present in the large conferences, external, like obviously those have been always as well.
[00:08:37] Hanna Helin: Fun experience is I think another angle in general is that I think in, in, in this kind of role, like you get the opportunities. Meet up with lots of different, uh, ecosystem kind of conducts and startup founders. And again, lots of different conducts there. And when you get to kind of like introduce them to the right teams and help them to launch the offering to the market, [00:09:00] I, that's also very exciting as well to really seeing them them succeed.
[00:09:04] Matthew O’Neill: Let's move on to add deep dive,
[00:09:08] Hanna Helin: man. And I did a real deep dive.
[00:09:11] Brian Hayes: All right.
[00:09:11] Hanna Helin: Uh, let's get into it. We'll find out everything there is to know.
[00:09:16] Matthew O’Neill: Okay, Hannah. So when we were talking before you mentioned that you've got a new report, just being commissioned on AI, what were your findings?
[00:09:23] Hanna Helin: Sure. Absolutely. So we have this, uh, tendency actually to do, uh, this kind of AI report on a yearly basis.
[00:09:31] Hanna Helin: So we published the, the, the last one end of last year. And what we did is that we interviewed about 500 individuals in the financial services market. So we are looking at actually both buy site and, and sales site. The name of the report is the defining moment for data S. AI and ML research for both of you listening.
[00:09:53] Hanna Helin: Like if you go to Google, you will be able to find, uh, the report, but it was really interesting. So we basically interviewed [00:10:00] both C level executives as well as more kind of a hands on practitioners, such as data scientists. And what really came out of the report was that most of those organizations had really AI and machine learning as a part of the core strategy.
[00:10:16] Hanna Helin: What we saw is that especially, uh, senior leaders. So looking at again, the, the C level executives they saw that AI is really pretty much the, the core of the strategy going forward. What was interesting from the findings though, was that I think data scientists specifically saw that they still can have most.
[00:10:34] Hanna Helin: Space for improvement that there's kind of like the, I guess, talking to senior level that AI is very much in the core of the organization's, uh, strategy, but then in, I think, I guess slower levels that you go in the organization, it will still deserve more, more focus there. What we also saw is that I think early on, when we look at AI and kind of comparing the results to previous surveys as well, we saw that [00:11:00] when we look at each of the regions, us tended to be quite far ahead of the, the other regions while with this report.
[00:11:08] Hanna Helin: Now, what we saw is that actually both Europe and Asia were also picking up more. So all of those organizations also saw that. Very much, uh, as a part of the, their core strategy. When we looked at challenges for AI machine learning, I think we still saw that there's an overall discussion about how do you actually connect the data, manage the data, and really also get access.
[00:11:34] Hanna Helin: To, to write kind of data to then add analytics on, on top of that. So I think, you know, all of these companies were pretty much, they were quite data hung across the board, but they kind of wanted to have, have more there. I think another one, another interesting finding that we we saw was really. Kind of like a public cloud engagement and where that market is going.
[00:11:56] Hanna Helin: So we also kind of like had the ranking of like, which, what is the [00:12:00] preference for the market as it comes down to public cloud capabilities. And what we really saw is that customers, they really looked at all of them. Uh, obviously Microsoft, AWS GCP, IBM, Alibaba, as well as snowflake. And, but we saw that really.
[00:12:17] Hanna Helin: I think us us were specifically on AWS. Like they. Most preferred options in the survey, but I, those were really, really the key findings. Matthew and I have been
[00:12:27] Brian Hayes: fortunate over the past few weeks to talk to Josh Simons internally, and also Ray O'Brien, who is an XCO from one of the large banks who is now working for a, for a software company.
[00:12:38] Brian Hayes: We did get into a healthy debate and, and opinions around. How ethics will come into AI and how that will be governed, but also the regulation of AI. And I wondered if that was picked up in your survey, if you've got a or if you've got a particular opinion on
[00:12:54] Hanna Helin: that. Yeah. So I think we have looked at that specifically, for example, from the.
[00:12:58] Hanna Helin: Ethical AI [00:13:00] perspective. So I think that that's been quite an interesting discussion to, to follow like the whole European commission regulation that will be coming into play within couple of years. I think it's very healthy conversation overall to make sure that this kind of like diversity and kind of like proper review of any AI and ML models that will be coming into play.
[00:13:23] Hanna Helin: I think what I've personally found quite interesting in that space is that. You know, it's interesting to see that AI is very much in the core of it while I think the discussion should be also about overall analytics models. Like I think it, it is very important to make sure that whenever you create any kind of model, whether it's.
[00:13:43] Hanna Helin: With or without AI, it would be done proper way. And, and again, keeping that ethical aspect and diverse aspects in the, in the core of it. So that's something that we are very focused on at, at the moment as well. Like we want to make sure that. Obviously from the [00:14:00] capability perspective, as we're looking to implement more AI capabilities, like we have sort of full visibility on what kind of solutions we have and how they're obviously leveraging AI.
[00:14:10] Hanna Helin: And then on top of that, as we look at them, the teams and obviously our customers as well, which are creating. New models. It's also good to get visibility into those and making sure that we have proper governance around it, especially as we look at our internal data science teams and analytics teams. So we are trying to make sure that we are not creating almost like a site processes for AI governance and management, but we want to make sure that it's kind like part of the, the core processes.
[00:14:38] Hanna Helin: I think that's
[00:14:39] Brian Hayes: gonna be a debate. That's gonna go. and on and on, um, Matthew
[00:14:46] Matthew O’Neill: question from you. Uh, yes. So following on from Brian's question, really. So your answer there, you mentioned how Europe are thinking about it. What's your take on other geographies jurisdictions? And maybe even industries, [00:15:00] is it everybody in line with where Europe is or from what you're seeing varying
[00:15:04] Hanna Helin: degrees of that?
[00:15:05] Hanna Helin: So I think Europe has been a little bit ahead of that conversation. So I think that, uh, European commission regulatory proposal that came through really, I think, last summer, so that has been the, the baseline for the, for the discussion. Us is a little bit further off. I think with that conversation, it will be interesting to see that how that overall conversation will go, especially considering the large technology firms in the us and how they will be kind of like adapting back to that, that regulatory.
[00:15:36] Hanna Helin: All besides, I think that's really, really interesting, especially looking at, obviously, for example, Google, like how they will be looking at the search functionality and how they need to adapt to those change regulatory and demands going forward.
[00:15:50] Brian Hayes: You raised an interesting point in your introduction around innovation and technology at, at the exchange.
[00:15:56] Brian Hayes: I wonder if you could give me your view as to how [00:16:00] that benefits and impacts your customers and, and your colleagues. I, I came from an exchange year and many years ago where it was basically speed. Speed. Faster, please go faster. Speed. It's moved on since then, obviously, but I just wondered how you feel your benefits in your customers.
[00:16:16] Hanna Helin: Yeah. So I think we have lots of different angles to, to look at there. So from the kind of like AEX own perspective like this, we, we are obviously managing tons of different, uh, data sets on, on our side. So there are always opportunities for further automation with AI and kind of like making sure that when we look at our, for example, internal data, So that we can give them tools to do more kind of like intelligent work on top of those like very manual processes.
[00:16:47] Hanna Helin: As we then look at the, the customer facing solutions. So we have obviously various different analytical and data offerings that we, we offer for the banks and hedge funds and asset managers. And they [00:17:00] are lots of different, uh, use cases where we are feeding our data. Whether it's data feed or APIs to those different environments.
[00:17:08] Hanna Helin: So it's really interesting to see. And I think what we kind of like saw, so from the AI survey is those like fast developing, almost like individual requirements as well that we see that each of the data scientist, like they. They probably have their favorite tools that they want to, uh, use going forward.
[00:17:26] Hanna Helin: Some would be using iMaker others would be using BigQuery. And then there's obviously the whole evolution of, of different, smaller ecosystem providers as well, that will be playing in that space. So it's really the key for us to make sure that we' be having our data sets and, uh, solutions also available in, in those environments.
[00:17:46] Hanna Helin: And I think that's the, the key that we have done it from our perspective that we have. Very collaborative partnerships with each of the, the large public health providers, really, because of that reason as well. Like we want to make sure that we can [00:18:00] offer our data flexible way for, for our customers in all of those different environments.
[00:18:07] Brian Hayes: As I said, um, going back
[00:18:11] Brian Hayes: 10, 12 years, everything was around speed latency. And I think with the evolution of technologies that can now be deployed at an industrial strength capability, either resilient. They're scalable. I think the opportunity to drive change both in the exchanges and the associated utilities, but also then extend that back out into the customers and create new products and services that previously never existed.
[00:18:32] Hanna Helin: Absolutely. Yeah. I think there are lots of opportunities in that space. And I think what you mentioned there, like, I don't think any of those challenges have gone away that kind of like instant access and instant transaction is obviously still there. So what's
[00:18:45] Matthew O’Neill: your approach to innovation? I know that's part of your responsibility, but you know, is that responsibility of just one department?
[00:18:51] Matthew O’Neill: Is it something that you nurture a culture? Is it something different? What's your approach?
[00:18:55] Hanna Helin: It is really a culture across the board. So I think what [00:19:00] I've personally seen, I think throughout the year, so I I've studied in this kind of like innovation teams about 10 years ago already. And I think what we have seen is that many of the large organizations back in the day is like they set up these almost like a separate, uh, innovation teams.
[00:19:16] Hanna Helin: To, to do innovation on the site, but it's really becoming more and more important that the kind of like the core of the organization also innovates and is enabled to, to innovate. So the way that we are driving the program is that we want to make sure that. All of our technologies will get access to the latest and greatest understanding of like what is happening really in the market with emerging technologies and really highlighting to them that, which are the capabilities that they should be using going forward.
[00:19:46] Hanna Helin: So it's kind of like the educational element as a part of that, which will then lead. Really to additional innovation across the organization. What I mentioned earlier about technology innovation fund, for example. So that's one way that [00:20:00] we have been enabling our technologies to really get going faster with they, they new ideas.
[00:20:06] Hanna Helin: So they has been basically pocket of money that they can come up with, uh, with a new idea. They can come to the senior leadership team with the idea, and then we'll be reviewing the idea to make sure that it's aligned. With our, you know, business priorities and then the idea will be funded and then they can get going with it very rapid fashion so they can test it out and see whether it works or not.
[00:20:28] Hanna Helin: And if it doesn't work, like then we move to the, to the next idea. So I think that's really that testing and kind of like rapid innovation. It's really, uh, important in this current, um, environment.
[00:20:40] Matthew O’Neill: The
[00:20:40] Brian Hayes: innovation's a really interesting word. And obviously over the past few, well, 10, 12 years, there's been a lot of competition brought into financial services from fintechs.
[00:20:50] Brian Hayes: So do you see any outside competition, FinTech type organizations that are now starting to encroach on the exchanges capabilities it's core capabilities and [00:21:00] perhaps some of its peripheral product sets. Do you see any changes in the world
[00:21:03] Hanna Helin: around. Yeah. So we are project very much, I think, from the ecosystem perspective.
[00:21:09] Hanna Helin: So what we are doing is that we obviously, we have that platform and we have the existing relationships with financial services customers. So what we do is that we partner both on the data side and on the capability side to then offer that flexibility for customers. So that has been really our strategy that we kind of like.
[00:21:29] Hanna Helin: Obviously large public cloud providers or large technology firms, as well as those small, small specialized companies that we can collaborate with. And then either also our data through them, or then also they capabilities as a part of our platforms and, and solutions for our customers. So that has been really our key strategy.
[00:21:51] Hanna Helin: I think. Approach where you would be kind of like trying to distract others to entering to the market. I don't think it's a good [00:22:00] strategy in this, this space. I think there are lots of companies which have been doing this almost, almost a collaborative partnerships really well. I think for example, Microsoft has been adding great example of that, where they have formed.
[00:22:13] Hanna Helin: Direct relationships with, um, also their direct competition. I thinking about, for example, Salesforce. So I think there are lots of be interesting examples in the market where that is really working well.
[00:22:31] Brian Hayes: I think there will be more and more of it. The other thing that, that OB I presume that you are starting to see also is that your own customers are now starting to create consortiums of new organizations to drive reduced cost and a better type of service. Is that also. I
[00:22:42] Hanna Helin: think so. So one extra example of that kind of engagement is actually we have collaborated on the CDMC cloud data management capabilities, working group, which is exactly an example of that.
[00:22:55] Hanna Helin: So there has been this industry conversation on where the [00:23:00] market will be going next from the data management perspective. And we have been part of it together with our customers, such as Morgan Stanley. As well as logical providers and more like they specialized data management firms. And I think that conversation overall has been very welcome to really have the discussion that what are the industry challenges.
[00:23:20] Hanna Helin: Like I think each of the organizations have been kind of like struggling, for example, with data management and data matching individually while with this conversation, like it's much more kind of like an industry conversation and almost like starting to normalize, like where the market might be going next and what may be the.
[00:23:38] Hanna Helin: Be that will need to be developed next. And what are not there just, just yet. So I think that has been one example of such collaboration.
[00:23:46] Matthew O’Neill: A lot of the times we're talking in that topic of, um, innovation as a way to bring in more income. How about innovation as a way to reduce costs? Is there a, an enabling way that colleagues in your firm can, can make [00:24:00] suggestions or do they just get on with it or do you not worry about cost and just go for.
[00:24:05] Hanna Helin: so I think overall, like there are lots of in these larger organizations, it comes back to the kind of like simplification as, as well, partly. Yeah. Like how do you make sure that you have the process that as you look at innovation, that how do you make sure that people know who to come to when they have a new idea and then are enabled to, to go after it a proper way?
[00:24:26] Hanna Helin: And that's why I'm so enthusiastic to make sure that. We don't really see innovation in kind of like a sideline process. Like it should be really part of our, our core processes. And I'm making sure that, again, coming back to the simplification that the, these are the stakeholders that you need to, to talk with to get, get going with certain kind of projects.
[00:24:46] Hanna Helin: And that has been, I think really the, the key initiative on our side to make sure that we drive that clear process. Enable our technologies to move faster way going forward,
[00:24:58] Matthew O’Neill: blockchain, hype, or [00:25:00] happening,
[00:25:00] Hanna Helin: happening. I think it's definitely happening. It's a really, really interesting one. So obviously as a baseline technology, like I think we have seen past couple of years, like I think when you looked at this base problem, like three to five years ago, I think they were still those like test cases in the marketplace felt very early stages.
[00:25:19] Hanna Helin: Well, now I think it's really becoming. Into this more practical use cases. I'm thinking more on the, again, on the data management side. How do you store certain kind of records? I think when you talk about hype, I think there's little bit hype on NFD space, I think specifically. Yeah, I think there's, and I guess web web 3.0 as, as well.
[00:25:41] Hanna Helin: Like I think it seems that people are defining it slightly different ways. I think some talk about it more in. Augmented reality space. Others link is very closely back to back to blockchain. I think that is maybe a little bit more hype at the moment still, but again, like, I think there's, [00:26:00] uh, there's a potential in that space as well, but I think where blockchain is really, really come into, is that kind of getting to more, those kind of like instant transactions and having kind of a clear ownership of each individual transaction as well.
[00:26:15] Hanna Helin: I think there's definitely potential there. So, what, what
[00:26:19] Matthew O’Neill: are your thoughts then? Or how much time are you spending in the metaverse and where does that play in your team's thinking?
[00:26:24] Hanna Helin: I'm actually more sort of personally interested in that space. Okay. I think my, I would say it's a fairly early stages, I think still in the financial services, uh, industry, but it's, it has been interesting to see that whole dynamic that when we have all been working from home and in this like virtual environments, I think there's a future potential.
[00:26:47] Hanna Helin: In that. And I also think about like little bit, maybe I would say younger generation as, as well. I think that those kind of new virtual environments do come quite [00:27:00] naturally for those new audiences, which I, I find very, very interesting. I was looking in news yesterday that there has been this whole. New set of different startup companies coming to the kind of like future of workspace.
[00:27:13] Hanna Helin: And how do you kind of like set up your online offices solely in this, this virtual environment? And it's an interesting use case. I think we are still a little bit far off for, for that happening in, in scale, but I think we are, we are going to the. Uh, right direction, I guess. I think in the, obviously metaverse like, I think there's also lots of like hype around it specifically.
[00:27:36] Hanna Helin: I think from the perspective I saw that Snoop doc, for example, I think he had launch like a music video, for example, in metaverse and I don't know. I thought that was quite quite interesting. I see the future really well. What do you have a crystal ball
[00:27:53] Brian Hayes: what's gonna happen? Listen, if
[00:27:55] Hanna Helin: you know something you gotta tell me.
[00:27:59] Matthew O’Neill: So we've covered [00:28:00] loads there and we probably already covered this, but if you had to think of, of one of the most significant game changing technologies for 20, 22 and beyond, and how that might help or hinder financial services, what would you go for?
[00:28:14] Hanna Helin: I would still go with that with public cloud, even though it's kind of like maybe a little bit.
[00:28:20] Hanna Helin: I don't know, old school answer in this environment, but I think like what I've been really excited to see is that the whole conversation with public cloud, how it has moved from this kind of like storage, or kind of like backend storage discussion into AI and data science and analytics and, and all of that.
[00:28:39] Hanna Helin: And it's kind of like more about like all sorts of different capabilities that, that customers can use going forward. I think what it has been able to do is really to. Create this whole new ecosystem of, of different startup companies and again, new capabilities for the, for the market, which I've found really, really [00:29:00] exciting.
[00:29:00] Hanna Helin: I think another area where. We need to focus more. It's really around green tech capabilities. And again, like, I think again, in the public cloud space, each of the, the cloud providers, like they have released their strategies for, you know, zero footprint, uh, capabilities and helping customers to move the next level, really from that perspective, they carbon footprint perspective.
[00:29:24] Hanna Helin: But I think there's so much more to, to do it in that space as well. And that goes, I think, beyond, from like, I think obviously. Single business will need to think about this, but then also it comes to the discussion about individuals and what each individual can do going forward to reduce their footprint.
[00:29:43] Hanna Helin: And that will be really, really interesting conversation. So
[00:29:46] Matthew O’Neill: let's move on to the lightning ramp. Uh,
[00:29:50] Hanna Helin: we usually call it the lightning round. Okay. Welcome to the super awesome bonus lightning round. The lightning round begins. Now
[00:29:59] Matthew O’Neill: [00:30:00] this is what it's really all about. It's the lightning round. We are going to get to learn a lot more about you and, uh, you can absolutely pass on any question you like.
[00:30:07] Matthew O’Neill: But we will make every opportunity to come back to it. Next time we meet you. So anyway, let's start with a nice and easy one, uh, favorite book or movie. Oh, I,
[00:30:16] Hanna Helin: I think that's tricky. One actually, I think anything really from Harari. So I think I've really like. You will know a har. So I really liked like his SAP books.
[00:30:27] Hanna Helin: I think I like the fact that he comes from that hysterical perspective. And then also talks about the, the future where we'll be heading next. I think there has been, it was also like really interesting. I think it was like a webinar. I, I think there was a, well, it was YouTube Linka. I watched where he was interviewed in San Francisco and he was talking about Silicon and ballet.
[00:30:46] Hanna Helin: And where does it go next? So I think overall, like really kind of like fascinating discussion and kind of like thought leadership movie is also a tricky one. I think I would go with. Uh, rare window by Alfred Hitchcock. [00:31:00] And that's very good, like very New York movie. Okay. That James Stewart and Grace Kelly and those guys, I like
[00:31:07] Matthew O’Neill: that classic a classic.
[00:31:08] Matthew O’Neill: Yeah. So is that in fact, I think that's not only is that classic is first Hitchcock, right? That's that it's actually, I didn't know that. So carrying on
[00:31:15] Brian Hayes: from there now, you, now you live in the us I'm, I'm presupposing something here, but that's not that we'll go with it. Yeah. What's your favorite place to visit?
[00:31:25] Hanna Helin: In the us, I, so I would still, I do prefer, I think I like European destination still. So I think I would, uh, go for, I think Venice is always very nice. Like, I, I really like that Mara, I think is another favorite destination as well. But again, like always both of those places pretty far from, from New York here, I would go to like maybe out east to go like, um, Close to the sea site and, you know, entering there, or then even like to the, to the mountains close by New York, quick trip.
[00:31:58] Brian Hayes: Yep. I lived, I lived in New York [00:32:00] twice, so I know how accessible it is to get to get from New York. It was a loaded question really? Cause it's very, oh, anywhere by plane or train and train's quite a pleasant
[00:32:09] Hanna Helin: way to travel. Absolutely. Absolutely.
[00:32:12] Matthew O’Neill: So what's one thing you've always wished you could do, but now haven't had the time to do.
[00:32:17] Hanna Helin: I think over, like for example, gardening would be quite nice to, to do like, I haven't got, got the round to do it yet. I'm hearing it's very. Calming and, and relaxing. So I think that would be one thing that I want to do in the future of to plan my own garden, you know? Wow.
[00:32:34] Matthew O’Neill: Brian, she can come
[00:32:35] Brian Hayes: around and help.
[00:32:36] Brian Hayes: Yeah. Cause Matthew's seen the state of my garden cause I housework done. So I, I have your garden. I have a building site. Which every weekend I move the dirt from one side of the building site to the other side of the building. Right. and then the builder takes the whole week to move it back with. So I will, I will tell you that the, my, and this is I'm going, we're going slightly off piece.
[00:32:57] Brian Hayes: So I've just had a message from my wife who says the [00:33:00] concrete has been delivered, but there had struggling to get the, get it delivered into the house. Cause they dug a trench through the house. To put concrete in. So I, I obviously I was caring and sharing. I said, that's not my problem at the moment. I'm on a podcast.
[00:33:16] Hanna Helin: Yeah.
[00:33:17] Matthew O’Neill: I just say Brian you're to hope she doesn't listen.
[00:33:26] Brian Hayes: Exactly. So, yeah, its is okay, so you are in, so you're in New York, it's a incredibly cosmopolitan environment. What's your favorite breakfast food to have in New York?
[00:33:36] Hanna Helin: I still, I will still go with like coffee and CRO Orant or something like that. Like very light mm-hmm. I'm not, I guess I haven't gone into this like New York bagels or stuff like that at just yet, you know,
[00:33:49] Brian Hayes: all the, all the waffles with all the syrup and the bacon.
[00:33:51] Brian Hayes: Exactly.
[00:33:53] Hanna Helin: Yes. Of food or stuff
[00:33:56] Matthew O’Neill: like that. . So if you had a [00:34:00] time machine, would you go back in time or into the.
[00:34:02] Hanna Helin: I would, I guess the question is that, can I still come back? I would probably go to the future. If I could still have a decision that I can still come back as needed. If it's too like out there in the future, I might decide to come back.
[00:34:18] Brian Hayes: This is a, this is an interesting one. Uh, you have your own late night show who in your first three guests
[00:34:25] Matthew O’Neill: onto
[00:34:25] Hanna Helin: the late night. I would probably go with Larry David. I think he might be quite, quite interesting guest. So I was a creator of, uh, Seinfeld and UR and him. I think he's quite, uh, he could be quite fun.
[00:34:41] Hanna Helin: Fun guest, maybe sat Nadel. I think he would be kind of like interesting, like more kind of like where the, where the world will be going and on the technology side and, and what is happening there. And then Obama is always like, I think that he would be interesting one [00:35:00] as well to see what, what, what he's up to as well, these days.
[00:35:03] Matthew O’Neill: So, and who's your mentor if you be most inspired
[00:35:05] Hanna Helin: by I've had them always throughout the years. I think my I've had like lots, lots of them actually. And I think it's mostly. Many of my previous managers. And I don't think, I guess, have they been my mentors and maybe sponsors as well to, to certain extent, like I've learned a lot from, from each of them, to be honest.
[00:35:26] Hanna Helin: And then also I've had lots of conversations with customers and. Kind of like external technologies as, as well, where we have had like lots of fun conversations that where the market will be moving next and also kind of like asking the, the carrier advice in, in, in general. So here
[00:35:44] Brian Hayes: we go. If you were an ice cream, what ice cream
[00:35:48] Hanna Helin: would you be?
[00:35:48] Hanna Helin: I would be one vanilla, even though it's very boring as, but I think with one vanilla, even kind of like, you can really taste the quality of the ice cream. So that's why I would go with [00:36:00] one vanilla. I'm not really one of these. Like, you don't have all these like Rocky road, ice creams and stuff like that.
[00:36:05] Hanna Helin: It's like too much. Like I want like plain. No,
[00:36:08] Matthew O’Neill: no,
[00:36:09] Brian Hayes: no. What is it? It's Ben and Jerry's ISN. So there's, there's the whole madness of us ice creams rock. Yes,
[00:36:16] Hanna Helin: exactly, exactly.
[00:36:18] Brian Hayes: But I tell you, I will say this, I will say this openly. So my favorite when I lived in New York was something called cherry Garcia. It was named after Jerry Garcia, the grateful dead.
[00:36:29] Brian Hayes: Remember it was just, it was basically, it was it wasn't ice cream. It was basically cherries that had a little bit of ice cream.
[00:36:37] Hanna Helin: Oh, yeah, I just want, sorry, actually.
[00:36:41] Matthew O’Neill: so when was the last time you used cash and what was it for?
[00:36:45] Hanna Helin: I've used cash actually fun enough, like quite, uh, recently, quite often. So I'm, um, renovating this kind of like old farmhouse and I've been in this. Like in order to decorate the, the place, like you go to this [00:37:00] different antique store and obviously cash is really the king there.
[00:37:03] Hanna Helin: Like you go to these places where I, they, they wouldn't have seen apple pay in, in those places. So either you pay with cash or you pay with check, so those are the two options and you can actually get like, quite nice discount as well by doing it. So, but obviously, yeah, like carrying cash is always like a little bit awkward these days, but that will be the, the last time.
[00:37:23] Hanna Helin: The last concert that you saw, I'm really bad with concerts actually. Like I'm not the concert person whatsoever. Like I think when would I have been like, maybe like some like jazz concert is kind of more like a, just like going to see jazz band or like that this concert. I'm not sure, but, um, it's the same thing.
[00:37:42] Hanna Helin: It's the same thing. It's the same thing. I probably like. Couple of years ago in, in was place in west west. Will you, would've been there like smalls, I think. Yeah. And there's larger small places. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's, that's the one where would've been last time, but I'm not really big into this like massive concepts in general.
[00:37:59] Hanna Helin: Only one [00:38:00] I I could see is I think rolling stone is like, would be still nice to see it's. You know, live.
[00:38:05] Matthew O’Neill: Okay.
[00:38:09] Matthew O’Neill: sorry. My last question then. Um, so what piece of career advice do you wish you'd have given to your younger self
[00:38:15] Hanna Helin: trusting your gut instincts? I think that's like when you kind of like get into discussions about new roles or when you even get to the new role or. When you are ready to make a move to the, to the next one.
[00:38:29] Hanna Helin: So really kind of like listening yourself that is this the right opportunity for you. or are you ready to do something else? I mean, that's, that's probably the key. And then also, like, I think overall, like people tend to be, I think, little bit scared to try new things. I mean, that's always a key that, you know, you, you can go to the new role and you will learn in the role and you will kind of like explore further and adapt to, to, to new things.
[00:38:57] Hanna Helin: But I think that's also another thing that is really [00:39:00] that kind of like being curious about. What, what might be happening next and adapting to that, that situation. And those are probably the two key things that I would, I would say would be important. One
[00:39:13] Brian Hayes: last question. Uh, it's the question we ask at the end of, um, of every podcast.
[00:39:18] Brian Hayes: So if you had to do karaoke or if you've done karaoke, I a preferred song, but if you had to do karaoke, what would be your choice of song
[00:39:27] Matthew O’Neill: to.
[00:39:28] Hanna Helin: These are really tricky one for me, because I, I really don't like karaoke. Like I think anybody who knows me, like they know that I wouldn't ever think karaoke.
[00:39:37] Hanna Helin: Like I'm the last person to do it. I think that's kind of like finishing me in a way. Like, I'm still like little bit shy. I wouldn't be able to do that whole like stage. Presentation thing. But I think if I would be forced, I think I would go with like some of like, very kind of like simple classics, like maybe, um, guy yesterday by Beatles or, you know, one of those like really simple [00:40:00] plane again.
[00:40:01] Brian Hayes: that's good. That's fine. Every everyone's different. Listen, interesting question. Because you definitely get to see someone's personalities. We've had a few, few
[00:40:10] Matthew O’Neill: wild things. We've had a few wild things for a week.
[00:40:14] Brian Hayes: a few people that clearly construct their stuff,
[00:40:16] Matthew O’Neill: but there we go. Exactly. That has been fabulous.
[00:40:19] Matthew O’Neill: Thank you so much for, uh, for spending the time with us today and, uh, for letting us get to know you some more. So, uh, thank you so so much.
[00:40:26] Hanna Helin: Thank you. It has great. Thank you very much,
[00:40:29] Brian Hayes: indeed.
[00:40:31] Matthew O’Neill: To keep up with Hannah. Please follow her on LinkedIn. We'll have a link in our notes as always. If we can help you in any way, please talk with your VMware account team or you can connect with on LinkedIn, just search for Brian Hayes or Matthew O'Neil at VMware.
[00:40:45] Matthew O’Neill: You could also follow me on Twitter at Matthew O N or our podcast on Twitter at DB TB pod. And you can find our show notes that don't rank the bank podcast.com. If you like our podcast and can leave us review and comment on apple [00:41:00] podcasts, that'd be really appreciated. And if you have any ideas, future episodes, or wish to appear as a future guest, please do get in touch.
[00:41:07] Matthew O’Neill: We hope you can join us again. Next time please do take care.