What being a Temenosian means to me: Vicki’s story
If you had to describe your first impression of Vicki Garewal with a Temenos value, it would be Commit.
I spoke to her from her hotel room in Miami, where she had stayed on to see a deal over the line. This was in addition to several intense weeks she’d just spent as a core part of the team closing a landmark deal with a top US bank.
Vicki does not do things by halves. She’s a passionate “knowledge gatherer”, whose home office buzzes to the backdrop of Bloomberg and CNBC. She’s proud to have got where she is through hard work, and it’s a virtue she is currently teaching her six and eight-year-old daughters.
So where exactly has it got her? Vicki is Head of Legal for North America. She came in as SVP and made a fast impression, being promoted within a year. She leads a team of two lawyers and a paralegal. And she’s looking to expand the team as the Americas business continues to grow.
Her journey to Temenos wasn’t the easy option, but she’s certainly not shy of a Challenge.
Vicki joined Temenos during the stressful times of lockdown in September 2021. She wasn’t looking for a new role, being happy at a global telecommunications company. But a meeting with our Chief Legal Officer Deirdre left an instant impression. And since then, she’s been hooked.
Not least because of Temenos’s DEI approach. “Speaking with Deirdre showed me that Temenos values women.” said Vicki, “In technology, I’m often the only woman at a table, not just at Temenos but historically. So I take how a company looks at women very seriously.” A visit to Vicki’s house in the morning would tell you how important this is to her, as you’ll often find her reciting affirmations with her daughters and singing along to Beyonce’s ‘Who run the world? Girls’!
If determination and hard work are qualities often associated with lawyers, it’s Vicki’s approach to people that really marks her out. People are Vicki’s passion, and she loves the social aspects of LinkedIn and Instagram. This means Collaboration is key to her work at Temenos. So while we often think of Legal working on the fringes of the business and focusing on rules and regulations, Vicki’s team creates value at the heart of Temenos.
“I love the people that I work with. Success takes a team, it takes a village. If that means I have to put a little extra in, I’m there for it.”
The impact Vicki and her team made on a recent landmark US deal is a great example of the value her people-focused approach can bring.
“When I joined, the relationship with this bank was contentious. My first few conversations with their Legal Counsel were tough. But now we call each other ‘legal besties’. It’s rare to get to that level, but you need to have respect there and see value on the other side. And helping get this deal over the line was one of the biggest achievements in my entire career.”
“Even in another deal we are doing now, we had the President of this prospect join a social event our leadership were having. He told us that to him it’s about trusting the people, knowing that you will be in the trenches with them and they can rely on you if something goes South”.
And why does Vicki push herself so much for the business? It comes down to Care.
“If I didn’t care about something, I wouldn’t commit to it. I’m not a doctor, that’s not my skillset. But if I’m helping someone underrepresented to get a checking account, and they can do that because of our product, then I feel like I’m making a difference. I’m proud to be a part of Temenos, I’m proud of the amazing people we have here, I’m proud to be part of a team leading the SaaS-first charge. That’s why I give 110%.”
Showing care is also why Vicki is committed to developing early careers. Last year she had an extern from NYU Law school in her team. This year that’s doubled, with two externs recently joining. “For me, giving back is so important. Somebody did this for me twenty years ago. Now I want to pay it forward.”
Finally, what’s Vicki’s advice for other Temenosians? “This is a place with good people, and that’s so important. Meet the people, and they will be there to help you when you need it. Also Temenos is entrepreneurial, which means it’s full of opportunities. So take them. Get yourself out there. Because when you create your value here, you shine. ”
If you’d like to connect with Vicki, you can find her on LinkedIn