Mette Roald ─ Motivated Fintech leader driving company growth to new horizons…
March 28, 2022 • 3 Minute Read
Mette Roald
Head of Products & Portfolio Strategy
Vipps
Are you looking for a motivated fintech leader who is driving company growth to new horizons? We know the person—Mette Roald!
Mette Roald is the Head of Product and Portfolio Strategy for Vipps, a smart payment company located in Norway. She is responsible for creating growth through overall product strategy, portfolio management, prioritization and processes, and more. Calling herself a “Norwegian modern explorer”, Mette drives companies to new horizons by combining strategic marketing, finance, and technology. She is currently focused on taking a leading fintech company internationally.
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Mette Roald!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
I DJed in my college days – and even played in China.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
Luckily, I celebrated the day I lost my gold cards some years ago.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
Smalahove (Sheep’s head) in Voss. A Norwegian delicacy, but not my favorite. I haven’t had it again…
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
Spinning off a cow data company from a traditional dairy, where we saw the power of gathering the right team, but also the destructiveness of ownership politics. Also, launching a new telecom company, where we learned lots about speed vs. stamina.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
Yes, I was lucky and worked with very experienced people early on in my career. The biggest lesson was managing expectations, which has stuck with me ever since.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Believe in yourself as much as others do. It’s sometimes easy to think everybody knows a lot more, but in my experience a lot of people don’t always do so. Learn early to articulate and communicate your perspectives.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I team-up with them, both taking time to coach and listen to their views and ways of work. I have lots to learn from people just starting their careers, and I try to share my experience through concrete examples and tools. Also, I’m always open to discuss, and love walk’n’talks.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Spinning out a company based on cow data from a traditional dairy company. In the process, we transformed the technical platform to be cloud-based, setting it up for future growth.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
Two areas: analytics with not just the power but the usability of data, and how to design and build scalable technical platforms and products.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
Bringing a national leader to the international scene. It’s a great challenge to find a market entry strategy, but even more so to transform and change the mind-set of a leading national organization to become an international challenger.
