Jo Wensley, VP of Engineering at Smarsh, shares how technical rigor, adaptability, and clear communication are shaping management in right this moment’s fintech world.
Jo Wensley is VP of Expertise at Smarsh, a job she has held since April 2023. She is an skilled technical chief with a demonstrated historical past of working within the info expertise and companies business. Previous to becoming a member of Smarsh in February 2022, she held earlier positions at Micro Focus, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Autonomy. Jo is expert in constructing and managing groups, SaaS, Product Design, Enterprise Software program, DevOps, and Cloud Computing and has a Physician of Philosophy (PhD) targeted in Quantum Matter from College of Cambridge.
Uncover prime fintech information and occasions!
Subscribe to FinTech Weekly’s e-newsletter
Learn by executives at JP Morgan, Coinbase, Blackrock, Klarna and extra
Fintech Management Is Evolving — and So Are the Paths That Lead There
In fintech, agility isn’t only a aggressive benefit. It’s typically the muse of progress. Whereas merchandise and platforms appeal to headlines, the actual transformations occur quietly — inside engineering groups led by professionals who perceive that complexity is one thing to be navigated, not prevented.
Over the previous decade, the thought of a set profession ladder in expertise has began to lose traction. The linear path — from junior developer to CTO, or from one sector to the following with out deviation — is now not the default. Probably the most influential leaders in fintech right this moment typically deliver a mixture of technical depth, cross-functional expertise, and resilience formed outdoors conventional profession molds.
This shift displays how the business itself has modified. As monetary expertise matures, engineering roles are increasing in each scale and scope. Main a group of 10 is completely different from main 150. Constructing a product is completely different from constructing the methods that assist a number of groups construct. And sustaining alignment throughout groups, time zones, and features now requires extra than simply technical fluency — it calls for operational readability, belief, and communication that works throughout organizational layers.
These should not surface-level challenges. They have an effect on supply, tradition, and outcomes. For corporations working with extremely regulated information, particularly in communication intelligence and compliance — like these served by Smarsh — the stakes are even increased. Technical selections intersect with enterprise dangers. And engineering leaders must maintain the system operating whereas supporting distributed groups, delivery dependable code, and scaling the structure behind all of it.
On this surroundings, educational habits like rigor and precision should not distant recollections. They’re lively instruments — helpful in planning, troubleshooting, and setting technical path. On the identical time, delicate expertise are now not elective. They’re important infrastructure in themselves: a group with out psychological security gained’t transfer quick, even with good instruments.
That’s why listening to from professionals who’ve navigated non-linear journeys issues. It challenges the concept that technical excellence and management presence come from one path. It additionally reinforces one thing that’s straightforward to neglect when hiring, managing, or mentoring: range in expertise typically results in resilience in execution.
The fintech sector doesn’t simply want technologists who can construct. It wants leaders who can join. Leaders who perceive that engineering doesn’t occur in isolation. Leaders who take concepts from physics labs and startups and pre-sales calls — and apply them to managing world methods underneath real-world constraints.
That’s why we spoke with Jo Wensley, Vice President of Engineering at Smarsh.
On this dialog, she shares how her educational background continues to affect her management model, why communication is a power multiplier at scale, and what she’s realized about resilience throughout moments {of professional} stress. Extra importantly, she brings ahead a message that applies effectively past engineering: that probably the most impactful careers — and probably the most considerate management — are sometimes formed not by certainty, however by adaptation.
Take pleasure in.
1. You started your profession with a powerful deal with physics and academia. What drew you into software program engineering, and what made you resolve to remain within the area?
Coming from a physics background, I’ve all the time been drawn to complicated problem-solving and methods pondering. Throughout my educational work, I typically constructed customized instruments for simulations and information evaluation – and over time, I realised I loved the method of constructing these instruments simply as a lot, if no more, than the analysis itself.
What actually drew me into software program engineering was the velocity at which you’ll be able to create and iterate. In physics, you may spend months validating a mannequin, whereas in tech, you may ship an answer, get real-world suggestions, and enhance it in days. That quick suggestions loop was extremely satisfying.
What made me keep was the influence and collaboration. I really like working with cross-functional groups to show summary concepts into one thing tangible that customers depend on day-after-day. Software program engineering offers me the identical mental problem as physics – however with broader influence, extra inventive flexibility, and a sooner tempo. It’s the proper mix of rigor and real-world relevance.
2. Trying again in your early roles – from a startup to pre-sales engineering – what experiences have been most respected in shaping your method to management right this moment?
Since deciding on a profession in software program engineering, I’ve been lucky sufficient to work in quite a few roles throughout a number of sectors. In my early startup expertise, carrying a number of hats taught me tips on how to be scrappy, prioritise ruthlessly, and keep near the product and the client. There’s no room to cover in a small group – so that you study to make selections with incomplete info, talk clearly, and help others with out ready to be requested. That gave me a powerful bias towards motion and accountability, which nonetheless shapes how I lead right this moment.
Later, in pre-sales engineering, I realized tips on how to translate technical options into enterprise worth for non-technical stakeholders. That have sharpened my potential to pay attention deeply, ask the fitting questions, and align groups round buyer outcomes- not simply options. It additionally taught me the worth of cross-functional empathy, particularly between engineering, gross sales, and product.
Collectively, these roles taught me that good management is about readability, adaptability, and belief and that you just can not overstate the significance of communication. I’d by no means have described myself as a superb communicator once I was youthful, however as I’ve navigated my profession, I’ve seen firsthand how a lot injury may be completed by poor communication and the way a lot may be achieved with good communication.
3. What have been a number of the greatest challenges in main an engineering organisation of over 150 folks, and the way do you method these challenges?
One of many greatest challenges at that scale is sustaining alignment and readability with out slowing down decision-making. Because the organisation grows, communication overhead will increase exponentially, and it turns into simpler for groups to drift- both technically or strategically. To handle this, I deal with creating robust working rhythms: clear planning cadences, clear purpose setting, and common check-ins that reinforce priorities with out micromanaging.
One other key problem is scaling tradition and management. As you lead bigger groups you may now not instantly affect each engineer or resolution, so I make investments closely in constructing and supporting a powerful layer of engineering managers and tech leads. That features management improvement, clear delegation, and creating area for managers to guide in their very own genuine methods whereas staying aligned with the important thing values.
Finally, I believe it’s essential to have belief within the group whereas holding a finger on the heart beat of all tasks so you may examine in and help your group as and after they want it.
4. You talked about constructing resilience throughout a very tough interval in your profession. How has that have influenced the way in which you lead and make selections now?
That interval actually reshaped how I lead each by way of mindset and conduct. Going by way of a high-pressure scenario, the place issues didn’t go as deliberate regardless of my greatest efforts, taught me that readability, humility, and consistency are important underneath stress.
I realized to separate sign from noise, keep calm when issues have been overwhelming, and make selections with imperfect info. Now, I attempt to mannequin that calm for my group, particularly in high-stakes moments, as a result of the way you present up as a frontrunner instantly impacts how others reply.
It additionally taught me that resilience isn’t about powering by way of alone, it’s about creating methods and tradition that help one another when issues get laborious. I deliver that lens into every little thing from org design to retrospectives to how we deal with failure.
5. What expertise or habits out of your educational coaching do you continue to depend on in your present function?
My preliminary deal with academia actually instilled in me the significance of precision and a spotlight to element. Resilience is one other large takeaway from my educational days. Tutorial analysis generally is a grind with loads of setbacks and null outcomes, however pushing by way of these issues has given me the tenacity that is important within the tech world. When a mission hits a snag, you must discover a means ahead.
I additionally learnt tips on how to talk some fairly dense, dry matters in succinct and clear language. That is a day by day a part of my job now, whether or not I am explaining a technical answer to my group or breaking down a particular implementation for shoppers. It is all about making the complicated easy, and that is a ability that is been invaluable to me in main my group.
6. How do you encourage efficient communication inside massive and numerous engineering groups?
With massive and numerous engineering groups, communication must be intentional, it doesn’t scale naturally. I deal with creating a number of, purpose-driven channels that help readability, inclusion, and suggestions throughout ranges and features.
I push for written communication by way of design docs, RFCs, and resolution logs so folks throughout time zones and roles have entry to context and may contribute asynchronously.
I additionally empower engineering managers and results in act as communication multipliers in order that they cascade info clearly, floor points early, and make area for group suggestions.
In my expertise, the important thing to efficient communication is to create an surroundings the place everybody feels comfy sharing their concepts. I all the time make some extent of being approachable and open to completely different views. Common group conferences are a staple, however I additionally encourage casual catch-ups the place folks can chat extra freely and ensure there are many alternatives for everybody to talk up, whether or not that is in group settings or one-to-one.
Equally, I am unable to stress sufficient the significance of lively listening; when group members really feel heard, they’re extra prone to contribute meaningfully. It is all about fostering a tradition of openness and respect, the place each voice is valued.
7. What recommendation would you give to professionals who’re navigating non-linear profession paths or contemplating shifts into new areas of tech?
If anybody is considering taking a leap into a brand new space of tech or in the event that they really feel like their profession path will not be following a straight line, my recommendation is to embrace it. The tech world is all about innovation and adapting to alter, so different experiences can really be an enormous asset. Keep curious and continue to learn; tech is consistently evolving, and so it’s very important that the folks working within the area do too. Do not be afraid to community and ask for recommendation.
A lot of folks have been in the identical boat and are normally comfortable to share insights, and it’s essential to do not forget that each bout of expertise builds a singular ability set and perspective that can make invaluable contributions to the business.