FUJITSU
Not that she didn ’ t have an idea of what she wanted , it ’ s more that roles in the technology space have grown and evolved so much over the years – the professional capabilities she has now exceed what her formative career could ever teach her .
“ I started out in financial services ; I studied banking and finance ,” says Griggs . “ So it ’ s not a surprise I ’ ve come back to that .”
Griggs has returned to her roots after previously working in identity management , which saw her take up roles in government and defence sectors .
But working in a vast array of industries and sectors has only served to sharpen her skills today . “ Working across different sectors has given me a real understanding of what impacts those business domains , what challenges there are and how technology can help to make that better ,” Griggs says .
“ From software developer to enterprise architect , I ’ ve always been leading on how you design that change . How does digital transformation actually work and what ’ s the impact it can have on user journeys across the ecosystem ?”
These skills enabled Griggs to make an immediate impact when she joined Fujitsu UK five years ago , becoming Chief Architect for its Financial Services sector .
Frustrated with the constraints working in defence entailed , Griggs explains : “ I came
“ By constantly striving for more and being entrepreneurial , we will achieve further growth and success in the future ”
KRISTA GRIGGS HEAD OF BANKING , FINANCIAL SERVICES & INSURANCE , FUJITSU UK back into financial services because it is a hugely dynamic domain , where rapid change is the norm .”
Fujitsu was more of an infrastructuremanaged services company when Griggs joined , with a mission to become a digital transformation company – something Griggs implemented the strategy for in the finance division .
It was the success of this strategy that saw Griggs become head of the sector just two years after joining Fujitsu . “ I ’ m really proud of what I ’ ve achieved there ,” adds Griggs .
“ When I joined Fujitsu we were not progressing in the finance sector . We are now growing rapidly and doing really well . We ’ ve got a great team now that is connecting with our customers and building partnerships – helping clients to navigate industry change and deliver better outcomes for them .”
It is this success that has seen Griggs fall back in love with the industry she started out in . “ I love being able to have a real ambitious vision for the future – to try and break the boundaries of what can be done . That is where the industry is really exciting and Fujitsu is firmly behind that ,” she reflects .
“ Change is always challenging , though . It has been quite a big culture shift for Fujitsu and our customers , particularly larger banks . There can be real inertia and complications in terms of getting things done when it comes to fintech innovation .
42 December 2023