MBA alumna shares ideas of innovations for FinTech revolution

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Adriana Rotaru, MBA Class of 2015, returns to Pforzheim’s campus as a guest speaker from 1&1 Internet, one of the world’s largest hosting providers.

Adriana Rotaru, MBA Class of 2015, Senior Product Manager at 1&1 IONOS with Prof. Dr. Harald Strotmann, MBA Program Director

Adriana Rotaru, MBA Class of 2015, returned to Pforzheim’s campus as a guest speaker for the MBA students. Before coming to Germany in 2012 to do the MBA she had been working in banking for eight years. After graduating she stayed in Germany and started working in IT. “When I look back at my banking years, it feels like that happened in another life” she says.

Adriana is a senior product manager for 1&1 Internet, now 1&1 IONOS, which is one of the world’s largest hosting providers, founded in 1988 in Montabaur. She shared valuable insights about 1&1 IONOS and her role as a senior product manager. Adriana is responsible for launching Software as a Service (SaaS) to multiple markets, defining product requirements, and developing a go-to-market strategy. SaaS is a software through internet connection and it’s an aspect of cloud computing.

Her new interest lies in the financial technology sector, FinTech, which uses algorithms to create customized strategies for investors. It digitalizes the classical services of financial advisors. Adriana tackled the question whether the FinTech revolution will make the tech companies the “next partners of banks or fierce competition." The group discussed the growing consumer needs and trends, attractiveness of industry to investors, application of technology to solve problems of traditional banking systems and finally the impact FinTech may have on different sectors.

Special focus was given to the potential effect on customer relationships in the banking system in Germany, where new financial technologies meet a stronghold of cash-based payments.

Thus, not only the importance of always having cash on you but also some other personal experiences and memories of Pforzheim were shared amongst Adriana and the MBA students as well. The session concluded with some valuable career advice for the future MBA graduates.

Text: Hellen Phan-Lesti, MBA class of 2019 / MBA Office
Photos: MBA