Interview with Jane Van Sickle

What do you do and what is it about your job that gets you out of bed in the morning?

I am the SVP of Sales at Trulioo.  I work with our new customer and existing customer teams who help our customers find solutions to the problems that they are trying to solve with regards to identify verification.  Having purpose in my work is fulfilling and is one of the top two decision criteria for me in where I work.  Trulioo’s mission is one of trust, privacy and inclusion. I believe that everyone should be able to safely participate in the world’s digital economy, no matter their gender, their economic status or where they live. For example, we know that when women have the opportunity to earn money, the community tends to improve their quality of life.

The other important factor for me is company culture. We spend so much time at work and it’s important to build a culture where people feel they’ll be accepted for their authentic selves. When people feel that way, we do our best work, support each other and have fun with it. This is how I feel working at Trulioo.

 

How did you get to where you are today?

I am where I am today because I took ownership of my career, had belief in myself and didn’t let it “happen” to me. I say this because I’ve seen a lot of women sit back and not ask for the opportunity. One of my favourite sayings is “If not you, then who?” 

I’m a driven, hardworking person with a mindset to always be learning. Very important to my success is the support of my family, friends and mentors that I’ve had a long way. 

 

What is the most important lesson you have learned along the way?

The one that stands out for me right now is to take the advice that I’d give to someone else.  I often get asked for advice but acting on the advice can be hard! I recently listened to the Rising Tide podcast (episode 65) where they talk about the Girlfriend Method.  If you’re asked to describe your close friend, you’ll gush about them but you’re likely to be less confident when talking about yourself. Give yourself a dose of the Girlfriend Method and ask for those opportunities!

 

What's your pitch to CEOs in the identity space? What do you suggest they START / STOP / CONTINUE doing and why?

Onboarding is a pivotal part of a company’s sales process. It can be the first interaction that someone has with your company and it is a reflection on your brand.  It shapes the experience with your potential customer and is often the deciding factor on whether they will do business with you. You need to ensure that a customer feels good about choosing you for the type of service you are providing but you need to be able to balance speed with security.

Trulioo helps businesses solve the trust and compliance challenges of onboarding new customers on a global scale.  Through orchestrating your workflows for onboarding businesses and individuals through our identity verification platform, you can build risk mitigating measures into an efficient onboarding service. 

Some recommendations I would give are:
 

1 - Go through your own onboarding flow, time it and figure out where abandonment happens.

2 - Decide the data you need upfront and what you can ask for later.

3 -  Review your identity verification conversion rates and determine if they meet your expectations. If they don’t, how can you improve it?

4 - Take advantage of watchlists, sanction lists and enforcement lists to prevent fraud

5 - Count the number of steps in your onboarding process. Do you have too many? Tell the customer why you need to information

6 - Customize your workflow based on the product and customer type

 

In one sentence, why does diversity matter to you?

Diversity matters because everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, to feel safe and to have equal opportunities in life.

 

What book/film/piece of art would you recommend to your fellow members? Why?

I would recommend a subscription to a newspaper.  A credible news source provides you with information on so many topics that are current and relevant.  It’s a great way to get informed and also to relate to people because you can speak about most topics. I have a digital subscription and I get the actual paper delivered on Saturdays.

 

What advice would you give to the teenage 'you'?

Learn what mentorship is and seek one out.  Throughout my career, mentorship has proved invaluable but I didn’t have a mentor until I was in my early 20s. I volunteer for the Minerva Foundation’s young leaders program where I mentor high school young women. It’s so impactful for all of us participating.  It’s never too early!

 

Where can we find you on social media?

LinkedIn: Jane Van Sickle