Taking the Plunge to Work at an Emerging Tech Company — My First Few Months at GECKO Governance.
Elizabeth McKeever April 25th, 2019
I joined GECKO Governance in January 2019 as Head of Operations, having worked in Financial Services for over a decade. Prior to joining GECKO, I spent the previous seven years working in a boutique Fund Administration firm in Dublin, holding various roles during this time; including Company Secretary (in-house and for clients), Legal Counsel and Business and Legal Manager. I joined this company soon after it was established and I was instrumental to its growth in multiple global locations, so working for a ‘start-up’ company was something that really appealed to me; however, the world of FinTech was completely new to me before GECKO.
Working in the Funds’ Industry has provided me with an excellent perspective to really understand how GECKO’s solution solves the burden and headache of managing the ever-increasing compliance headache faced by asset managers and indeed service provider companies. Blockchain Technology and Digital Assets were alien terms to me before joining GECKO and I have enjoyed learning all about the technology aspects and working on some revolutionary digital asset projects with global leaders in the Funds’ Industry.
From my first discussions with GECKO’s CEO, Shane Brett, I knew I wanted to be part of GECKO’s exciting journey of innovation and creativity and I haven’t been disappointed. Shane’s vision and passion for the company are infectious and I found myself coming away from my meetings with Shane and the team super excited. The same can be said for going to work; I look forward to each day and the exciting, industry-revolutionsing projects that we are working on — no two days can be described as the same at GECKO. I have to also mention my improved commute — instead of the gruelling 4 hour round trip on the train to Dublin every day, I now have a 15 minute drive to work. The GECKO story is a great example of how companies can set up and grow successfully outside of Dublin.
Six weeks into working at GECKO, I found myself presenting the company to 150+ people at an Irish Funds’ FinTech event; this was very much out of my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed the experience. I have had great travel opportunities already, with an exciting trip to Japan to look forward to at the end of May.
My colleagues at GECKO are among the most talented people in their respective fields and their passion is profound; it’s not just a job to them; it’s a mission and I have found it incredibly inspiring to work alongside the team. Unlike large companies, where individuals have very specific job descriptions that limits their duties, working at a start-up means you have to adapt, and move from one set of duties to another as the company needs you, which brings amazing opportunities. This often means mastering new job skills, which is an aspect of working at GECKO that I have utterly enjoyed. GECKO is such an inclusive, dynamic and fast evolving environment to work in, with collaboration, teamwork and initiative at the core.
For me, the personal growth I have experienced in just four months at GECKO has been phenomenal, not to mention the positive impact it has had on my work-life balance. I am really thrilled to be part of the GECKO family and very excited for the future.
About GECKO Governance
Gecko Governance is a multi-award winning, Blockchain enabled RegTech solution that provides a suite of Compliance and Technology services to the Asset Management, Banking and Digital Asset industries. Established in 2014 and headquartered in Dundalk with offices in Ireland, New York and Sydney. For more information, please visit: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/liz-mckeever; www.linkedin.com/company/gecko-limited
Twitter: @GECKOgovernance
Telegram: @geckocrypto1
