Biggest Challenges for a Director of Strategic Partnerships at a Fintech Climate Start-up
Rebecca's biggest challenge as Director of Strategic Partnerships is navigating the cultural differences between her American background and the British-based company culture, describing it as "cultural tension." This includes contrasting work styles, communication expectations ("humor and patience, tolerance, tempo"), and the sheer scale of the American market, which the leadership team struggles to fully grasp.
Cross-Cultural Communication, International Business, Leadership, Strategic Partnerships, Fintech
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rebecca Saletta
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Fintech Climate Start-up
UCLA
N/a
Communications
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Business Strategy
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Navigating cross-cultural differences in a global team environment
2. Balancing the fast-paced American startup culture with a more traditional work style
3. The challenges of representing a large and diverse market (the US) to a smaller team in a different country
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
The biggest challenge for me in this current role is actually culture. I started with the British government, so you'd think I'd know the Brits. Then I came here as the only American.
There are so many little nuances that are really hard to catch. It's been hard to be alone in a country trying to represent it. It's like, "This is how America works," but I'm one person against five others, and now we're about 15.
There is a sort of cultural tension that can be super challenging. I love working with the Brits; it's very fun. I get to go over probably twice a year.
In the meantime, it's really hard sometimes to explain how big America is. One of the hardest conversations is with our leadership team. They want to go run really fast. I tell them California and the UK are the exact same size, and they don't like to hear that.
The reality is there are 50 states here. As one person trying to navigate that and make those decisions, it's really complex. Then I have to communicate that back to a culture that doesn't fully understand, has never lived in America, and doesn't know how we speak.
Being able to speak English is an amazing common denominator, but there are so many elements like humor, patience, tolerance, tempo, and expectations. Even startup culture is very different in both countries.
The American hustle startup culture is very different. In the UK, people tend to end their days at a normal hour and don't get online again if you need their help. There are a lot of these things that you expect, and that has added a lot of complexities, but also amazing learning.