Licenia Rojas With TD Bank Group

Intro: [00:00:02] You’re listening to Innovation Radio, where we interview entrepreneurs focused on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. Innovation Radio is brought to you by the world’s first theme park for entrepreneurs, the Leuven Center of Innovation, the only innovation center in the nation to support the founder’s journey from birth of idea through successful exit or global expansion. Now here’s your host, Lee Kantor.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:34] Lee Kantor here another episode of Innovation Radio, and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize the Levant center of innovation. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Innovation Radio, we have Licenia Rojas with TD Bank Group. Welcome.

Licenia Rojas: [00:00:55] Thank you, Lee. So excited to be on the show with you today.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:58] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about TD Bank Group, how you serving folks.

Licenia Rojas: [00:01:06] So we’re thank you for asking that question. We’re at TD Bank Group. We’re very excited about our customers and our ability to serve their needs as they are thinking about life events that are happening to them. We just recently earned the number one spot in Canada as the most valuable brand by brand finance. So we’re really excited about that. And that really anchors on the point that we’re honing in on what matters most to our customers and we’re the better bank. Like we’re in the business of trust, and that’s the way we’re operating across North America, you know, across the world, serving our customers.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:43] And what’s your role at TD Bank Group?

Licenia Rojas: [00:01:46] So at TD Bank Group, I am the senior vice president, chief engineer and chief architect. And what that means in simple terms is that I’m responsible for the technology strategy for the company that enables the capabilities that our colleagues and customers are leveraging. So I work very closely across multiple groups, whether they’re driving platform engineering or business capabilities. And we look for what are those opportunities to modernize and create new experiences for our customers and colleagues.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:17] So how have you seen technology evolve over the years? I mean, it seems like it moves so rapidly. It’s hard for any kind of brand to really leverage technology to its fullest and serve its customers in the way they want to be served. It must have been, you know, it must be really exciting. But also pretty chaotic.

Licenia Rojas: [00:02:37] It’s a great question. So I’ve been in technology for 30 years, so seen so many changes in my own lifetime. I can only imagine those that have been around longer even before all the advancements in technology. And I think one of the key things is that as a company, you have to be forward thinking and invest in the future. And that’s one of the things that excited me about joining TD Bank Group. They’re very focused not just on what needs to happen right now in the moment in order to serve our customers and colleagues. But how do you invest for the future? And how you do that is you invest in your talent and you really have to think about how to adopt technology and have the right people and invest in them and in the training. So it’s something that we are spending a lot of time on and it’s something core to the culture of the bank. We’re very focused on evolving capabilities, attracting and retaining skilled talent. So when you have that, what I would say a planned approach, a strategy and roadmap that helps you get through the chaos, because if you don’t have a plan, then it’s really chaotic. So when you have a plan, then you can make adjustments in pivots. If there’s things that change, right? There’s technology that customers take to differently and maybe in different markets and you make those adjustments accordingly and then you start building for skills of the future. So we’ve invested a lot in building skills around Microsoft Azure, Cloud security, machine learning, UX design, and we’ve built talent around that through the years. And then that way, as technology advances and changes, we’re ready and we’re ahead of what our customers are also looking for in terms of experiences.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:13] Now, growing up, what was it like to kind of be in a in an industry that is kind of male dominated and and you grow into this leadership role that you’re in now? I’m sure as you’ve kind of gone through your career, there’s not a lot of people that look like you as you’re kind of rising through the ranks. How were you able to navigate that?

Licenia Rojas: [00:04:40] That’s a great question. And and thank you for asking because of the fact that there you know, we definitely want to see more women and I’m Latina as well and you early on you don’t see a lot I didn’t see a lot of people that look like me around the room. It’s starting in school. So I encourage young girls, young women, if you’re in school, stay. If you’re passionate about science, technology, engineering or math, stay the course. We need more of you. We always want people that are diverse and different and businesses because we serve our customers, right? So there’s a definitely a strategy behind diversity and inclusion in businesses, and we want those ideas to come forward as well. Right? We all have different approaches of how we would look at a customer or colleague solution. So I encourage you to stay the course and I think it’s really important to join groups of where you can get support as well. So there’s a lot of women groups out there. I’m a big fan of like Grace Hopper and the Anita Borg organization. They do a lot for women chief. I’m a founding member of chief here in Miami. It’s for executive women. But before I got to where I am today, a lot of it was through mentorship and sponsorship programs and companies. So when you’re looking at where to also go work, you have to think about how committed is your organization to diversity and inclusion and are they really listening to their colleagues and creating those networks and those opportunities where you can gain mentorship And then eventually from mentorship, you’ll find sponsors along your career and you know, those are all great and those are very important factors.

Licenia Rojas: [00:06:22] But I would tell you that it all starts with yourself and believing in yourself and being authentic. And those are things that I’ve learned through the years. I wish I would have all those experiences much earlier on, but I share that a lot with my mentees because of the fact that when you’re yourself, you always will perform better. So you want to be yourself and you want to be around others that bring out that in you. So as you’re looking at companies, you’re looking at leaders, these are all things to think about, not just the job itself, but all the surround sound around it, because you’re going to grow and from that as well. So those are important things. And if things don’t always go the way you planned, then, you know, pivot, give yourself the flexibility to make those adjustments and and change course if you need to, but follow the path that you want to in terms of creating that career growth. And I would say that a lot of the allies and sponsors that I have are men. So you don’t necessarily always need to think about that. Your sponsors and mentors are only women there. It’s great to have. I have women different backgrounds that are my sponsors and mentors for many years now, but I also have the great relationship with allies. So it’s really important to have allies and then also be an ally to others as well. So I support many other colleague type groups, other, you know, whether it’s pride or, you know, the black professional networks. So to me, it’s very important to give back and help each other grow.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:00] Now you’re using phrases like Ally, mentor and sponsor. For those who aren’t as familiar with those terms. Can you kind of define each one? Because I think there’s a lot of confusion, especially amongst well meaning people who think like, Oh, I’ll mentor somebody and that means, you know, they’re on a phone call once a month with somebody and they think, Oh, I’ll check that box. I’m doing all I can do. But a sponsor, for example, that requires a lot more risk in terms of political capital to really put your name on the line to help somebody up. But can you explain the difference between Ally, mentor and sponsor?

Licenia Rojas: [00:08:38] Yes.

Licenia Rojas: [00:08:39] Yes. And it is true. You have a great point. It can be confusing. So when you mentor someone, you enter into a relationship where you’re you want to give something back in terms of your experiences, your knowledge to someone else that has talent and needs experience, needs someone to maybe come to that is not sometimes not in their direct line of leadership. Sometimes you’re in the same group, but you’re offering a different perspective and view to them and offering your experience as a and and how I often do that, I always listen first. What are you looking for out of this mentorship relationship? How can I help them? What are their career objectives? What are they going through right now and where do they want to go so that we create a plan? Because it’s a plan to gather around the mentor and the mentee. I learn a lot from my mentees as well because I think about I have to think about things that I’ve experienced and knowledge that I have to pass on. So there’s a learning process you go through as a mentor as well, so that you can be the best mentor possible. And I would tell you that I grew with time and appreciation of having the mentor role. I knew it was important to be a mentor, but when I was part of an, you know, which I’m still part of this organization, it’s called Gear Up and it’s around.

Licenia Rojas: [00:10:07] It’s a program designated. It’s a non-for-profit around bringing urban youth to corporate groups for sponsorship, internships, and eventually a path to be able to a full time to gain full time employment. It’s really to deal with this lack of path that we have sometimes for what we call like mid skill level and really to give an opportunity to people that possibly corporate America would not look at typically. And what I learned from them was that I needed to do more around mentorship. Given my role as a woman, a Latina. I came from a low income area of Miami, and I understood some of the struggles of just not knowing where you fit in. So I mentor a lot of in in those scenarios as well to help people understand how to navigate maybe situations they’ve not come across. They’re giving their first presentation to an executive down to I’m going on my first business trip, what should I expect? And they feel safe talking to me about that. So I play that role. Then as a sponsor. Sometimes I’ve sponsored folks because I’ve built a relationship with them as a mentor, but now as a sponsor, I become an advocate. I’m advocating for their career. I’m helping them get the visibility, the focus from others, maybe introducing them to others, and also putting my, um, my own credibility to say this is someone that I know is ready for this next role, for this opportunity.

Licenia Rojas: [00:11:45] So I’m, you’re more active, so it’s like activating different parts of the engagement. So as a mentor, you should be heavily engaged and giving of your time. And then as a sponsor, you’re taking it to a next level. You’re more proactive in that advocating of their career and being out there. So you have how I see it is like a almost like a bit of a pyramid. You have more mentees and then you have some people you sponsor and you gain that over time. And Ally is a term used a lot in diversity and inclusion, and I use it around the fact that we’re, you know, we’re we’re different in many ways, which is a great thing about being inclusive and you want to support others, although. You know, like in the scenario that I was giving, I’m Latina and I’m a woman. And I you know, I’m an ally of my colleagues that are in the, you know, let’s say, in a LGBTQ plus network. Right? I want to make sure that I’m there as an ally to them, sponsoring events, being a voice of, you know, how we need to make sure that they’re meeting their objectives around the event that they have, that they feel included, that they know that, you know, you know, we’re together in in driving and inclusive inclusivity.

Licenia Rojas: [00:13:12] And the same with, you know, the black professional network that I’m an ally to them. And although I’m not black or part of the LGBTQ community in the way that it’s defined, right, I’m with them and that they know that they have that support. That’s what it means to be an ally, that you’re with them and that you’re part of driving all those great causes. So and sometimes through those relationships, you meet people that become your mentor, you are their mentee there or the other way around. You meet mentees and it’s like a circle of networking and giving. To me that’s really important to pay it forward. A lot of the success I’ve had is that someone saw something in me and. You know, gave me an opportunity. And sometimes you would think at the time, probably ridiculous opportunity. So I think that it’s important to pay it forward as well. And you learn along the way how to be better at all these things. Being a mentor, being a sponsor and being an ally. I learn a lot from others and I think that’s part of the journey.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:22] Now, do you have any advice for that young person out there that maybe is the young you that has dreams maybe bigger than their circumstances are at the point that they have these dreams, but they want to move forward in their career. They believe in themselves. How do they kind of get on the radar of these mentors, of these sponsors, like what’s kind of a path for them to follow, you know, when they don’t have a lot in terms of experience right now, but they have big dreams. Is there some organization like should they get involved in maybe some of the business trade organizations, Like how do they kind of show that they have potential to be a leader when they’re not in a role of a leader? Right. Yet. You know, right now.

Licenia Rojas: [00:15:09] So I always start with perform well with the role that you have because that is starts with, you know, whether you’re in school, you’re doing well in school. That says a lot about you as well, right? People look at your what performance you have had to date, so that always helps. I would say that. Always do well in what you currently have. My mother always said that you want to do well in every job that you do, big or small. However it is, that’s very, very important. And you know, you are someone that others view as your your performing well and you because that’s what people look for. They’re looking for those types of things. Then you want to have access and sometimes you don’t know how to have that. If you’re in a you’re working for a small business, you don’t have these large networks that, you know, large corporations like TD Bank Group has. You know, so what you would do in those scenarios, it’s great to use resources like LinkedIn. You can also tap into like the Levant Center. It’s a great organization to be a part of, to understand what’s happening in South Florida, going to the events, networking and meeting people. And you could start small because I know for sometimes for people the events can be intimidating. But you can find events where they’re more intimate chats and talks. So that way it’s not, you know, hundreds and thousands of people that you’re working through. But you start you can start small there and introduce yourself to people and say, I’d like to take a moment, learn a little bit more about you. And you create the conversation and you start building your network in that way.

Licenia Rojas: [00:16:48] And then as you meet someone and you get to know them, then you can ask them, Would you be willing to mentor me? I, you know, because you want to give them a reason why you’re also selecting them as a mentor. You could say, Well, I heard you speak and you know, I have a scenario like that where I’m trying to communicate my idea and I want to learn. What’s the best way to pitch an idea? Would you be willing to mentor me and listen to my pitch and give me pointers of what I could do better? And that’s, you know, different ways you can approach, But you want to make it real to say, Why are you asking that person to be your mentor? So that’s why going to these events and so forth and being part of, you know, I mentioned, you know, Anita Bjork, if you’re, um, you know, different, you know, you can go to cure a career in tech, you can go to, um. Nesby Right. The you could go to a, you know, different, different groups to, to think through, you know, you have Alpha, which is for the Latin American groups as well here in in the US. So there’s in Canada you can go to the Black Professional Technology Network. So there’s many, many places that you can go for networking and you know, there’s many resources that you can. But what I would say is probably the easiest way for many folks is to look through LinkedIn, because that will have many groups that you can join and you can join the chats and that way you can meet people through that and send them direct messages as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:22] Now, why was it important for TD Bank Group to partner in the way that you have with the Levant Center? What did you see in them and what did you want to get out of that relationship?

Licenia Rojas: [00:18:36] So interestingly enough, I’m also a board of governor at the Levant Center and that started previous to joining TD Bank Group and as I was. Joining the TD Bank group and we were talking about what was happening at the Levant Center then. The group was interested in creating a relationship because we wanted to get close to the entrepreneurs, the businesses and the community. And that’s a very big part of TD is to be part of the community. So it was also then now an investment then to not just for me to be a board of governor at the TD Bank Group. I mean, I’m sorry, at the Levant Center, but also for the TD Bank Group to join and be part of the Levant Center community, because that’s how we’re tapping into the community of technology, the innovation, the talent that I spoke to earlier that’s happening in South Florida. And we’re able to also offer one of my peers in the organization sits with entrepreneurs and goes through their ideas and helps them with their pitch. So we’re also giving back to the community and we’re getting to help entrepreneurs think about financing after they thought about how they’re going to articulate how they’re going to make money with their idea. So there’s a lot to us being able to help others. And then we’re learning also what’s happening in the community. So we found that as a as a win win and it’s a great way for us to stay close to what’s happening and technology trends and get ahead of it. It goes back to what I was mentioning to you. When you have a multi year plan and you’re thinking ahead and you’re building for the future, you want to stay close to where the action is happening. And definitely the Levant Center is, you know, the pride and joy of South Florida as the world’s first theme park for innovation.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:34] Now for you, what has been can you share a story maybe of somebody that you’ve impacted or TD has impacted in terms of helping them get to a new level based on the mentorship or advice or sponsorship you or TD has given them?

Licenia Rojas: [00:20:53] Well, there’s groups I can’t speak about any groups specifically. Right.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:56] Just maybe share, share, maybe conceptually, what would their challenge was and how the advice you gave that enabled them to get to a new level?

Licenia Rojas: [00:21:07] Yes. So I met with an entrepreneur and she had a great business plan. She was trying to develop another part of her business with engaging her expertise and offering as a technology service. So we sat down. We talked about what her idea was. I gave her some things to think about in terms of the offering itself, What made it different? What was the differential? Why would someone, you know, a company in this case think that there was something, you know, different? Like what was that extra piece like? How were they going to separate themselves from others in that similar service offering? What were there going to be those differentiators? And how was she also going to check how her business was doing? Is she what were her outcomes, her what we refer to as OKRs? So your your key results that you’re trying to drive for those objectives. So it’s your objective key results and you know, sat with her and thought about it and then she she gave me feedback after that. It was really helpful for her and her team to go back and think about, um, besides the offering itself, how were they going to stand out and differentiate and how would they track their success with that and with their clients so that they had a way to understand how that relationship work? That was something that was missing from her pitch, because a lot of times when you’re setting up a partnership, you want to understand how is that partnership evolving? Are you hitting those key metrics? So that was feedback that I received directly from some work that I did with an entrepreneur that’s based out of the Levin Center.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:49] So if somebody wants to connect with you or TD Bank, what is the best way to do that?

Licenia Rojas: [00:23:00] Well, you can catch me on LinkedIn, I’m on LinkedIn. So that’s a great way to reach out to me directly. And then we’re where we are. We have 155. If you’re here in Florida, we have 155 stores. So we welcome you there. We’re part of our community and obviously we’re online. We have great online presence, both web and mobile. So we’re very happy to have you here. Just across in the US alone, we have over 1100 retail stores, so you can catch us there. And if you are in Canada, you know, we’re happy to have you on, you know, our stores across Canada as well. So, you know, please, you know, come visit us. We’re here to serve our customers and their needs, current needs, future needs. We want to grow with you. And, you know, we’re very focused on. What your journey is and where do you want to go next and what’s important to you. And that’s one of the things that really excited me when I joined TD because I’m very about the experience. If you heard me say it a few times, Lee, because that’s what differentiates A from B is how the the experience you deliver to that customer, how you make them feel in that moment, how you anticipate their needs and how you grow with them.

Licenia Rojas: [00:24:27] And you know, things like it doesn’t seem huge sometimes, but all the little things do add up. And something I’m really proud of is the fact that we just did a, an accessibility. Launch into our stores so that our colleagues can pick the preferences and individualize how they’re going to deal, you know, like anything that they need from an accessibility perspective. So not only are we thinking about our customers, but we’re thinking about our colleagues so they can better serve our customers. And that was something that was built out of a lab and then brought to market very quickly. So we’re thinking about how we address the needs of our customers in all kinds of spectrum, not just in terms of the financial services, but also how we can make things easier for them in their in their day to day lives.

Lee Kantor: [00:25:20] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Licenia Rojas: [00:25:27] Thank you, Lee. Thank you for having me. And keep doing what you’re doing. You’re bringing a voice to many of these great topics and look forward to catching your next podcast.

Lee Kantor: [00:25:37] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Innovation Radio.

Outro: [00:25:43] This episode of Innovation Radio was brought to you by the world’s first theme park for entrepreneurs, the Levant Center of Innovation, the only innovation center in the nation to support the founder’s journey from birth of idea through successful exit or global expansion. If you are ready to launch or scale your business, please check out the Levant Center of Innovation by visiting W-w-w dot Nova Edu slash Innovation.