In our ongoing series, "Get to Know Our Founders," we're delighted to spotlight Ruta Mrazauskaite, Co-founder and Board Member of the European Compliance Professionals Association (ECPA). A thoughtful and dedicated professional, Ruta views compliance not merely as a formal requirement but as an opportunity to delve into the underlying principles of regulations. She actively engages in discussions and provides mentorship to emerging compliance experts as they navigate their careers.
Why did you choose compliance as a field to work in?
“I think it chose me. I am a lawyer at heart, but always knew I want to do something that allows me to navigate different disciplines and areas. Law and strategic project management. Creating processes and engaging with the policy makers. Drafting policies and cracking product codes. That's why I started off in a public policy NGO in the first place. After taking an academic break, I came back to Lithuania and Revolut was looking for someone to lead regulatory compliance for their EEA operations and operationalise the licenced entities. Our paths crossed and it became a wild ride from just me slowly trying to build a team, to my team growing across three different regulated entities and a number of branches across Europe. Navigating regulatory matters in fintech during the dawn of Brexit was exactly the kind of wild interdisciplinary ride that I ended up really appreciating.”
Why do you believe compliance is an excellent choice for young professionals considering their career paths?
“It's hard to say if it is for everyone. But it certainly is a great choice if you want to do something that requires constantly combining very different skill sets, enjoy managing projects and deep diving into regulations to understand not just how they work now, but also how they could work to bring the best value for both the business and its customers.”
What are the three primary personal qualities that a compliance specialist possesses?
“I am still trying to pinpoint those! I would say - excellent project management skills, regulatory expertise and the willingness to understand the business operations in great detail. Since our role is usually that of a controller, and we need to build personal trust in an organisation for our work to actually be useful - I would say interpersonal skills too, but that would leave the list at four!”
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