5 Questions With… Lisa Feighan, Viewpoint Operational Product Owner

With over 25 years in the finance industry, Lisa’s journey began in Operations and evolved through roles, including Fund Administration, Hedge Funds, Family Office, and Project Management. Her involvement in KYC and Regulatory projects significantly enhanced her skill set. Previously, Lisa worked with Vistra Group on the Viewpoint Project, where she played a crucial role in helping roll out Version 8 to all offices. As the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Entity Administration, she contributed to optimising and standardising processes across the organisation. “I’m excited to bring this wealth of experience to my current role as a Viewpoint Operational Product Owner at Sovereign Group.”, says Lisa. And we’re excited to have you on board.

Could you explain the primary responsibilities of a Viewpoint Operational Product Owner and how they relate to the overall functioning of the Sovereign Group?
As a product owner, I am the link between technology and the wider business and I am responsible for managing and optimising the entity management component within Viewpoint.

I work closely with key stakeholders to deliver on mutually agreed priorities and roadmap, whilst simultaneously ensuring the delivery of continuous improvements through the change framework. I interact with stakeholders on a daily/weekly basis and help team members to achieve their required goals. I try to challenge existing solutions as and when appropriate and I try to deliver an alternative approach to ensure maximum gain and efficiencies.

I am responsible for enhancing the entity management component in line with Group strategy, leading on system development when appropriate. I am also responsible for Identifying key areas that require improvement and implement policies and procedures where necessary to support the business objectives.

Can you talk us through a typical day in the office?
I start my day with my morning routine, which includes checking emails, reviewing schedules, and preparing for upcoming meetings. I typically set a schedule for the day, prioritising my tasks between meetings to ensure productivity and efficiency.

During lunchtime, I make an effort to take a break and sometimes even go for a run instead of a walk. I enjoy listening to podcasts, and “Diary of a CEO” is my favourite.

If my afternoons are free of meetings, I utilise this time to reflect on previous meetings and jot down notes in preparation for upcoming ones. Additionally, I review my task list to ensure that all tasks are completed by their due dates.

As I’m still in the early stages of my time at Sovereign, I also dedicate some time in the afternoon to read knowledge bases and familiarise myself with their processes and ways of working.

How do you balance your day-to-day tasks with the strategic planning required to keep the product development on track and innovative?
I balance my day-to-day tasks with strategic planning by using a structured process prioritisation approach. For example, as part of the Service Transition Project, I have participated in workshops with other product owners to identify and prioritise key improvements for Sovereigns processes and policies. We document these priorities in a spreadsheet, which helps us maintain a clear focus on strategic objectives while managing daily activities. Once we finalise our plans, we present them to the change committee to agree on the roadmap. This method ensures that our day-to-day operations support our long-term strategic goals, keeping product development both on track and innovative.

How do you measure success in your role, and what are your strategies for achieving it?
Success in my role is achieved by effectively managing the entity management component.
Prioritising development backlog, ensuring smooth operations, providing expert knowledge, collaborating with stakeholders, driving continuous improvements, optimising and standardising processes, and maintaining awareness of industry developments.

What attracted you to join Sovereign initially, and what are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I felt drawn to join Sovereign for multiple reasons: their reputation and commitment to their values. I am looking forward to the chance to play a pivotal role in helping guide Viewpoint’s global expansion while streamlining and standardising processes, much like I did in my previous position.

Thank you, Lisa!