Hello, FinTech community. Welcome to our FinTech Top Voice interview series.
The latest FinTech Top Voice Interview series with Tendü Yogurtçu, PhD, CTO at Precisely focuses on the guest’s personal journey and her impact on the Financial Technology industry.
Tendü Yoğurtçu, Ph.D., is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Precisely. In this role, she directs the company’s technology strategy and product innovation. Prior to becoming Chief Technology Officer, she served as General Manager of Big Data for Syncsort, leading the global software business for Data Integration. She has over 25 years of software industry experience, with a focus on Big Data, Cloud, AI technologies and has also spent time in academics, working as a Computer Science Adjunct Faculty Member at Stevens Institute of Technology.
Dr Yoğurtçu is a dedicated advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and STEM education for women and has received several notable accolades for her work. This includes CTO of the Year at the prestigious Women in IT Awards, recognition as an Outstanding Executive in Technology by Advancing Women in Technology (AWT), inclusion in the “Top 50 Women Leaders in Technology for 2024” by Women We Admire and being highlighted as one of the “60 Female CTOs to Watch”. She is also an active Advisory Council Member for Drexel LeBow Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics, member of the Forbes Technology Council, and serves as an advisory board member for multiple organizations.
Dr. Yoğurtçu received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ, a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul.
Let’s start…
FinTech Insights (FTI): Hi Tendü, welcome to the FinTech Top Voice Interview Series. Please share your tech journey with us.
Dr. Tendü: My journey in technology began with a deep fascination for math, which naturally led me to computer science. I earned an undergraduate degree in computer engineering, a master’s in industrial engineering, and ultimately a PhD in computer science. I continue to pursue formal education today, including in Technology and Executive Leadership.
Early in my career, I focused on software development, new product innovation, and data management. As I moved into leadership roles, my focus shifted to technology innovation, making data easily usable for advanced analytics on next-generation big data and cloud platforms.
As CTO, I led over 20 M&A integrations and the global expansion of the R&D teams. Recognizing the importance of continuous innovation for sustainable growth, I launched the Precisely Innovation Labs, focusing on the incubation and enterprise customer validation of next-gen technologies in our products, including AI. Today, Precisely stands as the global leader in data integrity, equipping customers worldwide, including 93 of the Fortune 100, with the trusted data needed to make confident business decisions.
In addition to actively serving as CTO where I’m driving AI strategy, I also serve on multiple advisory boards for VC and universities.
Throughout my career, it has been important to contribute to my company through technology innovation and to give back to my community and the technology industry by being a strong advocate for STEM education for women and for DEI.
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FTI: Digital transformation has been a consistent drumbeat for the past few years and is a core piece of business strategies. What are the Top 5 challenges with Digital Transformation?
Dr. Tendü: I regularly speak with our global enterprise customers, and the common challenges they share align closely with the findings in the recently published 2025 Outlook: Data Integrity Trends and Insights report.
- Data accessibility remains a significant challenge for many enterprises, as they often have critical data stored on on-premises platforms. For instance, the financial services and insurance sectors still rely heavily on mainframes for their most critical data. While digital transformation and AI adoption drive pervasive cloud modernization, identifying and making critical data easily usable is both complex and costly.
- Data quality and trust are among the top challenges for many organizations. According to the report, 64% of respondents cited data quality as their biggest challenge. Additionally, 67% of participants do not fully trust the data their organization uses for decision-making. Data governance is seen as a critical factor, with 57% of respondents reporting it as a priority for improving data integrity and supporting AI initiatives.
- Location intelligence and enrichment is becoming increasingly important. However, finding curated and trusted data sets remains a challenge. According to the report, 67% of participants use location data in business-critical use cases, and about 50% identify cost and consistency of data formats as top challenges. For instance, with generative AI, context is more crucial than ever, and high-quality third-party data is essential for producing relevant and accurate outcomes.
- Skill gaps are a significant challenge, with 42% of respondents in the report citing a shortage of skills as a key issue. To overcome this, it is crucial to invest in digital skills and data & AI literacy across the organization.
- Cultural transformation is essential for digital transformation and becoming a data-driven organization. Successfully managing the transition to new digital processes requires careful planning and execution. This includes addressing potential disruptions to business operations and ensuring continuous improvement.
FTI: Fixing poor Data Governance eats up 20-40% of IT budgets, money that could have been spent on new data initiatives. What are your comments?
The adoption of data governance programs has seen a significant increase, with 71% of organizations now having a data governance program, up from 60% in 2023, according to the 2025 Outlook: Data Integrity Trends and Insights Report.
Data governance is recognized as a crucial element for enhancing data integrity and supporting AI initiatives. Poor data governance can indeed be a substantial drain on IT budgets. When data governance is inadequate, organizations often allocate a significant portion of their budgets to resolving data issues and paying regulatory compliance-related fines, which could have been avoided with proper governance practices. Investing in robust data governance frameworks can minimize risk, ensure compliance with evolving regulations, and provide a foundation for AI governance. This ultimately leads to long-term cost savings and allows organizations to allocate more resources to innovative data initiatives and achieve better business outcomes.
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FTI: Recent Gartner research revealed that only 22% of IT leaders are women. So, how do we work toward closing this gap?
Dr. Tendü: The gender gap continues to be a significant challenge in the tech industry. Establishing sponsorship programs that include advocates and sponsors from the Board and Executive leadership can help address this issue. While mentorship programs play an important role, we need advocates, not just mentors. Leaders of all genders should advocate on behalf of women to advance their careers and bring much-needed diversity to technology.
Organizations should implement inclusive hiring practices to ensure a diverse pool of candidates for leadership roles. This includes collecting and analyzing data regarding hiring pipelines, diversity across multiple dimensions such as gender and race, conversion rates from pipelines to offers, and conversion to hiring. This data should be transparent and visible to leadership and across the organization.
Investing in leadership development programs, financial acumen, executive shadowing, and programs focused on communication skills can help women build the skills and confidence needed for leadership roles. Additionally, organizations need to become active partners with universities to help close the gender gap. By collaborating with educational institutions through co-op programs and internships, companies can support initiatives that encourage more women to pursue careers in technology and provide them with the necessary resources and opportunities to succeed.
FTI: Please explain the concept of “How To Select And Manage Data For Effective Analysis” with an example.
Dr. Tendü: Let’s assume that the business objective is to detect fraudulent activity in customer transactions.
First, we need to identify the relevant and critical data sources. In this case, transaction records, account details, customer demographics, and historical fraud data are critical. Additionally, incorporating third-party data – such as transaction location, device metadata, and consumer behavior patterns – can significantly improve the accuracy of fraud detection models.
After identifying the data sources, we must access the data from internal systems like the organization’s data platforms and CRM systems, as well as from external, trusted data partners. This is followed by data preparation steps like integration, standardization, and deduplication, which are crucial for deriving meaningful insights. For this particular use case, it’s vital to conduct continuous data health checks by monitoring key metrics and setting alerts for deviations from historical trends, as these may indicate emerging anomalies. Additionally, we need to ensure data quality by validating that transaction records are complete, consistent, and accurate. For example, customer information should include a valid address. It’s important that the data is not only accurate but also fresh for timely detection.
Data governance is an ongoing process. Maintaining a governed pipeline with data lineage ensures transparency and accountability in the analysis processes, building trust in the results.
Once the data is integrated, cleansed, transformed, and enriched, it can be utilized by advanced analytics tools such as AI or BI platforms.
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FTI: If you had to share five thoughts on the future of fintech before we wrap up, what would they be?
Dr. Tendü: If I had to share three thoughts on the future of fintech, they would be:
- Increased adoption of AI and generative AI: AI will continue to revolutionize fintech by enabling more personalized, efficient, and secure financial services. These technologies will drive innovations in fraud detection, risk management, customer service, and personalized financial advice, making financial services more accessible and user-friendly.
- Collaboration for regulatory compliance and cybersecurity: Fintech companies will increasingly collaborate with each other and with traditional financial institutions to navigate regulatory challenges and combat cybercrime. This collaboration will be crucial for ensuring compliance and building trust with customers.
- Focus on financial Inclusion and equity: Fintech will play a significant role in promoting financial inclusion by providing access to financial services for underserved populations. Additionally, there will be a strong emphasis on equity and eliminating bias in areas such as credit scoring and mortgage loans, ensuring fair and unbiased access to financial products for all individuals.
FTI: Tell us about some of the top FinTech/Other B2B events that you’ll be participating in (as a speaker or guest!) in 2025.
Dr. Tendü: I look forward to Precisely Trust ‘25 Data Integrity Summit where we will discuss the latest data and AI trends, with insights from industry leaders. I also plan to attend the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit and AI in Finance Summit.
To participate in our interviews, please write to us at news@intentamplify.com
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