by Malli Kugelsky, ELEFense
June Klein is the Founder and CEO of Technology & Marketing Ventures, Inc. providing content integration services; issue identification and analysis; customized solution guidelines; multi- media distribution channels. Ms. Klein disclosed to us about her long and successful career in the Technological and Marketing world, from taking part in board positions in large corporations worldwide to utilizing her background in Math and Programming to create the growing business that is standing today. We at ELEFense were extremely excited for the opportunity to speak with Ms. Klein and allow her the chance to share her inspiring and impressive story.
Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? And what led you to your current position as the CEO of your own company?
“I was a math education major in college. I expected a picture-perfect graduation, but it was not anything like that. It was the age of disruption. The university gave us 24 hours to get out of the dorm and mailed us our diploma.
So, I started work early, I started in April instead of June or July [like typical postgrads] and I
began working for a company called Virtual Computer Services. At the time, women were not typically working in Tech, so I was receiving a salary that was twice as much as my husband who was working for a Wall Street law firm. After Virtual Computer Services became virtually non-existent, I went on to work for the Federal Reserve Bank as a programmer and shortly after, Merrill Lynch recruited me to support the Systems Research Analysts, as well as the Financial Consultants.
IBM then recruited me as a professional hire (which at the time IBM policy was not to hire
professionals). They still put me through the entire training program which was wonderful and very holistic in nature. I had the responsibility for meeting with the Board of Directors at
American Express. This led to me being on both public and private company boards of directors. While still at IBM, Citicorp recruited me to manage their Global Information Business and I was simultaneously attending NYU Stern to obtain my MBA in Finance and Marketing.
That was when I started my initial ideas of Work-Live-Family-Learn as a continuum not an endgame. I started a successful babysitting Co-op [a system to help with babysitting needs in the building in which I lived]. After obtaining my degree, I was involved with supporting the Vice Chairman at Citicorp with the new concept at the time ‘Fintech’ and the 5”Is” of Banking [individual, institutional, investment, insurance, information]. My previous client at IBM then recruited me to JPMorgan Chase. He put me in charge of the Investor Services Businesses as well as the Government Banking Business.
Overall, you can see my experiences are unique. My achievements were due to my background in Math, Marketing, and Finance. I have a history in finding and executing new methods to solve strategic problems. I realized there was an issue in managing the changes and complexity in risk. Recognizing that change, complexity, and risk were constants, led me to develop my algorithm which I launched at Oxford University.
Our company is now a venture development, management consultancy, and we are known for the brands: Electronic BoardroomTMVi® Solutions and TMVi™ Algorithm for better judgment and decision-making. We transform technology, innovation, and methodology into wealth, empowerment, and adaptability.”
Can you talk to me a little bit about your day to day at Technology & Marketing Ventures, Inc?
“My schedule varies since owning and operating my own business. It did not vary that much
when I was working for major corporations but [now] it depends.
I do not believe in a work-life balance because that reminds me of a judicial scale. Someone is always up, and someone is always down. Instead of a win-lose game, I believe in work-life integration prioritizing time and flexible executions for advantages.
I do not have a cut and dry routine. This works for me because of my adaptability soft skills. Inherent in adaptability is a can-do mindset, enthusiastic learning, and challenge readiness. Adaptability assumes a future world in contrast to resilience which just allows recovery back to where you once were. By experiencing the world through an adaptability lens, future-proof yourself. ”
How do you think making meaningful relationships with your employees has helped you in your career?
“It is necessary; you cannot do it any other way. A leader must have empathy [for your
peers/employees] and empower them. Leadership is not about dictating things, but about creating more leaders and that is what I am focusing on. I have learned that it is key to develop meaningful relationships [at the workplace]. You are only as good as the team around you.”
How would you describe the culture at Technology & Marketing Ventures, Inc?
“I have built teams across companies, within companies, and within my own company. The team must reflect excellence, ownership, and humor. When I interview candidates, I favor ones that really want to do the job, rather than laid off candidates who need money now, but will leave when something better comes along.”
June explained to me that using these qualities in people is the key to a healthy cultural environment and the reason she has been able to maintain cultural wellbeing in her
workplace.
What is something you are most proud of in your career?
“Firstly, I cannot forget about my family. But aside from that, there were two situations that I am proud of [in my career]. The first was when I worked at IBM. I was the manager responsible for the systems assurance for a major global installation. The whole team from headquarters came down [for a meeting] and they questioned me to no end. However, I had really prepared for this meeting. They were trying to trip me up (not purposefully) and at the end of it, the VP said to me“ in all my years, I have never seen anybody who is that thorough and well prepared in the field.” I was so proud of myself as this was a big project I was pitching at the time. So, I would say that that was really a high point in my career.
The second thing that I was proud of was when I was at Oxford and [Nelson] Mandela just so
happened to be there during the week I was giving my presentation. That was when I had my aha moment. The common thread in my career was education, as well as the constant application of it. It was not just the formulation of strategy but the execution as well. That was the moment I took my career to the next level.”
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out in business, as someone with such a successful business journey?
“When I went to work for JPMorgan Chase, I met with the Vice Chairman on the first day. I
asked, “what do you want me to do?” He responded “Klein you can do whatever you want but if you make a mistake on your financials, we will have an issue. So, if you do not have the numbers, get them! And make sure that you have reliable evidence to support the numbers that you calculated. This is true for every aspect of business. Numbers are involved everywhere, and accuracy is crucial to your success.”
About ELEFense
ELEFense computes company engagement, sentiment & keyword trends in real-time at a department level, revealing Enterprise Cultural Analytics to manage employee burnout and much more. We can create a graph of employee and company health that indicates the effects of events and trends on cultural change. This is done automatically & in real-time without using questionnaires or other traditional methods. ELEFense saves you from relying on opinions or voluntary contributions to make a management decision.
Malli Kugelsky works as a Finance and Marketing representative at ELEFense, specializing in
content creation. She is originally from New City, New York and attends the University of
Buffalo. She is studying Finance and Supply Chain Management and is working towards a
career in Financial Services and Real Estate.