Yury Lits: Head of Digital Applications and Data Platform

Yury Lits

MBA (Executive), 2017

Based in:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Formerly from:

Russia

First job:

System Engineer

Best piece of advice received:

Be fearless.

Strangest interview question:

Who is a famous person in sport from whom I learnt leadership?

Head of Digital Applications and Data Platform, UNICEF Supply Division

Describe your current role and what attracted you to it.

Leading talented digital minds that enable data and technology to make the humanitarian aid to children in the most challenging places of the world more efficient.

What’s your favourite part of the role?

Leadership (people development) and seeing the impact of our work.

What are the key skills you learnt at Warwick that have helped you with your career to date?

• Leadership
• Art of judgement
• Critical thinking

Did you have a specific career path in mind when you chose to study at Warwick?

No, but I wanted to have a bigger positive impact on the world.

What top tips do you have for Warwick graduates who would like to work in your sector?

Be fearless and think about the impact.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Meetings with my team and stakeholders - mostly online. Dealing with escalations from the projects. Communicating via emails and Teams. Some budget management, capacity management, and contract management.

What has been your greatest career challenge to date and how did your experience and skills help overcome it?

Moving to a new country with completely different leadership culture and where I didn't have a network.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were applying for jobs?

Network matters a lot. Job applications is a number game - the more you try, the more chances you get. It's important to practice your interview skills regularly.

What ambitions do you have for the future?

Making an even bigger impact on this world by growing a new generation of leaders for UNICEF, and the UN in general, that are not afraid to challenge the system and make it more efficient.