At NexJ, we are enormously proud of the talent and dedication of our 100+ employees. They are the heart of NexJ and our most valued asset. We are pleased to introduce Jelena Duma, Senior Director of Enterprise Architecture. Below, Jelena shares a bit about her role at NexJ, why she’s excited about the future, and how playing drums in a rock band is the ideal way to relax after a hard day’s work:
Jelena, can you please describe your role with NexJ?
I am currently Senior Director of Enterprise Architecture and have been with NexJ for three years. Previously, I was with RBC, where I implemented RBC branch applications, porting them into new technology stacks like microservices and cloud adoption, and then integrating them into the unified ecosystem that branch advisors and tellers could use. That proved to be the kind of experience NexJ needed for our integrated advisor desktop platform. For example, building CRM-adjacent applications as cloud solutions and integrating them into the existing ecosystems and applications that financial advisors use for client engagement.
Since the beginning of this year, I also lead NexJ’s development group, which is approximately 60 people. My role is multifaceted, which I love, and entails developing and implementing architecture policies and strategies to meet business goals and client objectives. Working with my team, I coordinate architecture across all areas of the company to offer high-level solutions. Day-to-day, I manage development managers and mentor teams of software architects to ensure we provide the best possible solutions for our clients. It’s a wonderful mix of responsibilities, and I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do the work I do.
What attracted you to NexJ?
A recruiter from NexJ reached out to me, and as I learned about NexJ and the role, I became attracted by the creative and innovative nature of the work and the chance to leverage my experience in financial services. Designing, architecting, and delivering cloud-based applications was something that was being newly built at NexJ, and to have the chance to develop the whole cloud infrastructure was very appealing. Combined with the opportunity to mentor and guide the development team was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’m glad I didn’t!
Describe the culture at NexJ. What makes it special?
The NexJ culture is incredibly fun, inventive and creative. It’s what makes NexJ so special. Even during COVID, working remotely proved to be seamless because everyone was so supportive of one another. We collaborate easily. We share ideas and skills without missing a beat. That just goes to show the unique nature of the culture at NexJ. It’s a modern, enjoyable and exciting environment.
What gets you excited about the future?
I am very excited about the future of integrated advisor desktops within financial services. IADs are needed by so many advisors, and when done well, will allow them to truly focus on client engagement instead of being mired in administrative tasks. The concept of IADs is still new to many wealth management firms, so the opportunity is huge. I look forward to continuing to enhance NexJ’s IAD offering and showcasing to clients the full power of what it can do.
Anything you'd like to share about yourself personally?
My husband and I both work in the software development profession and are the proud parents of two daughters.
When I’m not working, I love to practice yoga. I even owned a yoga studio for 15 years, until the disruption of the pandemic forced us to go online and eventually transition the practice to a friend. However, I did find another outlet to release stress, and that is as a drummer for two rock bands, “Promaya” and “Fig Leaf.” We love hosting charity concerts for a subsidized music school in Toronto, and let me tell you, there is no better way to release tension than to play drums in a rock band!
