MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT

Vanessa Stock

VP, Product Management & Strategy

Fiserv

Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?

My biggest sources of inspiration have been the leaders I’ve worked for who combined strong business results with genuine care for people. Throughout my career, I’ve had opportunities to work alongside executives who challenged conventional thinking, drove transformation, and built trust through transparency and accountability. Those experiences shaped my own leadership philosophy: create clarity, empower teams, and never lose sight of the client.

Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?

Hard work has been the foundation, but I also recognize the role opportunity has played. I’ve built my career by taking on difficult challenges, being willing to learn functions outside my comfort zone, and focusing on delivering measurable outcomes. At the same time, I’ve been fortunate to work with leaders who gave me opportunities to grow and trusted me with increasingly complex responsibilities. Success comes from being prepared when those opportunities appear.

What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?

The driving force behind my career has always been creating meaningful business impact while helping organizations navigate change. Whether in finance, operations, sales, strategy, or product management, I’ve been drawn to roles where I can simplify complexity, improve outcomes for customers, and build teams that are capable of accomplishing more together than individually. Today, that same motivation is centered on helping financial institutions succeed through technology and innovation.

If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?

I would have trusted my instincts earlier and taken bigger strategic risks sooner. Some of the most rewarding opportunities in my career came when I stepped outside traditional career paths and embraced transformation, new industries, or expanded leadership responsibilities. Looking back, I’d remind my younger self that growth rarely happens inside your comfort zone and that waiting until you’re perfectly prepared often means waiting too long.

What was your most favourite job/role and why?

My current role as Vice President of Product Management & Strategy is probably the most fulfilling because it brings together nearly every experience I’ve had throughout my career. It combines strategy, operations, client engagement, transformation, technology, and leadership. I enjoy working at the intersection of market needs, client outcomes, and product innovation while helping shape the future direction of our business and the institutions we serve.

Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?

Make things better than you found them. If you do your day job exceptionally, look for unmet needs around you, and offer to take those on and make them better, you grow your skillset and your influence. Those are often the most rewarding opportunities and “big rocks” that make up your legacy.”