Ilana Krancenblum

After living and studying in New York, Ilana relocated to Luxembourg and began her career in the compliance industry. Ilana is the CEO of Sqope S.A., a leading provider of enhanced due diligence reports and ESG reputational assessments. Over the past ten years she advanced from Sales Manager in Luxembourg to Head of Business Development for the group, and in 2020 became Sqope’s CEO. Ilana has gained extensive experience in AML/CFT compliance in the past decade working closely with local professional associations and over 250 leading financial institutions. Ilana is currently based in Tel Aviv, Israel since 2016 where she manages the group’s partnerships and international growth.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

Ilana’s experience as a young, female CEO and mother to two small children means that she intimately understands the need for flexibility and importance of D&I policies that permit growth for women in a male dominated industry. In addition, her openness to new ideas allowed the company to implement a flexible work-from-home schedule even before the pandemic struck and making it easy to be a working parent at Sqope.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Advancing in the company from intern to sales manager to head of business development and, finally, CEO, ensuring that she understands and appreciates every role.
2. Striving for a work-life balance as a young CEO and mother to two small children, made even more difficult by a maternity leave interrupted by a global pandemic.
3. Developing an incredible team with women/working mothers in leadership positions and creating a company culture that allows moms (and dads) more flexible schedules to thrive in their career while being a parent.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Moving from the comfort of Luxembourg, where she knew the culture and language, to a new position in a new country, responsible for building the Israeli branch and developing the team there.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Ilana has a deadly peanut allergy and – before masks were an every-day thing – had/has to wear one on every flight, no matter the length.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Confidence and, especially as a women, being unafraid to speak up, unwilling to let others constantly interrupt you, and creating an atmosphere conducive to happy employees.