Ilika Mohan has gone above and beyond as a Senior Technical Systems Analyst, taking on new roles, stepping up to more responsibility and using her creativity to solve problems for clients. But she believes the true inspiration for her potential comes from her senior advisor and mentor. She had the desire to do more but Ilika says, “if I didn’t have that support from my leadership team, I wouldn’t have been able to grow as much as I have.”
This support was essential in accomplishing what she considers her biggest contribution to RBC so far: taking ownership of the end-to-end delivery of a new product, integrating DoorDash with more than eight RBC teams. That product is DashPass, which works with DoorDash to provide subscribers with free food delivery for six to twelve months along with savings and exclusive deals. This program has already helped over five million Canadians. And she led her team to accomplish all of this in just two months.
For Ilika, working on client-facing apps within the linked loyalty platform is the most exciting part of her job. She sees this as how she can help set RBC apart from other banks. “I employ my creativity and imagination when I solve business problems in the loyalty portfolio. I love that we can ensure our clients get added benefits by banking with RBC,” says Ilika.
Typically, the business will come up with the idea, like integrating with DoorDash. Then, Ilika’s team “irons out the requirements” and figures out if that idea is technically feasible. “We ask ourselves: What would be the best client experience?” says Ilika. “We think about the client's journey and we move forward from there.”
She describes being a Senior Technical Systems Analyst as “a shapeshifter role within a development team.” She has worked as a Development Operations Lead, a Development Lead and a Project Integrator. “This helps me empathize with my colleagues at a greater level,” she says, “because I’ve been in those shoes.”
In developing DashPass, Ilika took on the role of Development Lead, which is more senior and carries greater responsibility than her current role. She credits her Senior Director for taking a risk and giving her that opportunity. “He put his name on the line to let me take over and deliver that,” she says. “He knew I could do it.”
Experiencing that level of support and confidence from leadership, makes Ilika feel she can bring her whole authentic self to work at RBC. And her team has become an incredibly important part of her life. “My entire team attended my wedding a couple of years ago,” she says. “They are my work-family and it only made sense for them to be a part of it.”
