Bella Loykhter joined Prudential Securities in 1977 as a junior programmer, climbed the ranks and took on her current position in July 2000. Loykhter spoke recently with Senior Correspondent Randy Barrett about a project to redesign Prudentials financial services Web site, PruFN.com.
Do you ever believe vendor sales pitches?
I give very little credibility to them. Instead, I rely more on what my specific needs may be, the business environment and whether the vendor meets those specific requirements.
Whats the toughest part of pulling off a big e-commerce project such as PruFN.com?
The ability to balance time-to- market with stability and reliability.
Do you think your bosses understand the challenges you face in a project such as this?
I think the executives in the e-business development group at Prudential understand to some extent the technology challenges in successfully delivering a new interactive platform. Overall, they rely on me and trust my IT staff to do their jobs effectively.
Whats your favorite movie?
Silence of the Lambs.