From Startup to Scale-Up: Leadership & Branding with Ilya

Introducing a new client insights interview presented by Adam Aktar, designed to spotlight influential voices shaping the world of data, leadership, and tech innovation.

Each Interview brings you closer to thought leaders, pioneers, and independent consultants as they share their stories, philosophies, and practical insights for navigating tech, business, and personal branding in a fast-changing landscape.

In this engaging interview, Adam sits down with Ilya Vladimirskiy, a charismatic Berlin-based data SME and fractional leader, whose career journey spans continents and decades. Starting with applied mathematics in Moscow and moving on to a rich career across German startups and scale-ups, Ilya has emerged as a genuine authority in building successful data teams and guiding companies through crucial growth phases.

Their conversation explores Ilya’s core belief in the power of people over tools. He unpacks his leadership style, details a people-first culture, and highlights the value of authentic, servant leadership even in the face of today’s business pressures. Through anecdotes from startups and large organisations alike, Ilya reveals how adaptability, a focus on results, and supporting diverse, cross-functional teams drive both productivity and success.

The episode delves into the business essentials of diversity, servant leadership, and why companies must resist the urge to deprioritise these values even in challenging climates. They tackle the hype behind trending tech tools, debating whether overuse and overhype are results of marketing or leadership missteps, while offering honest guidance on making technology choices that truly serve business goals.

Strategy, Ilya shares his personal journey into freelancing and the mindset shift needed to thrive as a fractional leader. He opens about building a personal brand, the balance of humour and authority on LinkedIn, and leveraging networks for business development in the tech sector.

Finally, the conversation turns to the real-world impact (and limitations) of AI in fields like healthcare and recruitment. Ilya shares thoughtful reflections on how AI is transforming work, the ethical and regulatory challenges faced by tech and healthcare leaders, and what the future may hold.

If you’re looking to scale high-performing data teams, attract tech leaders like Ilya, or navigate change with confidence, this episode is packed with practical wisdom.

Alternatively, if you’re building or scaling data teams and want access to experts, we can help.

At iO, we connect ambitious organisations with high-impact tech consultants, fractional leaders, and hard-to-find data specialists.

Discover how our tailored solutions help tech teams scale smarter and deliver faster. Explore our client services and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, insights, and industry trends.

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