As a leader on the ITS Finance team, Ilva's meticulous attention to detail is vital to ensuring the smooth financial operations of the entire department. Her work on optimizing the ITS Billing process helps departments throughout the college have a clear view of what they're spending on ITS services. And if you've procured a device lately with minimal hassle, it's likely due to hard work Ilva and her team have put into making the process as easy as possible.
In your own words, what is your role in ITS?
As a manager, I am responsible for leading the ITS finance team in support of the department’s financial objectives. The primary goal is to ensure the day-to-day procurement and financial operations of the department run effectively and efficiently and provide strategic direction and oversight of front-end ITS billing cycle work processes and outcomes.
What is your favorite part about your job?
There are many things I love about my job. I love the people I work with. I am truly honored to work with so many great minds and dedicated people who care about doing a good job. It’s hard to find an environment today where people care about honesty, hard work and integrity, and I am proud I get to experience that every day.
I am also excited about collaborating and working towards something big— a common goal. Every day at work is an opportunity to contribute to the team, and this is what makes my day. It brings satisfaction and inner peace knowing that I have done my best to improve something or create something great.
A few members of the ITS Admin team at the Holiday Party
How many years have you been with ITS? WCM?
I joined ITS in 2017, so it’s been about 6 years now. I had a 2-year-old back then and now Vivian is 8. How time flies…
What did you do before you joined ITS? What drew you here?
So, before joining WCM I was working as a Finance Manager for a health consulting business. I started as an intern and stayed for more than 10 years. Even though I was in the finance unit, I got to learn a lot about our clients, which were doctors, hospitals, ACOs. I was introduced to a new sector (healthcare) that I did not know much about, and it was very intriguing. I wanted to learn more, so I decided to enroll in a Healthcare Management MBA program. After my graduation, I was excited about seeking a more challenging opportunity and WCM is well known for its unmatched level of professionalism and growth opportunities. It was just the perfect fit.
That’s great. Where did you get your MBA?
College of Mount St. Vincent in the Bronx.
What are examples of projects or initiatives you've been working on to improve IT for the WCM community?
As part of the ITS Finance Team, we help department leaders to effectively assess operational and project spend against set goals. One of the successful initiatives we’ve set in place as a team is creating an effective process for providing month-end financial information to leadership, which ultimately leads to better business decision making - knowing where you stand with each divisional budget, and all departmental spending, at all times.
We continue to work on optimizing the ITS billing process by enhancing billing reports and creating more transparency for our WCM users.
The optimization of the ITS procurement process has been beneficial to users as we created an effective and streamlined process for staff to follow organically.
The procurement process has improved so much!
Thank you. It’s non-stop. Definitely an ongoing improvement, especially with the launch of Ariba, the new purchasing system. A lot of things have changed, but we’re moving in the right direction.
We’ve been at it a couple years now so it’s not so new, but what has your experience been like as we’ve adjusted to mostly remote work? Are you hybrid or mostly remote?
Remote 100%. I go to the office about once a month to meet in person with my team and have that connection. It’s been almost 3 years now since we started remote work. I was not a big fan at first. I like my face-to-face interactions with the team, but now it has proven to be an attractive and efficient way of doing business. It has empowered us to manage our own time, capitalize on our own peak periods of focus, and not feel stressed by commuting. The challenge I find is creating a distinct separation between work and personal life. And that is my constant challenge.
The ladies of ITS Finance
Where are you from?
I grew up in Albania. I came here at 17. I was a junior in high school when I came to the U.S. Then, you know, life happened. I went to college, work, met my husband here, had three kids here.
Wow – did you come by yourself or did your whole family come?
No, just myself. My sister was here, she’s one year older, so I joined her. I went to college here right after. Then, I invited my parents and brother, so my family is here now.
That’s very impressive. Did you know much English when you moved here?
No, not at all. I’d studied Italian and French but not English.
Doe Albanian as a language resemble English or is it different?
No, it’s so different. It’s not even close to Latin. Most of its similarities are to Slavic and Balkan languages. We have words from Turkish as well due to the Turkish occupation of that region more than 500 years ago, so a lot of words come from Turkish, and so does our cuisine.
Do you keep Albanian culture alive at home?
I try! My kids speak only English, but my parents and in-laws are here so I try to speak Albanian a lot around my kids to familiarize them with the language. They understand it but they don’t use it. I need to visit Albania more with them so they can grasp the culture.
What keeps you inspired and motivated?
Everyone around me adds value to my life, really.
My team - a group of strong women that inspire me everyday to become better at what I do.
My family. I have been blessed with a loving and supportive family. They always make my days full of life and inspire me to become a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, and daughter-in-law. They are very important in my life.
Our supportive leadership also has a great influence on my daily motivation. Getting that support drives me to do better everyday.
I think if you surround yourself with people that support and trust you, you will find yourself motivated to achieve whatever you want in life… but you must work hard.
Ilva with her family on the beach
Who are some women you admire and why?
They are many women I admire, especially all the amazing women I work with… but if I had to pick one person, it’s my mom. I admire her because she always puts the needs of others above hers. Even though she’s been a working mom like “forever” (since I can remember), she still works and she’s 65. My mom managed to raise three kids and always be there for us, even if it was not possible to be there physically at times. She immigrated to the US a few years ago and she was willing to sacrifice everything and start a new life just to be near her kids. She inspires me every day with her courage and her love of taking care of others. I hope and wish one day I will have a similar impact on my kids. She’s my role model.
I’m sure you’ll have the same impact on your kids. What does your Mom do?
She’s a babysitter. She doesn’t speak the language, she moved here seven years ago. But she wants to be near her kids. It’s tough at that age to start over.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love spending time with my family. My family gives me a lot of joy and purpose. I have three children, Eric 15, Danny 13, and Vivian 8, and a Shih tzu puppy, Cody, who keep me busy. There is almost never a quiet moment. We love to travel a lot! Our last vacation was in Aruba and now we are looking forward to visiting Europe this summer. With Covid, we have not been traveling as much but now we are catching up on lost time. Apart from traveling, I love hiking and spending time with friends.
Cody the shih-tzu puppy
Vivian and Cody