Meet Bhakti
Discover how Bhakti is helping to drive engineering transformation at Vanquis, enabling innovation, developing talent, and delivering better outcomes for customers.
Your story
Tell us about yourself and what you do at Vanquis, without using your job title.
Hello, I’m Bhakti Chavan. I support Engineering by leading a skilled and talented team. We specialise in:
- Solution architecture
- Platform specialists
- Application support
- Technical delivery
- Partner management
- Audit
- Risk
- Compliance
- Financing and budgeting for solution engineering
What attracted you to Vanquis, and why did you decide to join?
Before joining Vanquis, I was working at a Tier 1 bank and considering what I wanted from my next move. I wanted a role where I could stretch myself, take on meaningful challenges, and make a real difference for both customers and colleagues. I also wanted to stay within a regulated industry.
Vanquis felt like the right place to do that – it offered the opportunity, challenge and scale I was looking for.
The next chapter
What was happening at Vanquis when you joined, and what excited you about being part of it?
When I joined Vanquis, the business was beginning a major transformation, and that genuinely excited me. I saw a real opportunity to bring my product and technical experience, along with my background in leading change, to help shape what came next.
I loved the idea of being close to the detail, rolling up my sleeves, and working alongside senior stakeholders across the organisation. For me, it felt like a chance to make a meaningful difference while continuing to learn, grow, and build my own personal brand.
What does ‘The next chapter starts with you’ mean to you personally?
To me, ‘The next chapter starts with you’ means having the opportunity to help shape the future. It means being trusted and empowered to do work I care deeply about, while bringing my team and those around me along the journey.
For me, that journey means making a difference in customers’ lives. It should be structured, predictable and supported by strong governance. This is essential in a regulated industry.
We have a moral responsibility to our customers, and I take that seriously. It also lets me bring my vision for the function to life – both in strategy and by developing our people.
Ownership and impact
Tell us about a change, improvement or idea you’ve helped bring to life.
My role blends strategy with staying close to the team when they need day-to-day support. One example is helping Engineering scale to deliver every two weeks. This way, we can meet the rising business demand and market commitments.
I’ve also focused on improving processes and governance. This ensures Engineering is involved early in business requests instead of being an afterthought. This includes adding stage gates to create a more predictable, risk-aware path to live.
It also supports development and succession planning across my function and ensures that delivery leadership builds skills for team upskilling.
How does your work make a difference to customers, colleagues or the wider business?
My team and I design digital experiences that help customers connect with the bank. We also create tools for our Operations colleagues to support customers through the call centre.
It’s rewarding to know that our work plays a part in important moments for customers, from onboarding and complaint servicing to fraud prevention and financial crime protection.
Problem solving
What’s one challenge your team has solved that you’re particularly proud of?
There are plenty of examples, but two really stand out for me. Technically, I’m proud of how the team came together to implement a new financial data model in Salesforce. They worked across multiple teams, Salesforce orgs, MuleSoft and Data.
It was a huge collective effort. Seeing it go live successfully with no post-deployment issues was a real highlight. I’m also proud of how we supported the business through weekly releases to improve customer conversion.
It was an intense few months, but it showed the team’s commitment, resilience and focus on what’s right for our customers and the business.
What’s a complex problem you’re tackling today that candidates might find exciting?
Automation can sometimes be taken for granted. But scaling it sustainably during a complex technical transformation is a real challenge. We’re implementing Copado to support test and DevOps automation, which my team and I are genuinely excited about.
It will help us move faster, reduce manual effort and lower the risk of human error. With multiple value streams competing to go live at the same time, the risk of mistakes increases. This is where automation will be key to our success.
Building what's next
Which piece of work will have the biggest impact over the next few years?
By the end of 2026, we expect to complete our transformation and move into a more business-as-usual rhythm from next year. The biggest impact will come from operating at scale sustainably. This lets us deliver value to customers quickly and with regularity.
What excites you most about the future of your area?
Technology is constantly evolving, so there’s always something new to learn, improve, and build on. What excites me most is maturing the function and embedding stable, effective ways of working until they become second nature.
Because my function is both broad and deep, there are many opportunities to improve. Ultimately, my goal is to be a trusted partner for business stakeholders, helping them achieve meaningful business outcomes.
Technology and innovation
What’s one misconception people might have about Technology and Change at Vanquis
One misconception is that technology and engineering are boring, or that women cannot thrive in tech. My career has shown me the opposite. I began as a software engineer. Then, I moved into architecture, business analysis, and product management. But Engineering has always felt like my natural home.
Joining Vanquis felt like coming back to where I belonged – working with engineers and specialists, shaping what we build together, constantly learning, experimenting, and staying challenged.
Growth and development
How have you grown professionally since joining Vanquis?
I joined as a lead engineering product owner, managing a team of technical product owners. Over time, my role grew to include leading Scrum Masters, and around 18 months ago, I became the head of function, overseeing all the capabilities I mentioned.
It’s been a rewarding but steep learning curve, both professionally and personally. In 4 years, I’ve grown from leading a team of 5 to leading a team of 42.
While I hadn’t led some areas of my role before, I’ve always embraced challenges and focused on making a meaningful difference.
What advice would you give to someone looking to grow their career in your field?
A colleague at Vanquis often tells me to believe in myself, recognise what I bring, and be brave enough to pursue the opportunities I want. I would share the same advice with others: trust yourself, stay curious and never be afraid to ask ‘why’. Your fresh perspective can be incredibly valuable.
When things do not go to plan, take the learning, get back up and keep going – those moments often help you grow the most. And as you progress, stay humble and grounded.
Remember, that someone once believed in you and offered a helping hand, so make sure you do the same for colleagues who need support along the way.
Culture and belonging
What has surprised you most about the culture here?
What has surprised me most is how much people genuinely care. I’ve seen colleagues support one another through challenges and stay focused on doing the right thing as an organisation. This says a lot about the culture here.
Even when things are difficult, we find a way through together because we’re resilient. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the balance I’ve been able to find as an ambitious working mum.
Whether it’s managing school runs or attending my child’s performances, I feel trusted to balance those commitments without guilt, as long as I continue to deliver.
How would you describe your team in 3 words?
Caring. Competent. Resilient.
Looking ahead
If we spoke again in 2 years, what would you hope to have achieved?
In 2 years, I hope to see the key challenges within my function resolved and the team set up for sustained success. From there, I’d love to take on the next opportunity within the organisation, one where I can continue to use my skills, make a meaningful contribution, and keep learning and growing.
Final word
What’s the one thing you’d want candidates to know before applying?
This role is for you if you want to contribute, lead and grow both personally and professionally. It suits people who bring energy, stay calm under pressure, share the highs and challenges with colleagues, and take pride in what they achieve for themselves, their team and the organisation.
If you have that fire in your belly and a desire to keep developing, I encourage you to apply. We can invest in technical skills, but the right attitude, values and cultural fit matter just as much.