Infobip is a global leader in omnichannel engagement, powering a broad range of messaging channels, tools, and solutions for advanced customer engagement, authentication and security. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Infobip CFO Richard Kraska to learn more about the company.
Richard Kraska’s Background
Kraska leads Infobip’s finance team as the company enters a new phase of ambitious profitable growth and cements its position as the leading full-stack omnichannel communications platform for every platform. And Kraska is a seasoned finance professional who has previously held CFO roles at several fast-growth software businesses. Kraska joins from RealPage, a real estate software platform with a market-leading position in the $250 billion rental market, where he was CFO. Before that, Kraska was CFO of the IT business Rocket Software, where he led significant transformations within the finance function to drive overall business growth. Prior roles include leadership positions at memory company Western Digital in Silicon Valley and 16 years at GE. Kraska said:
“I grew up in Connecticut and, after school, went to work for PepsiCo to get my first experience working in Corporations. As I was studying for my MBA, I met some GE people and was offered a job. I spent many years at GE in Finance, working in multiple businesses, and learned many disciplines that help me today. After leaving GE, I have worked in technology companies, with most being PE-backed, founder-led companies where I leverage what I learned to help these companies scale and grow into their next chapter.”
Primary Responsibilities
What are your primary responsibilities at Infobip? Kraska shared:
“I am the CFO, so my primary responsibilities are twofold. First, run the finance function and ensure we have a high-performing team. Second, be a key leadership team member to help run the business and make key decisions.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Kraska reflected:
“My favorite memory so far was the first month here. The company has a great culture, people are welcoming and open to learning. They see the potential of the company and understand they need to learn how to operate more efficiently at scale.”
Thoughts On The Economy
Has the current macroeconomic climate affected your company? Kraska acknowledged:
“The current macroeconomic has affected everyone, and we are not immune. We have had to be more cautious in our planning as the environment is harder to predict. We are still investing in growth but need to be more selective. We are also very focused on productivity, improving our processes to do more with less.”
Evolution Of Infobip’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Kraska noted:
“The company has gone from a two-person garage to a 3,200-person company. The technology has grown incredibly fast and has become much more effective in accomplishing our customers’ goals. Innovation is at the core of the company, and we continue to get accolades as a technology leader.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of Infobip’s most significant milestones? Kraska cited:
“The company is 15 years old and has had multiple leaps in growth. Started out of a garage in Croatia and was mostly local. Over the first ten years, it grew a core team traveling all over the world, creating a very international business. During this time, the company took no external capital and grew organically. During the last five years, the company has taken external capital, raised debt, and bought multiple companies, driving exponential growth and influence in the market.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Kraska about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“Our first priority is the customer and where they are on their journey. We have some customers that are scaling rapidly, and we help them achieve their goals more efficiently with our large global network, they can expand outside their domestic market. We have other customers who are just starting and need our technical expertise to enable them to achieve their goals.”
Competition
In your opinion, what makes Infobip different from the competition? Kraska affirmed:
“There are a few things that define us relative to our competitors. First, we have leading technology driven by the founders’ leadership in the space. They have built a technology powerhouse that has a great team of engineers. Second, we are a very global company with a presence almost everywhere. It adds a level of complexity that is difficult to replicate, and Infobip has a history of managing this complexity successfully.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of your future company goals? Kraska concluded:
“The company wants to continue to grow and serve its customers. We are continually trying to challenge ourselves and keep ahead of the technology curve. As part of our growth, we will likely do an IPO at some point in the US markets, which will enable us to continue our growth path.”
