Austin is a little like the tech city that Goldilocks never tried, but it’s just right.
The cost of living in Austin is 2 percent lower than the national average, according to Payscale. The tepid weather and no state income tax are part of the reasons why the city has become a tech hub.
Austin also fits many people’s “perfect bowl of porridge,” with a large remote work culture amongst tech companies. The New York Times noted that more people work remotely in Austin than anywhere else in the United States.
There is one secret ingredient in a workplace that is “just right” beyond a flexible schedule — management.
Research from Gallup and Workhuman found that setting up workplace policies around remote work isn’t actually the main way to get the benefits of remote work to employees. The research, compiled from a survey of 4,439 U.S. employees, notes that the employee experience is more influenced by good management than work policies alone. “Leaders and managers can cultivate a thriving workforce by aligning their support for employees with their remote work strategies,” the study notes.
So Built In Austin found two tech leaders that are bringing their best management tactics to new roles.
Q2 builds the leading mobile banking software platform serving credit unions, banks (large and small), community banks and financial institutions.
An internal win: Q2 announced the appointment of Jonathan A. Price as the new chief financial officer in November 2024. Price was an internal promotion, previously holding the role of EVO of strategy and emerging businesses. A press release of the announcement notes that Price oversaw Q2’s corporate development strategy and emerging businesses operations. Price brings nearly 20 years of experience in corporate finance, leadership and investment banking.
CEO-backed: “Jonathan’s contributions to Q2 over the past six years have been critical to our strategy and success and he is ideally suited to help guide Q2 as CFO in its next phase of growth,” said Q2 CEO Matt Flake in the press release announcing Price’s promotion. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with Jonathan to leverage his corporate finance background, operational experience and strategic mindset as we continue to execute against our profitable growth plan and drive long-term shareholder value.”
Future-focused: “I’m extremely honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead such a critical function for Q2,” said Price in the press release. “During my time at Q2, I have been privileged to work with incredibly talented, passionate and driven teams across the company. I look forward to helping shape the next phase of our growth and capitalizing on the tremendous opportunities ahead of us.”
Acrisure Innovation builds innovative AI software to disrupt the insurance industry.
Tell us about yourself. Why were you brought on to lead this team?
I’ve built my career at the intersection of technology, security and leadership. At Indeed, I was brought on to address critical gaps in security and compliance during the company’s journey to achieve system and organization controls type 2 compliance and implement the 20 critical security controls published by the Center for Internet Security. In this role, I formed two teams from scratch and built security products which increased the security posture of Indeed.
Prior to this, at PayPal, I led globally distributed teams managing high-volume, low-latency applications critical for user logins and transaction processing, servicing billions of calls monthly. I also managed PayPal’s PKI operations, delivering cryptographic services for secure password management and encryption at scale.
I was brought on to lead this team because of my proven track record of building and scaling high-performing teams which deliver impactful solutions, developing technical roadmaps and aligning them with organizational goals. My approach centers on understanding the unique challenges faced by customers and translating those into actionable, technical roadmaps that meet both immediate and long-term goals of the organization.
How would you describe your approach to leadership, and how do you plan on building team culture?
When it comes to building team culture, I focus on fostering collaboration, inclusivity and alignment with shared values.
Here’s how I approach it: First, set the tone early. For new teams, I work with members to define our shared mission, values, and ways of working. Second, lead by example. I model behaviors I want to see in the team, like openness to feedback, transparency in communication and resilience in problem-solving. Third, celebrate wins and learn from challenges. I make it a point to celebrate successes — big and small — and frame challenges as opportunities for learning, reinforcing a growth mindset.
Ultimately, I aim to create a culture where people feel valued, motivated and aligned with the team’s mission, knowing that their contributions make a meaningful impact.
Banoth’s Leadership Principles
My leadership approach is rooted in three core principles: clarity, empowerment and continuous growth.
- Clarity: I prioritize establishing clear goals and expectations, ensuring the team understands how their work aligns with broader organizational objectives.
- Empowerment: I believe in empowering team members by giving them ownership of their work while providing the support and resources they need to succeed. I focus on creating a psychologically safe environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks and learning from failures.
- Continuous growth: I’m deeply committed to the professional development of my team.
What initiative are you most excited to tackle, and what impact will it have?
One initiative I’m most excited to tackle at Acrisure Innovation is enhancing the scalability and flexibility of our digital insurance platforms. As the demand for personalized and seamless digital experiences grows, there’s a tremendous opportunity to develop platforms that can quickly adapt to customer needs and market changes.
I’m particularly interested in creating systems that can support real-time decision-making and product customization, building capabilities which deliver tailored insurance options dynamically.
The impact will be transformative through customer empowerment and market agility. By providing intuitive and personalized solutions, we’ll make it easier for customers to find, understand and manage their insurance products, enhancing overall satisfaction. Also, a flexible platform enables Acrisure to rapidly deploy new features and respond to changing industry trends, keeping us ahead in the competitive insurance tech landscape.
I’m excited about combining cutting-edge technology with customer-centric innovation to create platforms that not only meet today’s needs but are also poised for future growth.
