The Success of Scaling up OnVUE to meet the Challenges of the Pandemic: Q&A with Farzana Ashraf, SVP, Product & Technology

The Success of Scaling up OnVUE to meet the Challenges of the Pandemic: Q&A with Farzana Ashraf, SVP, Product & Technology


Farzana Ashraf, Senior Vice President of Product & Technology

Farzana Ashraf, Senior Vice President of Product & Technology

The exams we deliver at Pearson VUE have a direct and positive impact on communities around the globe, driving progress and helping our clients deliver on the promise of their industries. In this series, we’re taking a deeper look at the ways we make that happen, by speaking to people from around our business who are making a lasting impact in a particular area of assessments.

This time we’re speaking to Farzana Ashraf, Senior Vice President of Product & Technology. Based in the US, Farzana leads our global product and technology strategy, managing high-performing, specialist teams around the world. With responsibility for developing innovative products and services and driving transformational change, Farzana is passionate about supporting women in technology fields.

Q. Farzana, can you briefly describe your role within Pearson VUE?

I’m responsible for our product management, customer experience and technology teams at Pearson VUE. Together with my team, we design and develop technology-based services and manage the performance of those services in line with our business operations and strategy.

As an end-to-end testing services provider, every service we deliver to our customers (clients, candidates, test centers and internal teams) are powered by technology. It is therefore so important that we always live and breathe "digital.”

I lead our teams to ensure we continually focus on how to build the best possible solutions for our customers and ensure we provide a positive, frictionless, and industry best experience for all.

Q. Which area of technology within the global assessments industry most excites or inspires you?

Technology is one of the most exciting fields because it’s so fast paced – it pervades every area of our lives. The speed at which new technology comes to market, its availability to businesses and to consumers is always evolving. It is a non-stop learning experience for me personally.

Pearson VUE is revered as a leading provider of innovative service offerings around areas such as performance-based testing, artificial intelligence-based tools, and cloud-based solutions.

And to keep this competitive edge, we are always thinking about how technology can drive greater capabilities, reach, access, security, flexibility, reliability, and efficiencies.

We are focused on delivering on our organization’s growth objectives while at the same time exceeding our clients’ expectations. Being part of a global organization that is committed to investing in technology, embracing new innovations and is always adapting to a rapidly changing technology environments is truly exciting to be part of.

I lead our teams to ensure we continually focus on how to build the best possible solutions for our customers and ensure we provide a positive, frictionless, and industry best experience for all.

—Farzana Ashraf

Q. Briefly describe a typical day.

There is no such thing as a typical day! However, my day always starts off with spending time with my family at breakfast and getting everyone prepared for the day ahead.

Once I begin my work day, I start by reviewing any business-critical information like system updates, cyber security threats, service disruptions or any breaking industry news. I close the day by making sure I have answered every high-priority correspondence. In between I touch base with my direct reports and other team members multiple times a day for ongoing initiatives, commitments, and projects in addition to continuous discussions on investing in the right technology to provide the best possible testing solutions.

I might be meeting with customers to discuss our high-level strategic roadmap or address any specific request or concerns they may have; then I meet with various internal stakeholders and business partners (HR, Finance teams) making sure we are all aligned on business priorities.

Some days are mostly focused on strategic thinking, such as looking into some element of product design, the latest way to harden cyber security measures or innovative business applications solutions.

I then reserve some days for critical thinking, mentoring, or supporting my team. However, urgent business issues always take priority and I need to be flexible to adjust my day according to the business needs.

So, every day is full of actions and always varied.

When the workday ends, I like to spend time with my family discussing the day’s events and listening to what my children experienced or learned during the day. For me, it is very important to always try and keep a healthy work-life balance.

And to keep this competitive edge, we are always thinking about how technology can drive greater capabilities, reach, access, security, flexibility, reliability, and efficiencies.

—Farzana Ashraf

Q. Over the last couple of years, we’ve significantly scaled up our online proctored (OnVUE) offering. How was the business able to respond to changing customer needs (during the global pandemic) so quickly?

Before the pandemic we had a limited online proctoring service offering. Then the pandemic started, the operating environment changed rapidly, and we had to focus on accelerating our online proctoring service to make it a robust, enterprise-level service for our global clients. To do this, we significantly scaled up a much-needed service to a vast number of clients. To get all the various features ready, to get the right infrastructure in place to support it, and to recruit and train many proctors and greeters, required the whole organization to come together and work in a cohesive way.

This was our clear priority, and we all had the same mission in mind.

We applied our customer centric product development methodology to build a little, test a little, and fail fast. Because we had that experience in house and we knew how to be agile in the way we worked, I think that was one of the key reasons we were so successful in scaling up OnVUE so quickly. We had the necessary funding and support, yes that’s true, and we also had a clear product and service vision. We had dedicated, experienced, and knowledgeable teams working together around the clock with a purpose that made us successful.

Q. Your role oversees a wide range of specialist product and technology teams. How do you lead these teams to ensure we continue to deliver excellence for our clients?

The secret is to build high performing specialist teams with strong leaders. I am not the expert in all areas of product and technology. My job is to support our teams to be successful by creating the strategy and direction; how we want to grow and where we want to be in the future.

We understand our business inside out, and we communicate that vision clearly to all our people so that we get complete buy-in. We cannot just think about one product or one client, we must always be thinking about the whole technology ecosystem. This ecosystem concept helps people to understand our overarching strategy. All our leaders work in partnership looking for ways to improve our product and service offering.

We need to constantly be working on fostering a sense of community and collaboration. To nurture future women leaders, we need to support their needs in establishing what works best for their individual work/life balance – one size does not fit all. They also need to understand our company’s long-term vision and how their contribution, their role, plays a part in that, so they feel empowered to do their best work and stay with us.

—Farzana Ashraf

Q. What achievement on behalf of the business are you most proud of?

There are a couple. Firstly, scaling up OnVUE during the pandemic is one of them. It was a true collaboration and a concerted team effort right across our business. I’m so proud of how everyone came together to support that.

Secondly, product and technology teams have built an amazing culture with a can-do attitude. Everyone rolls up their sleeves and tackles whatever needs to be done. Our people, culture and our sense of community is what drives us to succeed every day.

Q. How can women best be supported to pursue leadership roles in technology?

The business case for women in leadership role is clear: research shows the relationship between women executives and financial outperformance is strong and strengthening over time.

Yet, women remain underrepresented in Tech in general and Tech leadership in particular. To attract more women to the Tech field and bring them to the executive level, it's critical to provide sponsorship and mentorship opportunities for women at all levels.

We need to constantly be working on fostering a sense of community and collaboration. To nurture future women leaders, we need to support their needs in establishing what works best for their individual work/life balance – one size does not fit all. They also need to understand our company’s long-term vision and how their contribution, their role, plays a part in that, so they feel empowered to do their best work and stay with us.

We must always be striving to develop the future woman technology leaders of tomorrow, giving them access to the right opportunities and ensuring they feel supported at all stages of their career. I’m glad that at Pearson, we are taking ownership of this area and raising awareness, but there is still a way to go across the whole industry. Promoting women leadership in tech is our collective responsibility. We all must work together to change the culture from the inside out.


About Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE has been a pioneer in the computer-based testing industry for decades, delivering more than 16 million certification and licensure exams annually in every industry from academia and admissions to IT and healthcare. We are the global leader in developing and delivering high-stakes exams via the world's most comprehensive network of nearly 20,000 highly secure test centers as well as online testing in over 180 countries. Our leadership in the assessment industry is a result of our collaborative partnerships with a broad range of clients, from leading technology firms to government and regulatory agencies. For more information, please visit PearsonVUE.com.

Media contact

Greg Forbes, Global PR & Communications Manager
+44 (0) 7824 313448
greg.forbes@pearson.com
Farzana Ashraf, Senior Vice President of Product & Technology

Farzana Ashraf, Senior Vice President of Product & Technology

The exams we deliver at Pearson VUE have a direct and positive impact on communities around the globe, driving progress and helping our clients deliver on the promise of their industries. In this series, we’re taking a deeper look at the ways we make that happen, by speaking to people from around our business who are making a lasting impact in a particular area of assessments.

This time we’re speaking to Farzana Ashraf, Senior Vice President of Product & Technology. Based in the US, Farzana leads our global product and technology strategy, managing high-performing, specialist teams around the world. With responsibility for developing innovative products and services and driving transformational change, Farzana is passionate about supporting women in technology fields.

Q. Farzana, can you briefly describe your role within Pearson VUE?

I’m responsible for our product management, customer experience and technology teams at Pearson VUE. Together with my team, we design and develop technology-based services and manage the performance of those services in line with our business operations and strategy.

As an end-to-end testing services provider, every service we deliver to our customers (clients, candidates, test centers and internal teams) are powered by technology. It is therefore so important that we always live and breathe "digital.”

I lead our teams to ensure we continually focus on how to build the best possible solutions for our customers and ensure we provide a positive, frictionless, and industry best experience for all.

Q. Which area of technology within the global assessments industry most excites or inspires you?

Technology is one of the most exciting fields because it’s so fast paced – it pervades every area of our lives. The speed at which new technology comes to market, its availability to businesses and to consumers is always evolving. It is a non-stop learning experience for me personally.

Pearson VUE is revered as a leading provider of innovative service offerings around areas such as performance-based testing, artificial intelligence-based tools, and cloud-based solutions.

And to keep this competitive edge, we are always thinking about how technology can drive greater capabilities, reach, access, security, flexibility, reliability, and efficiencies.

We are focused on delivering on our organization’s growth objectives while at the same time exceeding our clients’ expectations. Being part of a global organization that is committed to investing in technology, embracing new innovations and is always adapting to a rapidly changing technology environments is truly exciting to be part of.

I lead our teams to ensure we continually focus on how to build the best possible solutions for our customers and ensure we provide a positive, frictionless, and industry best experience for all.

—Farzana Ashraf

Q. Briefly describe a typical day.

There is no such thing as a typical day! However, my day always starts off with spending time with my family at breakfast and getting everyone prepared for the day ahead.

Once I begin my work day, I start by reviewing any business-critical information like system updates, cyber security threats, service disruptions or any breaking industry news. I close the day by making sure I have answered every high-priority correspondence. In between I touch base with my direct reports and other team members multiple times a day for ongoing initiatives, commitments, and projects in addition to continuous discussions on investing in the right technology to provide the best possible testing solutions.

I might be meeting with customers to discuss our high-level strategic roadmap or address any specific request or concerns they may have; then I meet with various internal stakeholders and business partners (HR, Finance teams) making sure we are all aligned on business priorities.

Some days are mostly focused on strategic thinking, such as looking into some element of product design, the latest way to harden cyber security measures or innovative business applications solutions.

I then reserve some days for critical thinking, mentoring, or supporting my team. However, urgent business issues always take priority and I need to be flexible to adjust my day according to the business needs.

So, every day is full of actions and always varied.

When the workday ends, I like to spend time with my family discussing the day’s events and listening to what my children experienced or learned during the day. For me, it is very important to always try and keep a healthy work-life balance.

And to keep this competitive edge, we are always thinking about how technology can drive greater capabilities, reach, access, security, flexibility, reliability, and efficiencies.

—Farzana Ashraf

Q. Over the last couple of years, we’ve significantly scaled up our online proctored (OnVUE) offering. How was the business able to respond to changing customer needs (during the global pandemic) so quickly?

Before the pandemic we had a limited online proctoring service offering. Then the pandemic started, the operating environment changed rapidly, and we had to focus on accelerating our online proctoring service to make it a robust, enterprise-level service for our global clients. To do this, we significantly scaled up a much-needed service to a vast number of clients. To get all the various features ready, to get the right infrastructure in place to support it, and to recruit and train many proctors and greeters, required the whole organization to come together and work in a cohesive way.

This was our clear priority, and we all had the same mission in mind.

We applied our customer centric product development methodology to build a little, test a little, and fail fast. Because we had that experience in house and we knew how to be agile in the way we worked, I think that was one of the key reasons we were so successful in scaling up OnVUE so quickly. We had the necessary funding and support, yes that’s true, and we also had a clear product and service vision. We had dedicated, experienced, and knowledgeable teams working together around the clock with a purpose that made us successful.

Q. Your role oversees a wide range of specialist product and technology teams. How do you lead these teams to ensure we continue to deliver excellence for our clients?

The secret is to build high performing specialist teams with strong leaders. I am not the expert in all areas of product and technology. My job is to support our teams to be successful by creating the strategy and direction; how we want to grow and where we want to be in the future.

We understand our business inside out, and we communicate that vision clearly to all our people so that we get complete buy-in. We cannot just think about one product or one client, we must always be thinking about the whole technology ecosystem. This ecosystem concept helps people to understand our overarching strategy. All our leaders work in partnership looking for ways to improve our product and service offering.

We need to constantly be working on fostering a sense of community and collaboration. To nurture future women leaders, we need to support their needs in establishing what works best for their individual work/life balance – one size does not fit all. They also need to understand our company’s long-term vision and how their contribution, their role, plays a part in that, so they feel empowered to do their best work and stay with us.

—Farzana Ashraf

Q. What achievement on behalf of the business are you most proud of?

There are a couple. Firstly, scaling up OnVUE during the pandemic is one of them. It was a true collaboration and a concerted team effort right across our business. I’m so proud of how everyone came together to support that.

Secondly, product and technology teams have built an amazing culture with a can-do attitude. Everyone rolls up their sleeves and tackles whatever needs to be done. Our people, culture and our sense of community is what drives us to succeed every day.

Q. How can women best be supported to pursue leadership roles in technology?

The business case for women in leadership role is clear: research shows the relationship between women executives and financial outperformance is strong and strengthening over time.

Yet, women remain underrepresented in Tech in general and Tech leadership in particular. To attract more women to the Tech field and bring them to the executive level, it's critical to provide sponsorship and mentorship opportunities for women at all levels.

We need to constantly be working on fostering a sense of community and collaboration. To nurture future women leaders, we need to support their needs in establishing what works best for their individual work/life balance – one size does not fit all. They also need to understand our company’s long-term vision and how their contribution, their role, plays a part in that, so they feel empowered to do their best work and stay with us.

We must always be striving to develop the future woman technology leaders of tomorrow, giving them access to the right opportunities and ensuring they feel supported at all stages of their career. I’m glad that at Pearson, we are taking ownership of this area and raising awareness, but there is still a way to go across the whole industry. Promoting women leadership in tech is our collective responsibility. We all must work together to change the culture from the inside out.