The pace of change is accelerating, with innovations and disruptions reshaping industries faster than ever. Leaders must not only anticipate these changes but also develop strategies to thrive in this evolving landscape. How are forward-thinking leaders preparing for the technologies and challenges of tomorrow? What strategies are they putting in place today to ensure success in the future? As part of this series, we are interviewing Irina Kovach.
Irina Kovach is the Global Chief Product Officer at First Advantage. In her role, she leads the First Advantage product organization by overseeing the Company’s product strategy from product vision to execution.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I have been with First Advantage for three years, but I’m not new to the product discipline. I have over 20 years of both B2B and B2C product experience from multiple industries. I have scaled and run product organizations of every imaginable size and have delivered product solutions within every imaginable technology framework — from waterfall to agile to extreme agile. I am passionate about driving product strategy and roadmaps in matrix environments and ensuring product teams under my management constantly drive innovation and re-shape the product experience.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I learned very early in my career that this discipline should not affect you personally. Learning how to be agile allowed me to avoid having personal attachments to products and to have the grit to pivot when necessary. One time, while working within a regulated industry, my team was 3–4 months into a project and ready to launch when a law changed, and the product went away. This story heightens the importance for those within product management to prepare for unusual events but then reuse the same foundational product pieces for future solutions and launches.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
First Advantage is a leading provider of global software and data in the HR technology industry. Enabled by our proprietary technology and AI, our platforms, data, and APIs power comprehensive employment background screening, digital identity solutions, and verification services.
We recognize that size and scale matter, and with 190 million annual screens and high-volume, robust engines, it is at the core of our operations. We operate globally, in over 200 countries and territories, modernizing hiring and onboarding on a global scale. Our proprietary databases of over 900 million records help power best-in-breed solutions, which is reflected in our 96% customer average gross retention rate. In a large and growing total addressable market of $24B+ for background screening and digital identity solutions, First Advantage is positioned to not only continue serving effectively, but to perform well against our competition.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I will say the “three Cs” — collaboration/communication, clarity, and consistency. Throughout my career, I have always seen the importance of collaborating with different business groups and seeking alignment on common goals. Fostering cross-functional collaboration leads to clear lines of communication and executing on business opportunities. And with a consistent approach to execution, your team builds credibility throughout the organization and the market you’re serving. It is important to remember that product is a discipline, and our teams must have a servant mindset as we essentially hold the organization together internally and with customers.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. What emerging technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on your industry in the next five years, and how are you preparing for them?
One of the hottest topics in the industry right now is digital identity fraud — and it is a problem we are seeing globally. According to Gartner, it is predicted that by 2028, one in four job candidates could be fraudulent. Looking at this data, how can companies help protect themselves from this potential identity fraud? We saw the identity fraud trend emerge in international markets first and knew it was just a matter of time before it came to the US. There was a tremendous opportunity for us right away — after all, we see large volumes of the working population. That’s when we set out to launch a comprehensive digital identity fraud solution utilizing proprietary data and AI technology to address the identity fraud issue.
Our solution is simple for candidates to use. It involves collecting candidate data, including a “selfie” photo which is compared to a government issued photo-ID using facial recognition software. It is 100% digital, and results are instantaneous and discreet. The “magic” happens behind the scenes where a multi-layer approach leverages trusted data sources and intelligence and triangulates findings against AI/ML technology looking for fraudulent patterns, AI deepfakes and inconsistences within a particular identity profile. The solution is available as an add-on but distinct from our background screening products. Best of all, it can be offered throughout the employment cycle.
And let me tell you, I think an identity fraud genie got out of the bottle in early 2025. It is rare that customer meetings happen today without this topic coming up, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that we feel as though we are light years ahead of our competition and are enjoying an early entrant advantage with this product in the HR tech space.
How do you balance the need for rapid innovation with the risk of potential disruptions in your organization?
This is a great question, because how do you continuously innovate to save your organization from falling behind, but without risk? To balance the need for rapid innovation with the risk of potential disruptions, we leverage an agile framework that emphasizes proof of concepts (POCs). We are fortunate to have an innovation lab dedicated to continuously testing and utilizing new technologies. This allows us to explore cutting-edge solutions while maintaining a fine balance between being first to market and preserving quality, value, and speed. This approach is also constantly measured with a KPI-driven strategy, ensuring that innovation aligns with organizational goals while minimizing risk.
Can you share an example of a strategy you’ve implemented to future-proof your business against upcoming technological changes?
Our long-term strategy is focused on executing a clear plan to drive profitable growth through four key initiatives.
First, we aim to continue to integrate Sterling post-acquisition to unlock cross-sell opportunities, enhance the customer experience, and deliver best-in-class solutions, while capturing synergies and driving retention.
Second, we are pursuing growth through a targeted go-to-market strategy by increasing our presence in key verticals and geographies, expanding our solution offerings, and deepening customer engagement.
Third, we are advancing our product strategy and customer experience by scaling our offerings, enriching vertical product portfolios, improving turnaround times, and transforming the customer and candidate journey through innovation.
Lastly, we are investing in technology and AI innovation, leveraging proprietary software and data to create unique, modular AI and machine learning solutions that address evolving customer needs.
What skills or mindsets do you believe are essential for leaders to thrive in a time of rapid technological advancement?
It is essential for Product Leaders to cultivate a mindset of natural curiosity by staying up to date with megatrends, market research, and customer needs. When listening to customers, we must constantly ask “what are the desired outcomes?” and “how could we solve for them”. Leaders must also adopt a consistent, measured, and iterative approach for managing their product portfolios, act decisively when opportunities arise, and remain agile.
What are your “Five Things You Need to Prepare For The Disruptive Future”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.
1 . Recognizing “mega trends” — at First Advantage, recognizing the increased risk of identity fraud allowed us to double-down on our digital identity solution and make it available by bundling into our existing products.
2 . Understanding the role of AI in reshaping customer experience — we understand the need for quality solutions, but also the importance of how fast they are and how they drive value to customers. For example, we added an AI support agent to assist with simple queries during the candidate data collection process. The results were beyond expectations. Not only did we improve candidate data quality, but we also saw a 20% reduction in outreach to customer care, ultimately allowing for a 50% reduction in care center headcount.
3 . . Product teams being comfortable using AI in a responsible way — this is important for teams to address internally. If you are using AI responsibly for internal purposes, it will reflect in how you are implementing your technologies to better serve customers. In our Innovation Lab, which I mentioned earlier, our expert team of product managers and engineers are creating POCs with new technologies and GenAI.
4 . Knowing data is king and data is the future — a lot of First Advantage’s success comes from our large proprietary databases of 900M+ records that set us apart from competition.
5 . Using AI-enabled/machine learning software — data is king, yes, but databases alone aren’t enough. That is why we chose to combine our proprietary data with powerful proprietary AI/Machine learning driven algorithms and together, they fuel our company’s core product offerings and innovations.
How do you develop a culture within your team that is both adaptable and resilient in the face of fast-paced innovation?
As I stated earlier, true product leaders are curious, consistent, and persistent. I foster a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement, where my team can successfully launch new product solutions and enhance the core product solutions. We challenge one another while being comfortable with new emerging technologies. Product management is like a tree that requires ongoing nourishment for growth. Preserving that thirst for knowledge is critical for shaping future product strategies and roadmaps.
How do you ensure that ethical considerations and social impact remain a priority as you navigate rapid advancements in technology?
Of course this is a priority of ours and these are critical aspects to the work we do in the HR tech space. We have a governance framework in place on how we approach new technologies to make sure we are using each responsibly. Even with this detailed framework in place, it is important to note that it does not disrupt our ability to innovate.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I have a true passion for mentorship. Recently, I have stepped into the role of Executive Sponsor for First Advantage’s “Women @ FA” group. My hopes for the group and its impact on our organization are to create a supportive community and a workplace culture where women can share their experiences with other employees and feel valued, heard, and empowered to achieve their full potential. I am dedicated to inspiring a sense of community and empowerment and looking forward to my leadership role within this group to help us cultivate a supportive and innovative environment for our women employees and allies.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The best place to find me is on LinkedIn!
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
This originally appeared on Authority Magazine: https://medium.com/authority-magazine/the-future-is-faster-than-you-think-irina-kovach-of-first-advantage-on-how-leaders-are-preparing-48df84f5ac09
