Flavia Alzetta has held leadership roles across finance, tech and the boardroom. Now Chief Business Officer at Soldo, a London‑headquartered fintech and spend‑management platform, she’s turning her attention to something bigger than scaling products or managing teams: making space for more women at the top. Entrepreneur UK finds out more…..

What’s one thing you wish more women knew before starting a business in tech?
That they absolutely can. Starting a business in tech isn’t something women need to second-guess or overanalyse more than anyone else. Whilst tech is still a male dominated industry, that should never be a barrier to ambition. Women are proving that it’s possible to thrive at the top of major global tech companies — Catz of Oracle, Lisa Su of AMD and Gina Rometty, former CEO of IBM. The opportunity is there and it’s time more women backed themselves to take it.

What’s one decision that most moved the needle for your company’s growth?
One of the most impactful decisions for Soldo’s growth was to develop an integrated spend management platform with financial services embedded. The platform was designed to have flexibility and control at its core. Spend management can’t be one-size-fits-all, it has to work for companies with very different needs and structures. By embedding payments directly into our platform and offering modularity, we enabled businesses to tailor their spend control and automation, while staying compliant. No need for business to talk with banks to get and manage the payment capabilities they want and need: we offer the full integrated solution.

Related: A Woman’s Woman

What’s one assumption about leadership in tech you’ve found to be completely wrong?
That leadership is shaped only in boardrooms and corporate environments. I personally gained my most transformative leadership lessons outside the traditional business environment. My PhD in Leadership was gained sailing across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and practicing high altitude mountaineering. When you’re facing unpredictable weather and high stakes, you learn the importance of keeping clear headed, individual accountability and effective teamwork. Full trust in your crew or team isn’t optional, it’s essential. That experience shaped how I lead in tech today, not just by setting strategy but by understanding how people respond to pressure and how to foster ways of working that allows the teams to thrive.

How are you actively creating opportunities for the next generation of women in tech?
I believe mentorship is one of the most powerful tools we have to accelerate change, and one which I am greatly invested in. True leadership means lifting others as you rise and using your own experiences and knowledge to empower, especially when it comes to championing diversity.

While some progress has been made in the traditionally male-dominated technology industry, structural barriers remain. Both industry and peer support are needed to overcome them. Building inclusive teams isn’t just a corporate checkbox, it’s a business imperative that leads to stronger collaboration and more innovative outcomes.

Related: Meet the Women Innovators Changing the World with Tech