Why I operate at 60% certainty: How Cat Rüst transforms chaos into billion-dollar growth

With a career spanning chemical manufacturing to tech innovation, Cat Rüst brings a unique perspective to revenue leadership. From managing 400+ staff in China to bringing $2 billion in net new money to UBS , she's built her reputation on one principle: empower your team and get out of their way. As a serial entrepreneur who's founded eight companies and now shapes the future of tech organizations, she shares insights on why staying in one company too long is problematic, how to build trust by admitting mistakes quickly, and why the best ideas often come from four little old ladies with a plan.

From graduate trainee to China's entrepreneurial frontier

What sparked your leap from the safety of a chemical industry graduate program to the chaos of Chinese startups?

I realized after two years that they weren't looking at me - they were looking at a person in a role. When a position opened that I was qualified for based on their own criteria, they gave it to someone more senior but less qualified. That's when I knew the cookie-cutter approach wasn't for me.

The real adventure began when I joined this crazy guy who had both a process engineering company and a startup fast food concept in China. At 23, not speaking fluent Chinese, I moved there. By 27, I was running the entire company with 400 staff at the amusement park division alone.

The lesson? Sometimes the biggest career risks lead to the most incredible opportunities. That five years taught me more about business than any traditional path could have.

The operational mindset that transforms chaos into growth

You've been described as someone who can look at chaos and see exactly where to pull the string. How do you develop this operational superpower?

It's a bit like Rain Man with the matchsticks - I can see which piece is the end of the string that will make everything line up. But this skill comes from working across multiple companies and industries. When you've only worked at one company, you think "this is how expenses are done" or "this is how leadership works."

When I took over the Beijing operation of a food company, we had 114 people and were losing money hand over fist. Within two months, we were profitable. How? I told the team we'd have to shut down unless they could figure out how to service clients without the factory. Four little old ladies came to me with a plan - brilliant! We ended up running the same client base with just 12 people.

The key is starting with customer fulfillment from beginning to end. You shine a light on the gaps, speed up the process, and suddenly everything becomes clear.

Building billion-dollar relationships in tech-sceptical markets

At UBS , you brought in over $2 billion focusing on tech startups - an audience that traditionally hates banks. What was your secret?

Stop showcasing your products and start solving their problems. When I took over the digital hubs, they were demonstrating UBS products to visitors. I said, "They don't care about our products - they care about their products."

We transformed it into a community. I'd bring in 20 clients from property, retail, or manufacturing, then have 8 startups pitch for three minutes each on problems they solved for that industry. When Bitcoin emerged, we explained what it meant for their business, not ours.

People would leave saying, "I never knew a bank would care about my problems." Some literally came in the next day to sign papers. We had academics, investors, industry specialists, and startups all in the same room - that's when magic happens.

The art of strategic risk-taking

You say not taking risks is the only way to guarantee failure. What calculated risks have shaped your career?

Every startup is a risk, but the biggest risks often come from changing direction entirely. When I left entrepreneurship to join UBS, people thought I was crazy. But I realized I was finally senior enough to have real impact in a large organization—and I had a CEO who wanted disruption, not traditional banking.

Here's what I've learned: if you wait for 100% certainty, you'll never move. I operate at 50-60% certainty. If I'm wrong, I have proof and can pivot quickly. Others trying to reach certainty eventually make the same journey - just much slower.

One project manager I knew had spent $5 million of an $11 million budget when we discovered all his assumptions were wrong. I asked if he was stopping the project. He spent the remaining $6 million anyway. As an entrepreneur, you'd never waste that money - you understand your responsibility to protect your employees, shareholders, customers, and yourself!

But how do you build a culture that would have encouraged this employee to do the same? He was probably too embarrassed to admit he was wrong, so he kept spending rather than face the music. The question is: how do you create an environment where protecting everyone's interests by stopping a failing project is valued more than avoiding the discomfort of admitting a mistake? How do you make it safer to say "this isn't working" than to keep burning through money hoping for a miracle?

Empowerment over micromanagement

How do you build teams that can operate at startup speed within large organizations?

Adults run their families and mortgages - why am I telling them what to do at work? I try to follow the holacracy principle: create pockets of empowered people who own their outcomes.

At UBS, I borrowed team members from other departments for up to three months. One guy had been in the same position for 10-12 years. He kept asking, "Should I do it like this?" I'd respond, "I don't have time - what do you think?" Once he understood I meant it, he delivered fantastic results. Within two years, he had two promotions after a decade of stagnation.

My teams write their own job specs and KPIs. I ask: "Here's the goal. How will you get us there?" When people own their KPIs instead of having them imposed, magic happens. One study showed that when people don't own their KPIs, performance drops dramatically. It's simple logic, yet so many organizations miss it.

The Switzerland paradox: Brilliance constrained by system

As someone who's worked globally, how do you see the unique challenges facing Swiss professionals, particularly women?

Switzerland has a fantastic education system producing brilliant people, but the society isn't structured to support working mothers. I've worked in Asia, Spain, the US - everywhere else, you have support systems that allow quality time with family.

I had four kids under four and could only manage because I had fantastic help. When I came home, I had quality time - not shopping, cooking, cleaning time. In Switzerland, this is looked down upon and unaffordable for most.

One headhunter told me I might be the only woman in the country with my resume. That's shocking. Without systemic change - tax breaks, government-supported childcare - we're wasting half our brilliant workforce.

AI and the future of sales: Empowerment, not replacement

Will AI replace sales roles, as many LinkedIn influencers predict?

I've been using AI agents aggressively since they emerged. Right now, I might run 20 different agents for various projects. But here's the thing - you can't do it without human intervention.

The copywriters saying "I can't find work" are stuck because they're defining themselves by an old role instead of evolving their skills. There's no reason they can't be the human running those AI agents, but they have to embrace the change.

Sam Altman imagines the first billion-dollar company with one employee. We'll get there eventually. But for now, AI is about empowerment - making your four salespeople work like eight. The key is learning the tools now, positioning yourself to not get phased out later.

The power of admitting mistakes quickly

In banking, people rarely confess to mistakes. You do it immediately. Why?

My first big career mistake taught me everything. I sent client information to their direct competitor by accident. Instead of just correcting it, I panicked - sent multiple "cancel that" emails. By the time the sales guy went to the meeting, it was obvious something was wrong.

Now I immediately own mistakes: "That was my fault. Here's what we learned." When you move quickly to learning, everyone focuses on improvement instead of blame. One review at a bank noted how rare it was for someone to admit mistakes so readily - I see it as a superpower.

Essential reading for revenue leaders

When asked about books that shaped her approach, Cat recommends three key titles:

"Atomic Habits" by James Clear: "I've read this at least four or five times. I followed his newsletter before the book came out. It's about making time, not finding time, for what matters."

"Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss: "Phenomenal for anyone in sales or negotiation. Another book I've read multiple times."

"Reinventing Organizations" (Holacracy concept): "It's a dry read, but brilliant. Why are we treating adults like children at work when they successfully manage complex lives outside the office?"

Final thoughts

What stands out about Cat's approach is her fearless embrace of disruption - both personal and organizational. While others cling to traditional paths and 100% certainty, she's built a career on 60% confidence and rapid iteration.

Her journey from chemical plants to Chinese factories to banking boardrooms demonstrates that skills truly are transferable - if you're willing to look beyond industry labels. In an era where AI threatens to automate roles, Cat reminds us that the future belongs to those who embrace tools rather than fear them.

For leaders navigating transformation, her philosophy is refreshingly simple: hire adults, treat them like adults, and get out of their way. Stop showcasing your products and start solving problems. And when you make mistakes - because you will - own them fast and move to learning faster.

In a world that rewards playing it safe, Cat Rüst proves that the real risk is not taking any risks at all.

Cat Rüst is a revenue leader, serial entrepreneur, and transformation expert who has founded eight companies and driven billions in growth across industries from chemicals to technology. Her experience spans multinational corporations like UBS to scrappy startups in China, always with a focus on operational excellence and team empowerment. Connect with Cat on LinkedIn to follow her insights on leadership, innovation, and strategic risk-taking.