eWhy I operate at 60% certainty: How Cat Rüst transforms chaos into billion-dollar growth Copy 3

Meet Cat Rüst, the revenue leader who built an empire on calculated chaos and 60% certainty. From managing 400 staff in Chinese factories at age 27 to bringing $2 billion in net new money to UBS by revolutionizing how banks connect with tech startups, Cat has mastered the art of turning uncertainty into opportunity.

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.

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?'

As a serial entrepreneur who's founded eight companies and now shapes the future of tech organizations, she shares insights such as:

• Why staying too long in one company can be problematic – you risk getting stuck in one way of thinking and miss out on fresh perspectives.
• How to build trust by admitting mistakes quickly – people respect leaders who take responsibility and pivot fast.
• Why the best ideas often come from unexpected places – sometimes it’s not consultants or executives, but “four little old ladies with a plan” who see the simplest, smartest solutions.

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.

AI and the future of sales: Empowerment, not replacement

‍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.

Want to dive deeper into Cat Rüst’s principles of revenue leadership and risk-taking?

‍We’ve prepared adownloadable filethat summarizes her key lessons — from building billion-dollar partnerships to creating cultures where mistakes fuel growth.