Did you know that you wanted to move from Banking to FinTech?
No, at first, I didn't realize that I wanted to move from Banking to Fintech and only over time began to see exciting opportunities emerge within Fintech; I could see having a bright and exciting future in this space. Also, I love to learn and grow; it inspires me and helps me do my best work. I always enjoyed working very closely with clients and saw an immense opportunity for growth there; Also switching to Fintech would expose me to a full spectrum of capital markets clients.
Were you doing a lot of research on the FinTech market?
Hindsight is twenty-twenty. When I switched from finance to FinTech, I did what I thought was a considerable amount of research. Now that I have been in the industry for eight years, I realize I hadn't even scratched the surface. I probably didn't even know 10% of the FinTech ecosystem before starting. What is exciting about moving into a different space, is the potential to learn and ultimately grow.
How did you find out about FINCAD?
I was recruited through a headhunter. Ironically, by only assessing my CV, I would have hesitated to hire myself. My previous work was very technical, and I had no experience at a software company. What is key to make a difference is mindset and drive.
What kind of preparation did you do for FINCAD / what skills did you have to advance to show you could operate effectively in a much smaller firm?
Yes, I went from a big company to a smaller one, but honestly, it didn't feel like that big of a change. The ecosystem of a trading floor is like a microcosmos of smaller trading units. Delivering under pressure is one of the key transferable skills.
What’s the biggest difference between Commerz & FINCAD?
The key difference is how revenue is generated. In a front office position in a sell side institution it's all about trading revenue. In Fintech it's about recurring software revenue driving the valuation of the company. The day-to-day activity at a Fintech company is centered around finding ways to scale your software efficiently and effectively.
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