Interview with our new CTO

Innovative Approach: In the rapidly evolving fintech sector, how do you plan to keep the company at the forefront of innovation? Could you share some specific strategies or technologies that you’re focusing on for 2024?

Technology is always evolving, introducing new tools to deal with situations that, until yesterday, were problematic. Understanding the impact this can have on our business is a must for any technology leader. We are always looking for the next big thing that will significantly impact customer experience and make ours and our clients’ businesses more effective.

Today, AI is once again in the spotlight, this time in the form of generative AI. It’s not news to say that this is a paradigm shifter, as the Internet once was. We are just seeing the beginning of something that will shape the future of humankind. At this stage, a technology like this can already add immense value to the fintech space, from automating repetitive processes to advisory services.

The scope is huge, and we are going to take full advantage of it.

For 2024, we are focusing on taking our value proposition to the next level: access to products, process efficiency, data transparency, all with our client experience as the top priority.

Team Dynamics and Culture: As the new CTO, how do you envision building and nurturing your technology team? What qualities and skills do you prioritize when adding new members to your team?

I try to surround myself with people who are always thinking about how we can get things done and how we can do things better. I like teams that are built around trust, where everyone knows what is expected of them and delivers.

A positive attitude is a main skill that I look for in people for my team. People that love what we do and want to do it in the best possible way, people that enjoy working with their colleagues, and allow us all to enjoy the ride while we keep helping the company achieve its objectives. The technical skills are also important, and I expect that each person brings to the table the technical skills expected for the role and experience that they have, being curious and being a team player.

I also have the responsibility of setting the context and direction so all that attitude and skills are used in the best possible way, ensuring everything happens in a great working environment where everyone can be their best version.

Experience-Driven Technology: ‘Fintech thrives on delivering seamless, simple, scalable, and intuitive experiences. As the new CTO, how do you plan to ensure that your technological developments are driven by these principles? Can you share your approach or strategy towards creating such experience-driven solutions?’

To build something focused on delivering the best possible experience, you must conduct proper research, know, and understand your customers, the business, and how technology can elevate that experience to a completely new level. Iterating through customer feedback and testing different approaches are key to getting as close as possible to the vision you are working to bring to the product.

Security and Compliance Challenges: Given the stringent regulatory environment in fintech, what measures are you taking to ensure compliance and enhance cybersecurity? How do you balance innovation with these regulatory requirements?

Compliance in the fintech environment is a must. Having advisors who can help us deeply understand regulations that can impact our business will be part of our daily discussions. Analyzing the impact of these regulations on our different initiatives will be part of our mindset. Third-party providers that can audit our implementations will also be part of our strategies.

We will move forward and push innovation in every thought, but we understand our position and will be smart in the different decisions we make to always ensure compliance with various regulations.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Data is a critical asset in guiding fintech operations and strategies. As the CTO, how do you incorporate data-driven decision-making into your workflow? What processes do you have in place to ensure that data guides both what you do and how you do it in your technology team?

Making decisions without considering historical, forecasting, and prescriptive data is like gambling; you have no idea what will happen. As a CTO, I always push for strategies that allow different teams within the company to make data-driven decisions. To even start thinking about using data as a key input for the decision-making process, you first need to be certain that you have reliable, clean, and unbiased data.

Once you have a reliable data set, you need to understand how to present it effectively to different teams so they can extract maximum value from it in their decision-making processes. The first step usually involves historical data, later moving to forecasting models based on that data, and eventually trying to develop prescriptive models that can make decisions for you. This data needs to be well visualized, simple, and easy to understand.

Vision for the Future: Looking beyond 2024, what long-term goals do you have for the company’s technology landscape? How do you plan to sustain growth and adapt to future market changes?

We need to keep pushing to bring out-of-the-box solutions to our customers, understanding which doors can be opened with every legislation change or new technology that emerges. Iteration and continuous improvement will be part of our essence, and our commitment to delivering the best possible experience will be one of our main drivers.