{"id":161388,"date":"2019-04-23T13:58:04","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T12:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/?p=161388"},"modified":"2021-02-24T18:57:26","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T17:57:26","slug":"females-in-fintech-nadene-salzman-kucsma-mycomplianceoffice","status":"archive","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/news\/insights\/females-in-fintech-nadene-salzman-kucsma-mycomplianceoffice","title":{"rendered":"Females of FinTech: Nadene Salzman-Kucsma, Sales Director at MyComplianceOffice (MCO)"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the world of Financial Services and Technology have been typically male-dominated, we want to share this Females in FinTech interview series with the aim to facilitate conversations specifically around females in FinTech as the market grows. <\/em><\/p>\n

For our latest Females of FinTech interview we met with Nadene Salzman-Kucsma,<\/a> Sales Director at MyComplianceOffice<\/a> (MCO) in New York.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your current role and the most exciting part of your work?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a Sales Director for MyComplianceOffice (MCO), a global leader in the provision of conduct risk solutions worldwide.\u00a0 MCO provides a best-of-breed Conduct Risk Platform allowing firms to address both personal and transactional conflicts of interest in a single platform.\u00a0 It is the only fully integrated, comprehensive conduct risk platform that uses a global company and security master data-set to identify conflicts across employee, firm transactions and third parties. We now govern some of the most complex conduct risk management programs in the world. The sale is complex, the clients are top tier, and the conversation is intellectually stimulating.\u00a0 Every day is new and exciting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did you get into FinTech? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

When I thought about my career, the culmination is literally the definition of FinTech.\u00a0 I like to think of it as the amalgamation of all my skills.\u00a0 When I started my search, like any other sales vertical I sought, the barrier to entry was high.\u00a0 Hiring managers would tell me I had no tech background.\u00a0 I was confident I had all the skills necessary to exceed in the industry, and I pushed forward.\u00a0 I tapped into my network, and ultimately, landed interviews with two different tech companies.\u00a0 And both made me an offer.\u00a0 Never underestimate the power of persistence.\u00a0 It\u2019s a vital tool in sales.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you think the future of FinTech is? <\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Exciting, not only from a sales perspective but from development.\u00a0 Big data, AI and robotics, blockchain, payment systems, a flurry of activity in those spaces.\u00a0 The consumer is also changing with a focus on Millennials, a generation hyper-connected to their mobile devices. Thematically, you have large organizations partnering with external solutions, consulting firms developing go to market products and venture investing pouring in.\u00a0 The opportunities are truly endless.\u00a0 And as a woman, even more so.\u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s not unusual to be the only woman at the table in this space.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into FinTech? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Do your research.\u00a0 FinTech can mean a lot of different things.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard NO many times, but I never gave up.\u00a0 NO, you don\u2019t have Enterprise Sales experience, NO, you\u2019ve never sold software, NO, your sales experience is not apples to apples with SaaS sales.\u00a0 That only motivated me more.\u00a0 If you do find there are barriers to entry, use your network.\u00a0 Maybe take a certificate course.\u00a0 Offer to do an internship or volunteer your time.\u00a0 Every time I made a career move, it was one step forward and two steps back.\u00a0 I knew I had to prove myself and that doesn\u2019t happen overnight.\u00a0 But at the beginning of each new venture, I worked tirelessly to prove the naysayers wrong, and to launch early on.\u00a0 I learned quickly to build an early stage high volume pipeline and always ask for the close.\u00a0 As soon as the deals started coming in, there was no longer any question that I was the only<\/em> person for the job.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What challenges have you faced in the workplace, especially your experience in male-dominated environments? <\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Quite a few.\u00a0 Men talking over me in meetings, politely saying \u2018excuse me\u2019 but then taking over the conversation.\u00a0 The top tier accounts going to the man first, and then when the deal didn\u2019t close, they punted them to me.\u00a0 Knowingly being paid less, as I didn\u2019t have \u2018as much experience\u2019 as my male counterparts.\u00a0 We all know that aggressive salesperson as a woman, is not a compliment.\u00a0 I think women have a great ability to harness their EQ, perhaps a bit more and in different ways than their male counterparts.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong, some of the best salespeople I know are men.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who has been your biggest advocate\/mentor in your career and why? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I had a career coach for a while whom I met when I was still a Financial Advisor.\u00a0 She helped me navigate a very difficult job, one in which I began to lose faith in my abilities.\u00a0 It was at that time that I made some changes, still within financial services, and really looked at my skill set.\u00a0 When I spoke with her about my interest in technology, she thought it was a great career move.\u00a0 I don\u2019t speak with her much anymore, but she absolutely supported and encouraged my transition, helping me launch.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are the key skills you believe are beneficial for you to succeed in a career in FinTech? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Selling FinTech is very much an enterprise sale.\u00a0 The sales cycle is long, with multiple stakeholders involved in the decision making.\u00a0 Your time is spent understanding the client\u2019s pain points and acting consultatively to help the client fill the gaps.\u00a0 You navigate NDAs, RFPs and contracts.\u00a0 You run the meetings, do the demo\u2019s and literally, own the sale from end to end.\u00a0 It is a very nuanced, complex sale with a lot of moving parts.\u00a0 And though you often have a robust pipeline, to see one of the larger deal\u2019s close takes time.\u00a0 You must be patient, persistent and passionate.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In a management position, how have you found it best to promote and nurture women\u2019s careers? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I much prefer to be an individual contributor, as it gives you the opportunity to control your own destiny.\u00a0 That\u2019s one of the things I love about sales.\u00a0 If you believe in what you\u2019re selling, and fit into the culture of the company, you can literally forecast your financial future.\u00a0 Whether in management or not, you can help nurture and foster other women\u2019s careers.\u00a0 I\u2019m a big believer in paying it forward.\u00a0 If someone asks to link into my network, I\u2019m happy to help.\u00a0 I\u2019ll give a reference, share some of my career experience, especially all the doors that closed before one door opened.\u00a0 You never really fail, every opportunity gives you the chance to learn something that eventually, gets you to where you want to go.\u00a0 As I woman, I suggest tapping into your intuition, listening to that inside voice, never giving up, picking yourself up when you fall, and taking your experiences in stride.\u00a0 There are no coincidences, only occasions to learn who you are and help get you to where you want to be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Is there one piece of advice you wish somebody gave you at the beginning of your career? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, never aim for perfection, as it\u2019s such a subjective definition.\u00a0 And it doesn\u2019t exist.\u00a0 Work hard, work smart, take \u2018failure\u2019 in stride – it\u2019s the reset button we all need to move us along on our path.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What job did you dream of when you were a kid – your Plan A career path? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ah, I wanted to be a vet, and then a lawyer.\u00a0 My bleeding heart, all I can think of was helping people, animals, anyone I could.\u00a0 I\u2019m still that bleeding heart but now, I take pride in representing companies and products that inspire me, working with smart honest people, and being as self sufficient and successful as I can, defined of course by things that are meaningful to me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t live by how other people describe success, apart from the fact that in sales, there\u2019s always a number on your head.\u00a0 I\u2019ll beat that number and still define the things I think make me successful in my own unique way.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fun fact about you? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m trained in and used to sell wine.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be the last of my nine lives, my side hustle retirement project.\u00a0 I love the experience of having a good glass of wine with dinner, from the smell of the grape, to the experience the wine offers me.\u00a0 It\u2019s art for me, the complexity of a good glass of wine is so special.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About Nadene <\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

I like to say that I\u2019m on the 4th<\/sup> (maybe 5th<\/sup> or 6th<\/sup>) of my nine lives though when I look back at my trajectory, it feels linear to me.\u00a0 My undergrad degree is in Psychology, I have a master\u2019s degree in social (MSW) work from NYU, and after about one and a half years as a Social Worker, I realized that owing more in loans than I made in a year wasn\u2019t a viable long-term plan.\u00a0 It felt like an easy transition from Social Work into Pharmaceutical Sales, which was a directed search at the time.\u00a0 Once I got in, I spent 10 years solidifying my sales aptitude.\u00a0 Since then, I spent 8 years as a Financial Advisor, selling an abstract concept on investment management to retail clients and ultimately, sought to move into technology.\u00a0 When asked about my background, many people seem surprised, but all my moves were deliberate and come together in what I call the perfect storm of skills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the world of Financial Services and Technology have been typically male-dominated, we want to share this Females in FinTech interview series with the aim to facilitate conversations specifically around females in FinTech as the market grows. For our latest Females of FinTech interview we met with Nadene Salzman-Kucsma, Sales Director at MyComplianceOffice (MCO) in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":161389,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3267,5116,3584],"tags":[2019,5394,3710,2822,2820,5336,2965],"class_list":["post-161388","post","type-post","status-archive","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","category-females-of-fintech","category-news","tag-careers","tag-females-in-fintech","tag-fintech","tag-interview","tag-saltsessions","tag-tech-careers","tag-wit","post-type-insights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/welovesalt.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}