What do you do and what is it about your job that gets you out of bed in the morning?
I am the director of business development for North American partnerships at Ekata, a Mastercard company. I work primarily with fraud platforms that service financial institutions, helping them onboard more genuine consumers while reducing fraud risk.
I have worked in business development my entire career and when I moved into partnerships, I found my home. My role offers the opportunity to create best-in-class solutions and bring these services to market. I enjoy this work; it’s fulfilling to deliver solutions that are invaluable to our partners. Plus, I work with a talented and dynamic team that keeps me engaged and learning, which can be rare when working remotely. I recently heard a quote that really resonated with me regarding partnership work:
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
How did you get to where you are today? What has driven your career moves?
I wish I could say that my career path has been a steady line that went straight up. Really, it was a windy path with bumps, starts, stops. Throughout the journey, I always looked for situations that would help me improve my game. Each step in my career was prompted by putting myself out there and throwing my hat in the ring for an opportunity that I wanted to pursue. Tenacity goes a long way. You have to ask for what you want. I also was lucky to have worked with a few inspiring and intelligent people who shared their wisdom with me.
What is the most important lesson you have learned along the way?
It’s difficult to narrow it down to one so I will make each brief:
- Say yes! Even if it’s something scary and you are not sure you can do it. Take the leap and bet on yourself.
- Life is going to throw you curveballs. You cannot control what happens at times, but you can control your reaction.
- If you are the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
What's your pitch to CEOs in the identity space? What do you suggest they START / STOP / CONTINUE doing and why?
Ekata helps businesses identify good customers by providing identity verification solutions that reduce risk and improve the customer experience. We use sophisticated data science to determine if someone is who they say they are. This is critical because it builds trust on both sides of a digital interaction. When we are advising CEOs and leadership teams, we stress the importance of establishing trust with the customer.
Identity is an opportunity to provide a valuable service that builds trust and delights customers. When businesses can approve more genuine customers, they increase their customer base and foster loyalty. Intelligent identity solutions enable people to have a safe, seamless experience during onboarding and the entire customer journey.
In one sentence, why does diversity matter to you?
Diversity of people means diversity of thinking and creativity, which is a core ingredient for an effective and successful team.
What advice would you give to the teenage 'you'?
- Believe in yourself.
- Trust your instincts.
- Embrace change because the path to success is a very bendy road.
Where can we find you on social media / the Web?
LinkedIn: Christine Prendamano