Alana Levine, CRO of Fintel Connect talks about fintech investments
Alana Levine is a founding member and CRO of Fintel Connect, the Vancouver-based performance marketing technology specialist for the financial services industry. She has experience in multiple niche verticals serving 50+ markets worldwide, with a passion for partnerships, marketing and business development.
Levine has previously held leadership roles in both SaaS technology and fintech companies and holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and psychology and a postgraduate degree in finance from McGill University. We caught up with her to find out more.
Describe your role – and your journey to it. Is there a story to tell?
My role combines all my favorite things into one, so I couldn’t be luckier to do what I do. I started my career in marketing, which quickly evolved into sales and business development (for those who know me, I love to talk and connect with others) and growing opportunities for the business I worked for.
Now, in addition to these areas, I have the privilege of driving strategic partnerships and finding avenues for growth for our business, our customers and our partners. Our latest partnership with MeridianLink is exciting because it means creating exponential value for our mutual customers who want to grow more efficiently online.
What attracted you to the fintech space in the first place?
Financial services are the backbone of all industries; touching financial services means touching a whole range of areas, which is exciting. It is also an area ripe for disruption. Although there is already a ton of innovation happening, there is still a lot of progress to be made, and it amazes me the new niche solutions that emerge every day to solve real problems.
As a female founder and CRO, how has your experience been in the fintech space so far?
As I have more and more exposure in the industry, it has been interesting to see where the most diversity is happening. Many of the roles in marketing (one area that we directly support) are held by women, and it is a privilege to see them drive innovative strategies in their organizations.
We’re seeing marketing have a seat at the “table” more than ever before, as it plays an ever-increasing role in driving meaningful growth via scalable digital channels. That said, when I get on stage to present or pitch as a fintech entrepreneur at conferences, I still feel a bit like the odd (two) man!
How can the industry attract more women into the space? What is needed to improve the gender balance?
It is really a collective effort and must come from both above and below. By this I mean leadership and capital can work harder to support and fund women-led organizations within the space, as well as internally, organizations that encourage women to step outside their comfort zones and have the courage to take on challenges they may not feel comfortable taking on. ready for.
From the bottom up, there must be a willingness on the part of women to walk through these open doors and see the opportunities to have influence, create community and support others to succeed. There are some collectives like “Powerful Women in Banking”, which create valuable platforms to showcase those who have paved the way and allow women to share their stories to create connection and relatability while inspiring others.
All that said, it also depends on where you look. More often you now see women taking on more responsibility and leadership positions in their organizations – especially in areas such as strategy, partnerships and marketing.
Female-led fintechs typically have a tough time attracting investment. But Fintel Connect is successful in this area. Can you tell us about this, and about your investment strategy?
There were certainly several factors to consider. Track record is a big component. Nicky Senyard, our CEO, is a former avid entrepreneur with a history of success in starting and scaling his latest business – and in the SaaS technology space.
Our founding team also has a long history together, having worked together for 10+ years. We also approached fundraising by looking at strategic partners who share and align with our core values, believe in our vision and will be able to create exponential value beyond just capital. We also worked hard to build relationships in the area prior to fundraising, so we had already started building our credibility and leverage when we went to seek investment.
Don’t be shy about asking for help with things like pitching, presentations and introductions – this goes for any founder!
What sets Fintel Connect apart from the competition, and how have you utilized that advantage?
The key is really understanding the customer you serve and the specific pain points your solution can solve. To do this well, deep diving into a niche really makes all the difference. This is a key differentiator for Fintel Connect.
Our solution is purpose-built to serve the financial services industry and its unique challenges for growth. This includes scaling procurement efforts cost-effectively and efficiently, all while providing transparency, market intelligence and ensuring marketing compliance. It is also turnkey and serves all types of businesses – from scrappy fintech startups to community financial institutions to corporate banks. Brands can unlock features in our app as they need them and then have the infinite ability to scale, making it an accessible solution for any organization in the space to use to grow online.
What new products and services can we expect from Fintel Connect in 2023/4
We are excited to launch our commercial check solution for Banking-as-a-service (BaaS) providers. With the evolving regulatory landscape, BaaS banks need an effective way to monitor, manage and proactively support their fintech partners’ activities, and our platform automates and removes the heavy and manual efforts of compliance and risk teams currently managing these relationships, to freeing up time for more strategic input and improvement where necessary. Stay tuned for new features rolling out throughout the year in this area!
