Women in Fintech series: Meet Karen Jordaan our Chief Commercial Officer

Tell us a bit about your journey to this role: I’ve been in the remittance industry for the last 20 years or so, and have been fortunate to have worked with teams from all over the world, to have travelled extensively and met wonderful people from different cultures and backgrounds. As someone with a brand strategy background, working for some of the biggest brands in the sector (Western Union, WorldRemit) has been very fulfilling, and I am enjoying bringing this expertise to my role at Cauridor where I head up both the Commercial and Marketing functions. I’m finding this role extremely interesting, not only because it is my first foray into B2B payments, but also because many of our key markets are in francophone West Africa. I’m busy rekindling my long-lost French skills and absorbing knowledge about this very competitive and dynamic part of Africa.

What are you most proud of: Regardless of any success in my career, my proudest moments have come from being a mother. In fact anyone who knows me, knows that I would much rather talk about my daughter than myself! But taking a massive leap of faith and moving house and home from my comfort-zone in South Africa to take up a role in the United Kingdom three years ago was possibly the bravest move I have made at both a personal and career level. Despite replacing sunshine with gloomy grey days, I don’t regret this move and am proud that I managed to make a smooth transition.

Is Fintech a welcoming space for women leaders? In the larger fintech companies, representation of women in senior leadership roles has really improved. In small to mid-size companies there’s still a way to go, especially in more traditional environments where women still have to fight for a seat at the table. I’m delighted to see more and more women tech engineers and data analysts joining the Cauridor team, breaking stereotypes and absolutely acing their roles.?

What keeps you motivated? I’m all about relationship-building and forming connections based on trust. These relationships have formed the backbone of my career, and in many cases have morphed into friendships that have stood the test of time. Keeping our company mission in mind is a real motivating force, and knowing that I am making a contribution to supporting financial inclusion creates a North Star for me and the entire Cauridor team. I am fortunate to have been raised with a strong work ethic, so I find it easy to power through even when my work load is a bit overwhelming. But I am careful to create breathing space, and this is where I find Cauridor’s remote working environment truly invaluable.?

Any advice for women? I really enjoy being able to mentor the young women in the Cauridor team and I encourage them to stay true to themselves. In my experience there is no benefit to “acting tough” or coming across in a stereotypically masculine way. As women, we generally bring a different energy to the room and this “soft power” can be equally persuasive and convincing. On the other hand, I have always used data and analytical thinking to set the scene for discussions. I encourage all the young women in our team to get to grips with numbers, be able to visualise data through graphs or infographics, and express objectives and performance in a meaningful way.?

What is your super-power? I’m a committed communicator. I craft my messages carefully to ensure the tone is appropriate, that I have used as few words as possible, and that the message is clear and simple to understand. This is a critical skill in a multi-cultural environment where English is not always the native language of the team. I’m nitpicky about spelling, grammar and message structure, because to me your communication is your brand.