Leaders

Today, women entrepreneurs are proving their mettle in every business field and making their presence felt across industries. Shagorika Heryani, Global CMO of The Social Loan Company is one of them. As a part of the executive leadership at TSLC, she is on a mission to transform financial services for underserved consumers.

The Social Loan Company is a full-stack, neo-banking platform dedicated to making financial inclusion possible and scalable for digital natives in emerging and frontier markets, including MENA, ASEAN & LATAM. In an interview with Women Entrepreneur Magazine, Shagorika shares insightful aspects of her journey, women leadership, and the company

Having Been In The Industry For A Long Time, What According To You Are Some Of The Major Challenges?

The gap between traditional banking services and customers' changing expectations in the digital age is widening. This is where The Social Loan Company marks its presence by offering modern banking solutions with the help of proprietary AI/ML-based technology. As a global venture builder, we are revolutionizing the flow of money to benefit every person on the planet. Our objective is to make financial inclusion possible and scalable for underserved digital natives in emerging and frontier markets. We have developed and deployed an AI-based, credit-led, neo-banking financial wellness platform focused on serving the underserved digital natives in emerging and frontier markets.

As a modern, hybrid marketer, I am passionate about making finance simple and accessible to everyone. To achieve excellence in this space, I practice both long-term strategic brand building and short-term performance tactics. In a nearly two-decade career, I've worked in numerous countries, including large complex organizations and startups, from working as a Strategic Business Advisor to social media communications, from accelerating some of the world's biggest brands to establishing brands from the ground up.

Take Us Through Your Early Educational Journey, Prior Industry Experience That You Bring To The Table And Your Current Role In The Social Loan Company.

 I attended Modern School in Delhi, India, which is considered one of the best schools in the country. I subsequently completed my bachelor's degree in English Hons at Sri Venkateswara College in Delhi, followed by my Master's degree at Symbiosis in Pune. Throughout my 18-year career, I've held several positions in brand consulting, marketing, and advertising. I've had the pleasure of working with fantastic brands such as Airtel, Grey, Pernod Ricard, and Cheil (Samsung), to name a few. I also contribute to various publications, such as Campaign, WARC, Brand berries, Little Black Book, and others.

Additionally, I’ve served as a judge for Adfest and Asian Customer Engagement Awards in Asia, New York Festival AME Awards, Creative pool Awards and Immortal Awards in the US, WARC Strategy in the Middle East, MENA Effies, Pakistan Effies, and others. As the Global Chief Marketing Officer at The Social Loan Company, I am responsible for a portfolio of brands across our consumer business and our PaaS (Platform as a Service) verticals in multiple global markets.

"Our objective is to make financial inclusion possible and scalable for underserved digital natives in emerging and frontier markets"

My position entails strategizing and deploying this portfolio and collaborating with the product, technology, and business operations teams to provide a consistent, differentiated customer and brand experience. My team and I are responsible for delivering the brand story and experience across all marketing touchpoints, including all our digital assets (app, website, social media), advertising campaigns, and public relations. Additionally, as part of the global executive leadership, I shape the strategy of the business to evolve from being a leading LendTech to being a fullstack neo-bank.

What Are Some Of The Most Important Marketing Techniques And Tools You Use To Ensure Your Company's Success?

As a customer-centric company, we strive to design and deploy innovative solutions for our consumers. In essence, our marketing approach is also customerfocused and prioritizes customer needs and interests, allowing us to ‘listen better and serve better. To understand consumer behavior, pain points, and interests, we leverage various third-party research methods, first-party data sets, and ongoing feedback from them as they interact with our brands and applications. We use the data we gather continuously to gain insights about consumer and cultural shifts, categorize our consumers into buyer personas, and deliver a personalized product and brand experience across every consumer touchpoint.

Ultimately, we want the voice of the customer to impact product and service innovation. The other aspect of our marketing strategy is to use customer data to create an even greater financial inclusion impact. I am co-creating and delivering on our ESG commitment and framework within the company that measures our tangible positive impact on the lives of people and communities in the markets that we serve. These are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and I am proud to be part of the mission of a tech-for-good company. We are incorporated in Singapore and operate successfully across India, Bangladesh, and the UAE. We aim to serve 100 million people in 10+ markets in the next five years.

What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women And Girls Who Also Aspire To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

If there's one thing I've learned in my work and life, it's that self-confidence is the most crucial factor in determining whether you're going to be successful or not. You will inevitably fail, be mercilessly self-critical, and attract adversaries; I have personally experienced all these things, and self-belief is the solution.

When you fully and absolutely support yourself, two vital things happen: The first is that when you experience difficulty, you gain perseverance, which is essential for seeking answers and moving forward. Second, because you are investing in yourself, you are investing in becoming the best version of yourself; it promotes a growth mentality. As a result, my advice to all young ladies and girls out there is to ‘be your biggest cheerleader’.

Shagorika Heryani, Global CMO, The Social Loan Company

Shagorika has 18+ years of experience in the marketing industry. She has worked in brand consulting, marketing, and advertising for companies like Airtel, Grey, Pernod Ricard, Cheil (Samsung), amongst others. She is also interested in writing and frequently contributes to publications like Campaign, WARC, Brand berries, Little Black Book, and many. Shagorika was also a judge for Adfest and Asian Customer Engagement Awards in Asia, New York Festival AME Awards, Creative pool Awards, Immortal Awards, WARC Strategy in the Middle East, the MENA Effies, Pakistan Effies, and many more.