A veteran of the finance and technology sector has been named as Finstro’s new strategic partnerships manager to help boost its broker arm.
The Australian finance and technology (fintech) company Finstro has exclusively revealed to The Adviser the appointment of Cynthia De Vera as its new strategic partnerships manager in a fresh effort to bolster partner-led solutions.
The Sydney-based fintech, founded in Australia in 2014, provides working capital and payment solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
De Vera, who has over nine years of experience in the fintech industry, was previously head of Swoop Australia, a digital platform that aids SMEs to find and access a variety of funding types, including loans, equity, and government grants, in one centralised hub. At Swoop, she worked closely with both brokers and business owners to design and manage challenging funding solutions.
In the newly created role at Finstro, which she commenced on 5 January, De Vera is focused on extending broker partnerships in addition to engaging with accountants and financial advisers to ensure customers have the “cash flow, confidence and flexibility” to weather financial headwinds.
The company added that she would take a dominant role in pioneering Finstro’s product development, citing her lengthy experience in both the lender and brokerage world, and ensure the company’s services reflected the “real-world needs of partners and the businesses they support”.
Finstro said the appointment of De Vera would help boost its broker, accounting, and adviser support arms and that it underpinned the company’s desire to strengthen partner-led finance solutions.
Andrew Clements, director of sales at Finstro, said De Vera’s “background on both sides of the market gives her a unique perspective”.
“She understands the pressure brokers, accountants and financial advisers face, the challenges business owners are dealing with, and how lenders can genuinely add value with finance that fits unique and ever-changing needs,” Clements said.
Speaking of her new role, the new hire said she was attracted to Finstro’s emphasis on flexibility and its willingness to “collaborate with their partners”.
“Having been on the other side of the fence for the last few years, I’ve seen how important it is for lenders to list and adapt,” she said.
“Finstro has a strong appetite to build solutions that work in practice, not just on paper, and I’m excited to help strengthen those partnerships and contribute to the next phase of growth.”
She added she was particularly attracted by Finstro’s willingness to directly consult with their vast clientele.
“Having worked with a lot of different lenders, one of the things that stood out about Finstro was the impact partners had on the changes they made,” the new strategic partnerships manager said.
“From a commission structure that reflects true partnership to refining their payment products based on broker feedback, they made it easier for us to deliver better outcomes to our customers.”
The appointment comes as the company continues to challenge traditional bank lending models, with Finstro stating it would pour further investment to grow its broker channel and widen its engagement with accountants and financial advisers as valued referral partners.
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