Page 22 - CMA Journal (July-August 2025)

Exclusive Interview

grow is by doing. Get your hands dirty with real
problems, even if they seem small or unglamorous at
Data and analytics are first. These are often the stepping stones to meaningful
innovation.
foundational to the future of
Learn to collaborate across disciplines. Fintech is not just
financial services. When used for developers or bankers. It’s for storytellers, analysts,
designers, legal minds, and problem solvers. Build your
strategically and ethically, they ability to communicate across functions and bridge gaps
between business, tech, and regulation.
can unlock a new level of
Also, embrace failure as part of the process. Many of the
security, efficiency, and most successful fintech professionals I’ve met have had
customer centricity projects that didn’t work—but they learned fast,
adapted, and kept moving forward. That mindset is
invaluable.

Finally, remember: credibility comes from execution.
Operationally, data analytics help financial institutions Fancy slides or ideas will only take you so far. What
become leaner and smarter. For example, through
process mining and automation analytics, banks can
identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and Fintech is not just for developers
redundancies—allowing them to optimize workflows,
reduce turnaround times, and lower costs. However, all or bankers. It’s for storytellers,
of this hinges on a responsible and ethical data strategy.
Data must be collected, stored, and used analysts, designers, legal minds,
transparently—with robust governance, customer
consent, and cybersecurity safeguards in place. Without and problem solvers. Build your
trust, even the most sophisticated analytics capabilities
will fail to gain traction. In short, data isn’t just a ability to communicate across
back-office function anymore—it’s a strategic asset. functions and bridge gaps
When leveraged responsibly, it can be the engine that
drives smarter decisions, deeper customer relationships, between business, tech, and
and more resilient financial systems.
regulation
ICMA: What advice would you give to young
professionals who want to work or build careers in
fintech and digital innovation?
matters is your ability to ship, to solve, and to scale. Keep
Fawad A. Kader: First and foremost: stay curious and
sharpening your craft, stay open to feedback, and
stay grounded. Fintech moves fast, but it’s not just about
surround yourself with people who challenge and
chasing trends like blockchain or AI—it’s about solving
inspire you.
real problems. You need to develop a deep
understanding of both technology and human behavior. If you are passionate about fintech and digital
That means knowing how a payment switch works is just
innovation, there’s never been a better time to start. The
as important as understanding why a shopkeeper ecosystem is young, the problems are real, and the
hesitates to go digital.
opportunity to make an impact is massive.
Don’t wait for the perfect role or title. Start where you The Editorial Board thanks Mr. Fawad Abdul Kader, Founding
are. Whether you’re building a prototype, joining a CEO- Contrivus and Former Country Manager, Paymob, for
hackathon, interning at a startup, or shadowing sparing his precious time to give an exclusive interview for Chartered
Management Accountant Journal.
someone in product or compliance—the best way to

20 ICMA’s Chartered Management Accountant, Jul-Aug 2025