Seema Desai

Energizer
DISC Type : I

Chief Operations Officer at iwoca

Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Seema Desai is the Chief Operations Officer at iwoca, a fintech firm focused on small business lending. A University of Cambridge graduate, her career includes roles at Zopa and GSMA. Described by colleagues as focused and sharp, she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in fintech.

Outside of work, Seema is a keen mountain climber. She finds that the sport teaches her to manage fear and find focus, using the challenge of reaching a summit to push her mental and physical limits. She lives in East London.

She once climbed the Dent du Géant, a pinnacle in the Alps just shy of 4, 000 meters, which she describes as a climb at her absolute limit.

Personality Overview

Big Picture Person

Informal

Full Of Energy

They are really good at seeing what the long-term impacts of their decisions could be.  Unlike C or D types, they are vocal with their opinions but not so much with their questions. They are always positive and upbeat, so take their promises with a pinch of salt.

Topics They Care About

Small Business Finance
As COO of iwoca, she leads efforts to provide fast and flexible finance to small businesses across the UK and Germany.
Scaling Operations
Responsible for scaling customer service and internal processes to support iwoca's rapid growth as a leading UK business lender.
Diversity in FinTech
She is a passionate advocate for equal opportunities and leads iwoca's initiatives to achieve greater diversity and inclusion within the industry.

Media Appearances

Seema Desai | COO, iwoca. Featured in Innovate Finance

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iwoca names Seema Desai new COO - Innovate Finance – The Voice of UK FinTech. Featured in Innovate Finance

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One of Europe's fastest growing small business lenders, iwoca, appoints new COO. Featured in Business Up North

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Work History

9-2018
Chief Operations Officer at iwoca
1-2017 - 9-2018
Head of People at iwoca
10-2016 - 9-2018
Board Member at Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) at the United Nations Foundation
1-2016 - 1-2017
Head of Product at Zopa
2-2014 - 12-2015
Head of Mobile Money at GSMA

Education

9-1997 - 6-2000
Class 1 from University of Cambridge

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 25 Location : Greater London, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Operations Officer at iwoca
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Insights For Selling To Seema

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Speak enthusiastically with energy, maintain a clear and confident tone
  • Talk about their team and how your product will help them do things better and easier
  • Use adjectives like ‘amazing’, ‘coolest’, ‘unbelievable’ etc.

DONT's

  • Avoid overloading them with too much detail
  • Avoid ifs and buts, don’t talk too much about the risks etc.
  • Don’t be too formal, focus on building comfort and trust

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Seema is

  • Relationship and rapport can play an important role, sometimes more than the other factors.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Seema

  • They will probably never say no directly, you have to make that decision yourself.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Seema move?

  • They are not the quickest decision makers, their friendly attitude could be misleading.
  • Can Seema take some risk or not?

  • They can accept limited risks, ones that they think will not impact them personally.

You And Seema

Personality Compatibility


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