My journey at Machnet: career and growth

Choosing one’s career path is imperative, as it shapes their future,  growth, and overall personality for the rest of their life. After working for a bank and manufacturing company for quite some time, I opted to work at Machnet, a Fintech company, seven years back. It was a completely new business sector that defied all the conventional business models and was very agile in nature. 

The uncertainties and boundless opportunities were the most fascinating components that a fintech company could offer. People are mostly scared to work amidst uncertainties, however, exploring the unknown was the biggest drive for me. 

Machnet saw the inquisitiveness and the urge to work independently in me. The wavelengths just matched and I started at an entry-level position in compliance with just basic knowledge about what it is. Compliance was a new thing, the unknown, the uncertain. 

This started with just monitoring transactions from the only client we had. The volumes were low so I could study the trends in transactions and the users meticulously. Those experiences worked as building blocks for me at compliance. With continuous research, and through the process of unlearning and relearning, we kept growing on the multiple dimensions of our business models. 

Fintech space is full of challenges but we strive to overcome them at our company. Reflecting back on my long journey of 7 years, I never had a second thought regarding my job nor did I get frustrated with what I was doing. The horizon is so broad that one would barely have a peaceful moment, not because we didn't face the challenges properly but because the dimensions have changed and the thing that worked yesterday would suddenly turn to be a challenge tomorrow.

One day it seemed all peaceful and stable and the other day, we used to fight setbacks. Every single day is a new day in terms of the challenges we face. That's the beauty of working in a fintech company. 

Amidst all the chaos, one thing that has been crucial in shaping me and my career into what it is today was the concept of “growing together” - something that Machnet believes in. It was never just me working by myself or fighting the setbacks alone. It was us, the leaders of our company, and my teammates who have been constant pillars of support. 

Machnet has a flat hierarchy, and the way it grooms its employees is beyond the structured work processes or the conventional business models. This has helped us learn, unlearn and re-learn and conquer new horizons together. 

While working here, I started the journey of my married life, followed by motherhood. The toughest part of being a working wife and a mother is time management. However, my team and senior executives have always been so supportive when it comes to balancing my work and personal life, be it with flexible working hours and reduced responsibilities or granting maternity and postpartum leave. 

With regards to this, the company has always valued the shared responsibilities and bond that I have with my family. This has to be the best thing that a company could do for its employees. I will forever be grateful to this company for its concern and kind cooperation. 

From starting off as a junior compliance officer to now being  Head of Compliance, I have had a great journey so far and I have been learning new things each day. With the collaborative effort of the management team and my team members, we have been achieving greater heights everyday. 

The dynamics have changed so much; from starting with manual transaction monitoring to approving a user’s KYC and now designing the  risk mitigation programs at system levels. We started with online remittance transactions and now we are looking into providing wallets for end users. Moreover, we have always considered the best interests of our stakeholders to drive solution-oriented business. 

In conclusion, the agile environment, planning for uncertainties, and the satisfaction that we derive from solving problems have always encouraged me to give my best and continue being a part of Machnet. Since I have only seen the best version of myself with each passing day, I think joining Machnet to pursue my dreams was one of the best decisions I have taken with regard to my career.