FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
MATT
Matt Cox , Vice President and General Manager , EMEA at FICO answers questions from FinTech Magazine about his career and financial fraud
Q . DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN FINANCIAL SERVICES . HOW DID YOU GET HERE ?
» Before starting at FICO , I held various leadership roles at major banks . Barclays was my last home before FICO , and a joint venture between Barclays and Swedbank landed me in Sweden . They launched a business that covers primary countries in Scandinavia – Sweden , Norway , Denmark , and now they ’ re in Finland too . Before joining Barclays in 2008 , I worked at Santander for five years and was part of the Abbey National acquisition in 2004 . My work experience initially focused on the UK market but , as time went on , I covered most of the international portfolios and was on the banking side as an expert in fraud and risk .
I ’ ve really enjoyed working internationally . I ’ ve been lucky enough to stay in countries with different cultures to those I grew up in and that gives you a whole new perspective , especially helpful when joining a global operation like FICO . My background is in transformation , and I ’ m always interested in strategy and analytics . All of this combined led me to a career with FICO .
Q . WHAT ' S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU ’ VE EVER RECEIVED ?
» Get out and see as much of the world as you can . My family always encouraged me to travel , and I ’ m glad they did ! It ’ s not just about learning and appreciating differences in cultures , but also the similarities .
Travelling helps you build your adaptability , resilience , and creativity . Getting lost in a foreign country where few people speak English is a great way to learn new languages and things about yourself you didn ’ t already know .
In my work life , some of the best advice I ’ ve received centres around learning and trying new things . No matter what position you may have risen to , there is always another lesson to learn or voice to be heard . In fact , the more your career progresses , the more important it is to see real value in developing new skills and abilities . There are countless
24 April 2023