“ We ' re running very fast in terms of growing our loan portfolio , both from the point of view of getting already existing products scaled , as well as introducing new products so we can broaden up the funnel . That ' s really our biggest focus in the next 12 months "
GREG KRASNOV FOUNDER AND CEO , TONIK
reality . “ We were actually joking with my guys that , you know , here we are for two years , playing 12 hours a day in this video game called Tonik Bank . You know ? That ' s basically what it is , right ? You ' re just sitting on the computer and you have different characters come on and it ' s a very engaging digital game .”
The culture of a purely cloud bank With such little in-person interaction , managing the cultural expectations of a bank that has expanded so quickly has not been an easy task . But Krasnov is certain that , as the world opens up more in the receding months of the pandemic , the cultural environment of Tonik will flourish .
“ We pay a huge amount of attention to culture . The fact that we ' ve been working remotely actually caused us to double- and triple-down on things because it becomes a lot more important that your fighting unit is a cohesive one .”
Krasnov believes cohesion is created by culture and shared values . Tonik has five corporate values that are representative of its position as a technology company , as well as its position as a bank . It focuses on typical banking values like reliability , teamwork , honesty – three values that are more from the banking world . But added to those are also the values ‘ street smart ’ and a ‘ sense of humour ’.
He explains : “ You cannot be innovative without being street smart and having a sense of humour . So basically , we built a culture where people that join us , will stay with us . They ' re driven by the need and the desire to create something new , to build something , to be part of that something . We ' re looking for risk takers . We ' re looking for people who are not afraid to grab the ball and run with it .”
To ensure cohesive teamwork , the management of Tonik is acutely aware that communication and familiarity are key in