Identity Insider: Zareen Erskine, FinMkt
Like many tech workers, Zareen Erskine’s career path began far afield. Her first job was as a staff reporter at The Toronto Observer. Erskine then worked as a victims’ advocate for the DA’s office in Atlanta before she found her way to software. But once she settled in at FinMkt, she discovered it was the perfect industry for her — and FinMkt was the perfect candidate for Workforce Identity, Okta’s centralized Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution.
“I never pictured myself working at a fintech company,” Erskine, the Vice President of Consumer Solutions at FinMkt, admits. “My involvement with technology at previous jobs went only as far as mapping people’s computers to the office printer.”
Erskine serves a diverse clientele across multiple industries by providing advanced, customizable lending and payment solutions that enhance customer experiences and drive business growth. After starting her current position, Erskine soon discovered that the “solutions” in her title often involved simplifying complexities whenever possible to improve end-user experience.
When she arrived at FinMkt, for example, each of the platforms and apps her workmates used daily required its own username and password. Using the same password for each platform posed a security risk, but remembering a different password for each platform became unwieldy as the company added more tools.
“Implementing Okta Single Sign-On was my first exposure to how Identity solutions could improve user experience,” Erskine says. “It also showed me how providing a frictionless user experience can enhance security because it makes it more likely people will use the tools we provide.”
FinMkt handles sensitive merchant and end-user consumer financial information, and the need for airtight security has given Erskine a special appreciation for the way Okta Multi-Factor Authentication protects the FinMkt platform. “Okta successfully safeguards our data in large part because it’s so user friendly,” she adds.
Addressing vulnerabilities — in real life and in cyberspace
In retrospect, Erskine sees a clear throughline between her work as a journalist, as a victims’ advocate, and at FinMkt. Throughout her career, she’s dealt with people at their most vulnerable — whether reporting a story about a family devastated by a fatal car accident, shepherding a crime victim through the intimidating world of the criminal justice process, or helping a FinMkt customer secure financing for unexpected healthcare needs.
In fact, the urgency behind FinMkt’s functionality — and the emphasis the company puts on customer service — drew her to her role and showed her the importance of reliable, easy-to-use IAM.
“I enjoy helping people who are in unfamiliar territory and ensuring they understand the implications of the decisions they’re making,” she explains, “especially when it comes to their safety and security.” At the DeKalb County DA’s Office in Atlanta, there was always a lot at stake. “On any given day, I could be helping to obtain an order of protection or getting a wrongful conviction expunged so someone could get on with their life.”
At FinMkt, she found familiar issues in a brand-new context. “I knew how sophisticated fraud and Identity theft had become from my work at the DA’s office,” she remembers. This turned out to be the ideal experience for understanding the need for privacy protection and fraud detection and prevention in the world of fintech.
“It’s our duty to protect our customers’ data,” she states emphatically. “I love how easily Okta keeps FinMkt secure, and I love it when customers tell me they feel safe using our platform.” Indeed, she reports that her colleagues find that Okta makes it easier to provide top-tier customer support by improving internal processes.
Operating at the speed of business
FinMkt’s engineers have implemented sophisticated risk mitigation processes, but Erskine is keenly aware that complacency and fraud go hand in hand — especially because FinMkt’s products are designed to help people acquire the financing they need as quickly as possible.
“When you’re operating at the speed of business, and especially in a sales environment where closing a deal brings financial rewards, consumers can feel pressured to divulge sensitive information,” she relates. “Risk mitigation, and Identity protection, in particular, must be strong enough to withstand sales pressure.”
So she’s always on the lookout for ways to keep customers safe without slowing down financing workflows. While black-hat users of artificial intelligence (AI) are posing new risks, Erskine also sees AI as part of the solution. “AI is being used for nefarious reasons, so AI-based anti-fraud measures must keep pace,” she says.
Teaming up with Okta to keep customer data secure
It’s precisely this context that makes Erskine’s relationship with the team at Okta invaluable. “It’s not just that Okta is so invested in building the most effective and efficient fraud prevention systems; it’s how far they go to include their customers in the process,” she observes. “While other technology companies release a new product as a done deal, Okta actively solicits our input and includes us in that process, and every new release becomes an opportunity for learning.”
Erskine says that Okta’s emails, webinars, and in-person events about new products, use cases, and best practices help the FinMkt team understand how Okta products work in the background to keep FinMkt’s own platform secure.
That enables Erskine and her teammates at FinMkt to concentrate on providing the most efficient financing options for important life events — from replacing a hurricane-damaged roof to emergency dental surgery.
While she sometimes misses the immediacy of her work at the DA’s office, Erskine believes she’s found the one fintech company that provides her with a similar sense of purpose. “At FinMkt, we’re assisting people in ways that profoundly affect their lives,” she concludes, “and Okta helps us do that safely and securely.”
About FinMkt
FinMkt’s cloud-based technology powers consumer lending, point-of-sale financing, and payment solutions for lenders, healthcare providers, consumer goods companies, and other enterprises. FinMkt offers both turnkey and bespoke SaaS options that integrate with any CRM. Its API-based white-labeled embedded products are supported by live customer service representatives 24/7.
