Why I left the world of financial services for Quantum Metric.

Harnessing the power of technology and data to deliver innovative products and world class customer experiences is increasingly becoming the differentiator between companies that thrive and those struggling to survive. This has become glaringly apparent in financial services as fintechs become a bigger part of the ecosystem and non-traditional businesses like Amazon are considering moving into the space.

I’ve spent the last 17 years working in financial services, with that time split between MassMutual and Fidelity. As fintech startups entered the market unencumbered by legacy platforms and old ways of doing things, these organizations recognized that they needed to invest in technology and data analytics if they wanted to keep up with the new competition. 

While working at MassMutual, I was introduced to Quantum Metric. Almost right away I was blown away by the types of analytics offered by the Quantum Metric platform, as well as by the company’s approach to working with customers. I am a strong believer in the need to be customer-centric and Quantum Metric empowers companies to do just that on their digital platforms.  

The jump from Fortune 500 companies like Bain & Co, Fidelity Investments, and MassMutual, to Quantum Metric might sound crazy, but I can safely say that shifting from a large, established company to a scrappy startup environment makes a lot of sense for the next phase of my career. 

Here’s a look at how I built my career and why Quantum Metric is the best next step for me.

Learning the ropes at MassMutual, Fidelity, and Bain.

Most people grow their career by developing deep expertise in a particular area, or developing a broad understanding of how the business operates by moving across functions. Throughout my time at Bain, Fidelity, and MassMutual, I took the latter approach, working in strategy consulting, marketing, product development, sales/service development, educational content creation and digital experiences in both the B2C and B2B2C markets.  

Across every function, a common theme arose: digital was becoming a bigger component of the customer experience. When companies ignore or neglect digital, they risk losing customers. COVID-19 has accelerated this trend, and increased my interest in getting closer to the customer through digital experiences.

Now, as I look ahead in my career, I want to have the opportunity to make a bigger impact on the organization that I’m working for, and I want to do it in the digital space.  

Working at Bain, Fidelity and MassMutual afforded me the opportunity to work on some large scale, visible projects, but it was often challenging to fast-track solutions given the amount of stakeholders involved in every decision. Also, each squad controls only a portion of the overall solution, resulting in significant dependencies across the organization which slows down progress too.  

The leap from big company to scrappy startup.

In a small company, you may not have the same level of support, meaning that you need to be willing and ready to roll up your sleeves, but your impact is greater and broader reaching. You have the ability to take risks, learn from mistakes, and continuously iterate as you strive to build a better solution. 

I’ve been considering moving to a smaller company for a while now, but I’ve been hesitant to take the leap. The companies that I have worked for will be around for a very long time and they offer fantastic opportunities that are hard to leave behind. Going to a small, relatively new company, you can’t be sure about how long it will be around. Also, will my startup have a rewarding exit? Am I going to feel like an old timer amongst a much younger workforce?  Sure, these concerns continue to linger in my head, but my excitement for being a part of something that is on an incredible growth trajectory and has the potential to be the next stand out IPO has put my concerns to rest. 

Here’s why I joined Quantum Metric.

Working with Quantum Metric at MassMutual, and seeing what the platform can deliver, made seeking a job here a no-brainer. Our philosophy of passion, persistence, and integrity resonates with me. And more importantly, so does Quantum’s methodology, Continuous Product Design, which promotes building empathy for the customer as the way to ensure that digital solutions are not only meeting the customer’s needs, but also delighting them. 

I joined Quantum Metric to head up industry marketing efforts for financial services and insurance. I am proud to bring my deep FSI experience to the team as I help us grow relationships with companies in the industry.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to learn more about Quantum Metric’s CPD solution and/or are interested in hearing about opportunities at Quantum Metric (we’re hiring!).

If you’re interested in learning more, you can check out our insurance roundtable with Forrester from last month, The state of digital adoption in insurance.