Can you tell us about your current job position as Chief Wholesale Financing Officer?
I’m in charge of the Wholesale Financing and Customer Relations Direction in Argentina. This job involves two dimensions. First, we have the responsibility of looking after the financial health of the dealers network of Renault and Nissan in Argentina, in order to assure the necessary credit lines required to comply with the car builders’ invoicing targets, and of course assuring the collection of the debts. The main challenge today is to take care of the company’s profitability by controlling the cost of risk, all in a particularly difficult scenario of economic and financial crisis, with a going down market, and high levels of exchange and interest rates.
My second role, more linked to the retail activity, is taking care of the customer’s frequent complaints, looking for solutions that assure them the best possible experience with our products, through call centers, web sites, chat bots, for example. In my division, we need to be prepared for attending customers claims and be ready for giving them quick answers and solutions. I also act as the official face of the company for the customers and the central bank.
What do you think about your career path within the company? What was you major challenge?
My career? Unexpected, years rush!! It seems like yesterday that I’ve joined the company looking for the challenge of managing a team, and now I find myself being part of the local management committee. Besides jokes, I guess the point is giving the best of you at all times, and look always for the added value in your work. In the end, opportunities will appear. I’ve worked on many projects that I’m proud of: regulatory ones, process improvement, others. But I’d say managing the relationship with the central bank was my heaviest project. You have to gain their trust and respect each day.
Before joining the group, you used to work in other banks. To you, what are the key differences in your daily work, compared with a regular bank?
The main difference is that in a regular bank, you usually have stable activities, impacted by regulations and market ups and downs, but normally the electrocardiogram is quite flat. Whereas in the car industry, these market fluctuations are really fast and significant, so the combination of both financial and commercial activities turns up into a big snow ball. You really need to be prepared to face it. But this adrenaline makes the business so attractive!
