This month marks 5 months at Vaas, and at times, it feels like I've been here for a lifetime (I'll tell you why in another blog). But, on the other hand, my mind is exploding with all the ideas and possibilities for innovation in a world that, naively, I thought I knew perfectly.
My career has always been related to financial companies: Fintechs, SOFOMES, and SOFIPOS, working directly in the finance teams of these companies. And well, although there are exceptions, finance teams are generally the last in line for technological innovations. So here we are, the financial warriors, dealing with operations worth hundreds of millions of dollars... with Excel as our shield and sword! 🪖
When I joined Vaas, I came with an open mind. I had already worked with them as a supplier, but I didn't know what awaited me inside the company.
And surprise, I found a team of financial, product, and technology geniuses who not only understand the problem, but live and breathe it daily! These experts are not only building the best platform in terms of technology, but they are also working alongside the finance teams to cover those gaps that sometimes the financial and legal systems leave open. Together, we are creating a much more robust, efficient, and accurate financial ecosystem.
Also, I'm learning that the theory of "customer excellence" can be infinite, but practice is simple when done right: understanding what the customer needs, solving it, and being there, accompanying them every step of the way: PRESENT, UNDERSTANDING, and SOLVING.
I love watching how companies try to win over their customers. And what I've learned at Vaas is truly a wow. Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to achieve. The trick is to stop seeing the customer as just another number in Excel (which, by the way, we already have plenty of in finance). They are real people, professionals, and we are together in this great mission to improve the financial ecosystem... and along the way, of course, build the best Debt Capital Markets platform in the world.
So far, my biggest "wow" at Vaas has been this. The ability to seamlessly, genuinely, and efficiently integrate the capabilities of such a robust platform like Vaas with the detailed and sometimes consultative attention we offer to our clients. Here, they get first-hand support from the first prospecting contact all the way until they close their deals, AND OF COURSE, in the day-to-day of their transactions.
For example, watching how the Capital Markets team works with clients, Pao and Tincho are true heroes without capes when it comes to capital markets operations. I've watched them work with so much detail, as if it were their own transactions. In some cases, I'm sure they know one or more credit contracts by heart. They become part of our clients' Capital Markets team at a level even the team itself doesn't know. They get excited when the transaction goes well and get upset when something affects it. What I would've given to have this kind of support when I was in the trenches!
After working at Nubank and seeing up close what top-notch customer service looks like, I can confidently say that the key to success is that genuine connection and care for the clients. At Vaas, I not only found a team of brainiacs (those who could program in different languages, and I'm not just referring to code), but people who treat clients as if they were lifelong colleagues: those friends you want to see succeed, who inspire you to give your best.
Here, we've earned the respect of both borrowers and lenders because we know the atomic detail of the headaches the system brings. And although we know Rome wasn't built in a day, we're convinced that step by step, we're making this debt world a more accessible and transparent place.
At Vaas, we care not only that our clients have the best technological tools to manage their debt lines efficiently but also about the people behind those operations. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about figures and numbers, but about helping those who are there behind the screen to do their job with more confidence and success. And, why not, with a smile.
So yes, Vaas may seem young in age, but it is, in fact, an old and experienced company at heart, one that brings people and technology together in a perfect balance, strengthening the ecosystem that helps our companies grow.
