Aamir Yousuf is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in the banking and financial industry. With over twenty years of expertise, he has held various leadership positions and played a pivotal role in driving sales, recovery, and business development for renowned institutions including Citibank and Barclays. As the Managing Director of Fintrek Marketing, Aamir leads the company’s sales team, focusing on asset products such as credit cards, loans, and mortgages.
His dedication to delivering exceptional results is evident in his track record of achieving revenue growth and profitability targets. In addition to his role at Fintrek Marketing, Aamir is also the Managing Director of Fintrek Management Consultancy, where he provides risk advisory services encompassing areas like enterprise risk management, internal audit, IT audit, cyber security, and business continuity. With his extensive experience and expertise, Aamir Yousuf is a driving force behind the success and growth of Fintrek Marketing. Learn more through our interview below.
What is the idea behind Your Company?
Fintrek Marketing is a direct sales agency that serves as an intermediary between banks and customers. We offer a wide range of banking products including banking accounts, credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, and Islamic financing. With the banks’ permission, we act as their channel partners and provide their services to clients. Our goal is to deliver exceptional customer service and guide customers through the process of accessing available banking products.
In addition, Fintrek Marketing takes pride in its corporate social responsibility efforts. We are recognized for our role in developing young, energetic graduates into capable sales professionals specializing in financial products. We offer young people a training ground to develop their careers in the financial sector.
How did you embark on your career journey, and do you have any advice for beginners?
I have been in the banking industry across regions for over 28 years and through my years of experience I always had the vision to set up my own venture in the financial industry by developing platforms that act as intermediaries, connecting buyers and sellers or even different financial stakeholders. The firm’s vision has always been to provide excellent customer service to differentiate us from competitors. Fintrek Marketing started with eight employees and one office, and now, after nine years, it operates from 12 different locations in the UAE with more than 600 staff. Like many businesses, we have also encountered challenges including the pandemic, that required us to adapt to the changing business environment. With capable and strong management guidance, we have quickly been able to not only withstand but grow our business.
For every new entrepreneurial/ start up journey lack of capital resources and competition can prove challenging and in such times, it is advisable to spend wisely on the business acquisition, hire a capable talent force and invest in tools and technology that provide an edge.
What is the goal of Your Company? What problem are you solving with it?
Fintrek Marketing is a service-oriented company aimed at becoming a leading channel partner for all banks in the UAE. Additionally, we strive to offer opportunities for young and talented individuals to join our organization and become future financial consultants.
By being the intermediary we are able to help banks meet their customer expectations, particularly where banks have extensive portfolios. It also helps increase customer satisfaction and reduce HR costs for banks if they were to have such talented workforce on their payroll.
How important are employees’ energy levels for the success of Your Company?
The employees are the most critical resource in making the success of our organization. Our staff are highly motivated individuals who work in a strong culture. We empower our employees to be good managers and leaders and have strong succession planning for career development.
How do you plan to motivate your team to go the extra mile?
The management vision is embodied by all staff and we have regular training sessions and career orientation programs to ensure all teams are working towards their goal which is a building block for the overall organization goal. We believe in transparency towards organizational goals and milestones and this has worked as a strong motivator for all employees. Fintrek Marketing also has a strong incentive plan that recognizes exceptional performers and constant training and guidance programs are implemented by HR to upskill all staff.
What keeps Your Company moving forward, even in the face of challenges?
Analyzing the situation, conducting excellent forecasting, swiftly implementing strategies, and fostering employee flexibility to embrace change in response to the external environment are crucial factors.
In your opinion, how is technology driving changes in businesses, and do you believe it is aiding the growth of Your Company?
Yes, the impact of technology on businesses is significant. For our business, the implementation of technology has expanded our reach to customers, reduced costs, and accelerated processing turnaround time. We now engage with customers through digital channels, which enhances their comfort and convenience. Banks are transitioning from traditional paper-based applications to using iPads for customer acquisition.
How is Your Company adapting to digitalization?
We have made significant progress in digital marketing. One of the initial steps we took was actively advertising on various digital platforms. We have a presence on all major social media platforms, and over the years, the number of followers for Fintrek Marketing has consistently grown. We utilize social media to showcase our successful events, office achievements, and new initiatives. Moreover, our sales team uses applications for customer acquisition, replacing the need for physical paperwork.
Fintrek Marketing has successfully kept pace with the ongoing digitalization, and we are on par with the market in terms of our digital presence and strategies.
Do you use innovative ideas to be unique?
We have created personalized service for our customers’ preferences and demonstrated a strong commitment to social responsibility. That stands out among the market competition and makes us a unique company. We have a special process of quality check in which we contact our customers to get feedback on the service and improve from their suggestions.
Would you like to say anything else to our viewers?
Every start-up company has a great chance for success in Dubai due to one of its biggest advantages: the unwavering support and encouragement from the government of Dubai for new businesses. The process of establishing a company in Dubai is comparatively easy and fast when compared to other countries, and as you progress, the continuous support from the government remains highly favorable and beneficial for your business.