Nicky Senyard is CEO and Founder at Fintel Connect. Their mission is to disrupt performance marketing in the fintech space by providing greater transparency, scalability and growth.
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The path to leadership in fintech isn’t always linear, and for many women, it comes with unique challenges. But for Nicky Senyard, CEO and Founder of Fintel Connect, success has always been about collaboration, adaptability, and creating opportunities for others.
What started as a desire to build a career that allowed flexibility for family turned into a pioneering journey in performance marketing and financial technology. In this interview, she shares her thoughts on scaling businesses, the importance of workplace inclusivity, and how AI is reshaping fintech and marketing. She also reflects on the challenges women still face in leadership—and what needs to change to achieve true gender parity.
As part of FinTech Weekly’s International Women’s Day initiative, we’re proud to share her insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the evolving role of women in fintech.
R: You have built a remarkable career in performance marketing and fintech, leading innovative companies in the space. What first drew you to this industry, and what motivated you to start your own ventures?
N: What motivated me to start my own venture was simple. I wanted to be able to work and have a family. And the easiest path for that was working for myself and enjoying the flexibility that affords.
What drew me to affiliate marketing as an industry is it is a place where collaboration can make a difference. I love working with people to come up with a win-win-win scenario.
Funnily enough, the finance industry found us. A financial client saw what we were doing in another niche market and wanted to leverage that expertise. It was a happy accident, as I really enjoy the intricacies of Financial Services and the people that work in the space. Also, finance matters. It is a subject that touches everyone. And having a role to play in getting the right content into the hands of people that need it is interesting to me.
R: Over the years, you’ve navigated significant changes in digital marketing and financial technology. What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned as an entrepreneur, and how have they shaped your leadership style?
N: The biggest lessons I’ve learnt as an entrepreneur is that it’s never about you, it’s about the team. Secondly, every challenge has a solution and usually the solution is a collaboration of ideas.
This has shaped my leadership style as I’ve had to have the courage to let go of the details and trust the people on the journey with me. It is my role as CEO to be clear on the vision of the company, but I don’t need to be responsible for all of the ‘how’s’ to achieving that vision.
R: Scaling a business is always a challenge, especially in industries that are constantly evolving. What were some of the key obstacles you faced while growing your companies, and how did you overcome them?
N: A key obstacle when scaling and growing a business is not having all the information or comprehension at the beginning of the journey. You often start with what you think is important and uncover more layers and information as you go. And the theory that you start with is not the logic you end up implementing, but that’s not to say that any iteration is wrong. It is a continual process of learning. Also, learning a new industry is hard, or it should be if you want to establish deep roots.
The only way to overcome this challenge is to be flexible, and to not be afraid to pivot.
R: As part of our International Women’s Day initiative, we’re exploring the barriers women still face in the workplace. In your experience, what are the biggest challenges for women in leadership today, and what needs to change to achieve true gender parity?
N: I’ve considered an answer to questions like this for many years. The answer I always come back to is around childcare being a significant barrier for women. I’ve been fortunate enough to work and have a family, and my observation is that the workforce loses a lot of intellect and intelligence when women can’t come back to work because of the needs of their families.
One thing I find curious, is that women aren't given positions, they really have to work hard to earn them. Often when you see a woman in a leadership position they excel, because of this ‘earned’ mentality they continue to prove themselves and strive for excellence in their role.
R: One of the factors contributing to the gender pay gap is that women are often expected to balance caregiving responsibilities with their careers. From your perspective, do you think professional success still requires women to choose between family and career, or is this changing?
N: I think it is changing, the stigma with having a family and a career simultaneously is being removed. Previous thinking around having divided loyalties, between home life and work life and not being able to do both, is not as prevalent.
Pay equity is making it easier for women to have choices. We are not all the way there yet, women are still getting paid less than men, however the closing of the gap is providing more opportunities (than there was twenty, forty, etc years ago) and different conversations.
R: The fintech and performance marketing landscapes are becoming increasingly competitive. What trends or innovations do you find most exciting right now, and where do you see the industry heading in the next few years?
N: We're witnessing how AI is disrupting every sector. In performance marketing, it is changing how search algorithms work. Now we’re seeing summaries before links, which is making some affiliates and influencers diversify their channels to video and email marketing so they can rely less on organic search.
AI is also being used to generate content, but due to the strict compliant nature of financial advertising, AI will need to be used cautiously when it comes to creating and optimising performance marketing campaigns.
In fintech, AI is a hot topic when it comes to recent innovations. From automating customer service to assessing credit risk, AI is popping up everywhere. I am particularly excited about how AI can assist compliance teams in financial marketing.
AI-powered tools can automate content monitoring, detect regulatory issues in real time, and streamline compliance workflows. This allows for growth and the exploration of additional advertising channels and tactics without the need for increased manual oversight to ensure that content remains compliant.
With the regulatory shifts, market dynamics and economic and political challenges, the road ahead is uncertain. To thrive, FinServ companies must adopt a sustainable growth model, this includes managing resources efficiently, investing in talent, and leveraging partnerships.
R: On International Women’s Day, what message would you like to share with women who aspire to become entrepreneurs and leaders in their respective fields?
N: First and foremost, follow your passion. Then focus on your own successes no matter how humble or small they are. They are yours. And yours to celebrate. Small milestones are not only more achievable, they often build to become a significant part of something beautiful and much ‘bigger’.
Running a company wasn’t my original goal, it was around being able to work for myself when having a family. What has been enjoyable and truly fulfilling has been the accomplishments along the way.
I often get asked about the big milestones of my career, such as successfully exiting a business, and when I look back at my career it’s a tapestry of smaller moments that make me proud and content that I have achieved my goals and provided opportunities for others.
