Andaria has been attracting a number of global powerhouse brands as it has been making headway in the world of financial services, especially in the sports and mobility sectors. WhosWho.mt has caught up with Sarah Oliva, Chief Operating Officer to discuss how Andaria has been making waves in the world of fintech and what gives it its cutting edge over its competition.

“Our ambition is to go beyond being a run of the mill fintech company, as we aim to create seamlessly integrated solutions that empower our clients,” Sarah claims. “As providers of Embedded Finance solutions, our holistic approach and our team of professionals’ attention to detail, certainly provides the necessary peace of mind for our portfolio of clients, which we are pleased to note has being going from strength to strength.” Licensed as a Financial Institution in Malta through the MFSA and in the UK through the FCA, Andaria is a leader in Embedded Finance solutions, which are billed to be the future of financial services as we know it.

“Through Embedded Finance, the entire customer experience is revolutionised. Our clients can offer their customers a seamlessly integrated platform, that can include a suite of payment and financial products directly into their existing interfaces. No matter what their business is, they can take advantage of our expertise in the fintech world and provide a complete cohesive experience,” Sarah explains.

“By increasing customer engagement, businesses are more likely to keep their customers happy. Naturally, a happy customer is a returning customer, which means better prospects for the business in the long run.”

Embedded Finance also allows businesses to reward loyal customers, making it more enticing to return with further trade in the future. “Furthermore, Andaria can also offer branded debit cards, which are piquing the interest of leading sporting brands which will be able to allow their supporters to display their affection for their favourite club, while benefitting from rewards and discounts. Embedded Finance effectively creates new revenue opportunities for businesses, while decreasing operational costs,” Sarah continues. With over 15 years of experience working in financial services, Sarah is responsible for running the operations arm of the company, leading a multi-disciplinary team of eight professionals, providing the necessary structure and support for all the other departments to function efficiently.

“The Operations function of the company provides complete visibility into all the goings on of the enterprise. We are responsible for looking into prospective clients, assisting existing ones in all their needs, and making sure they are retained for as long as possible,” Sarah explains.

“It is a huge group effort,” Sarah continues, as she acknowledges the hard work her team puts into every workday. “They are my arms and my legs, and we wouldn’t be able to achieve half of what we achieve without them. My style of leadership relies heavily on trust. I believe that by motivating my team, I am empowering them to reach higher goals for their own growth, the benefit of our unit, but most critically the benefit of the firm.”

Challenges in the world of financial services are never-ending and bountiful, as clients are always coming up with new ideas and requests, which Andaria is only too keen to cater for.

“Sometimes we get requests to assist with financial transfers into new jurisdictions, or new currencies. Naturally such requests call for complete checks and protocols to be in place, most often working against the clock, since time would be extremely sensitive. Happily, we note that thanks to the dedication of our teams in the different units and sections of the company, we always manage to meet our clients’ requests, enabling their businesses to continue growing,” Sarah notes.

“Furthermore, we are also capable of carrying out data analysis projects, helping our clients to better make sense of the vast amount of data they would be generating on the daily. Big data and the efficient evaluation of it, is what is making all the difference in the 21st century economy, enabling better, more precise decisions that will make all the difference for companies,” Sarah explains.

Andaria has been disrupting the status quo in the world of Fintech, by being a catalyst for innovation and change. Certainly, the company has been on the forefront of gender equality. With a team of 60 skilled professionals operating from Malta as well as the UK, Andaria boasts a gender-blind policy with one third of senior management being female.

“Gender plays absolutely no role in the appointment of staff at any level, as all posts are filled according to experience, qualifications and plain meritocracy,” Sarah affirms. “Opportunities are open and available to all at Andaria, making it the ideal employer organisation,” she concludes.