13 Sep 2023
1. What did you do before joining Sogexia?
Before joining Sogexia, I worked in compliance consulting for major Luxembourg banking players (retail and investment banks).
Before that, I was an URSSAF inspector. Through my past and present experiences, I have always worked in the field of control and risk management.
2. Why did you join Sogexia?
I was immediately attracted by the opportunity to take responsibility for compliance in a young fintech and to develop the entire financial security policy.
3. How would you sum up the recruitment process?
In the compliance department, we focus on the skills and potential that each new member of staff could bring to our teams. Our recruitment process generally takes place in 4 phases, depending on the job profile we are looking for:
- A preliminary check of the applications received;
- An initial telephone interview to discuss the initial reasons for applying and to identify the candidate’s interest in the position;
- An assessment of the candidate’s business knowledge in the form of multiple-choice questions. The candidate is then debriefed on some of the answers given to analyse their reasoning;
- An in-depth discussion of the candidate’s motivations and interpersonal and professional skills.
4. What impressed you about the integration process?
Sogexia is a medium-sized company, so our induction process is not comparable to that of a very large company, which has a very extensive HR process, particularly in terms of career planning. Despite this, we place great emphasis on welcoming new employees, training them and building loyalty among our recruits.
5. Tell us about your role as Compliance Officer at Sogexia.
A financial institution is governed by a set of laws and ethical principles that ensure the financial security of the company and its employees. The job of Compliance Officer falls within the scope of these laws. It is the compliance officer who is responsible for drawing up the rules, in agreement with senior management.
They are often referred to as “compliance officers”. The compliance officer is responsible for identifying, assessing and managing compliance risks and implementing risk mitigation measures.
He or she is also responsible for developing procedures and traceability tools to facilitate the implementation of these restrictive but necessary rules. Once these rules have been put in place, the Compliance Officer must ensure that they are properly applied, through rigorous and meticulous monitoring.
6. What qualities are needed to be a successful Compliance Officer?
To perform this role, you need to master certain key legal, financial and commercial skills. They need to know all the regulations and legislation in place. They must also be constantly on the lookout for new developments in control systems.
A good compliance officer is particularly meticulous and detail-oriented. They are therefore organised and methodical in their control work.
They are honest, and their work requires an acute sense of ethics and responsibility. Advising all staff and decision-makers, they must demonstrate a degree of diplomacy and teaching skills. Good interpersonal skills and good writing skills are obvious assets for this position.
7. How would you sum up your day-to-day work as Compliance Officer at Sogexia?
Implementing compliance processes.
Faced with constantly changing standards, my first task is to identify the regulations, legislation and European directives applicable to Sogexia. In order to anticipate legislative and regulatory changes, I have to keep a regular regulatory watch.
I then list all the procedures and methodologies governing Sogexia’s services. I may have to put in place processes to ensure compliance with previously identified standards, introduce ethical rules (an anti-corruption code of conduct, a compliance charter, etc.) or draw up a risk map.
Ensuring compliance with regulations and processes.
Throughout my assignment, I ensure that the actions of Sogexia’s departments comply with regulations and processes. To do this, I conduct audits in the various departments, carry out checks and draw up activity reports.
I assess the situation of customers or suppliers and issue recommendations before any commercial operation.
I continue my monitoring work and regularly alert Sogexia’s management to problems encountered and changes to processes that need to be made.
Communication and training.
To ensure that the actions of the company’s departments are compliant, I also communicate regularly with department managers and teams about the procedures to be followed. I coordinate and implement training initiatives for employees.
8. What has been your greatest challenge as Compliance Officer?
Convincing all Sogexia staff of the need to apply the rules and procedures in place. The rules should not be seen as an obstacle but as a framework for the company.
My duty is to inspire a feeling of trust and not be seen as a censor by my staff, either by management or by the business lines.
9. Which of Sogexia’s 6 values resonates most with you and why?
Innovation. Sogexia operates in a highly competitive European market.
To enable us to offer products and services that meet the expectations of our current and future customers, while setting us apart from our competitors, we have to build a growth strategy around innovation, including for the compliance department.
This often requires challenging existing practices and being open to exploring new ideas.
Sogexia’s 6 values:
- Excellence: Providing high-quality services, ensuring an exceptional customer experience at every interaction;
- Innovation: Constantly seeking to adopt new technologies and innovate to improve the customer experience;
- Accessibility: Making payment accounts accessible to everyone, regardless of their geographical or financial situation;
- Transparency: Offer a 100% pay-as-you-go pricing model, with no hidden conditions or charges;
- Responsibility: Protect our customers’ data and funds at all times;
- Empathy: Improve our services based on feedback from our customers.
10. You worked for other companies before joining Sogexia. Can you describe how your experience at Sogexia differs from your previous ones?
Sogexia is an exciting adventure. Unlike very large organisations (public authorities and institutional private companies), Sogexia allows us to evolve in an innovative environment on a human scale.
The company also has a real desire for excellence in its work, but in a caring environment.
