M. Allen + Global Fintech + AI = Value
Mar 02, 2025
A New Chapter: This Month: Joining a Fintech Powerhouse as Fractional CRO to Drive Transformative Growth
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been selected out of ten companies (competitive process) to embark on an exciting journey, stepping into the role of Fractional Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) on a contract basis with a leading global fintech consultancy renowned for accelerating financial innovation (officially joining March 17th). This organization, a trusted partner to some of the world’s most prominent fintechs and lenders, has a proven track record of leveraging deep credit expertise and cutting-edge AI solutions to fuel growth, optimize risk, and launch groundbreaking credit products. My mission? To bring my decades of experience in financial services—spanning sales and revenue, credit strategy, risk management, and operational scaling—to help our collective clients conquer complex challenges and achieve outsized results.
As a C-suite leader, you’ll appreciate the stakes involved in navigating today’s dynamic financial landscape. The fintech and lending sectors are at an inflection point, where rapid innovation, regulatory scrutiny, and consumer expectations collide. My role as Fractional CRO is designed to be a catalyst for our clients—whether they’re de novo startups, well-funded fintechs, or established banks—delivering strategic oversight and hands-on execution to turn their ambitions into measurable success. Below, I’ll outline the key pain points we’re tackling, the challenges we’re solving, and the transformative outcomes we’ve already achieved for clients, all tailored to resonate with the C-suite mindset.
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Key Pain Points and Challenges We Address
In my initial engagements with the team and our industry, it’s clear that the financial services industry is grappling with a consistent set of pain points. These challenges aren’t just operational hurdles—they’re strategic imperatives that can make or break a company’s growth trajectory. Here’s what we’re collectively focused on:
1. Scaling Growth Without Sacrificing Stability
For many C-suite leaders, aggressive growth is a top priority—whether it’s expanding into new markets, launching new credit products, or scaling loan volumes from 50,000 to 1 million in under a year. But growth without guardrails often leads to unsustainable losses, fraud, or regulatory exposure. I’ve seen fintechs in hyper-growth mode struggle with outdated underwriting models or lack the risk infrastructure to keep pace, resulting in ballooning charge-offs or missed revenue targets.
Their Approach: They deploy AI-powered underwriting models and real-time risk monitoring dashboards to balance growth with resilience. For instance, they overhauled account management strategies and merchant underwriting policies for a Series C fintech in LATAM, cutting losses while boosting repeat borrowing access from 45% to 65%.
2. Modernizing Legacy Systems and Processes
CEOs and CTOs often lament the drag of legacy systems—logistic regression scorecards, convoluted credit policies, or siloed data—that stifle innovation and hurt conversion rates. One subprime auto lender we worked with was losing ground due to poor predictive performance and a fragmented approach to underwriting, leaving them unable to compete with digital-first rivals.
The Approach: They replace outdated frameworks with streamlined AI models that integrate the entire credit lifecycle—from acquisition to collections. For that auto lender, they consolidated three scorecards into a single AI-driven model, achieving a 13% increase in conversion, a 17% drop in loss rates, and a 75% surge in top-tier applications.
3. Speed-to-Market for New Products
For Chief Product Officers and founders, the clock is always ticking. Launching a new credit product—say, a special-interest credit card or a BNPL offering—can take years if you’re starting from scratch, especially without credit expertise or funding in place. One founder we partnered with had deep market knowledge but zero experience in credit, risking delays that could kill their vision.
The Approach: They act as co-founders, accelerating the journey from idea to launch. For that founder, they built a company from the ground up, raised seed and Series A rounds, secured credit facilities, and launched a credit card in just nine months—beating industry norms by a wide margin.
4. Managing Risk in Uncertain Environments
CROs and CFOs know that risk management isn’t just about avoiding losses—it’s about enabling profitable growth. A U.S.-based indirect auto lender launching nationwide faced uncertainty about their applicant mix, threatening their ability to set effective credit policies or predict performance.
The Approach: They optimize models using known data and proprietary insights, delivering robust solutions fast. For that lender, they built a full credit model in under six months, outperforming industry benchmarks across the credit spectrum and ensuring a stable launch.
5. Enhancing Borrower Experience Amid Compliance
Customer-centric CEOs and COOs often find that operational efficiency comes at the expense of borrower satisfaction—think long hold times, payment errors, or rushed foreclosures. Regulatory pressure from bodies like the CFPB only amplifies this tension, with high-profile servicers facing complaints despite strong performance metrics.
The Approach: They integrate AI solutions to reduce errors and improve communication, while ensuring compliance. For a major servicer, they could deploy real-time risk monitoring to catch discrepancies early, potentially slashing CFPB complaints tied to payment processing or foreclosure disputes.
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Key Outcomes Achieved: Real Results for the C-Suite
The proof is in the numbers—and the stories behind them. Here’s how they’ve delivered for clients, with outcomes that speak directly to C-suite priorities:
1. Dramatic Loss Reduction
- Case Study: A global fintech leader (think Klarna-scale) saw losses plummet by 70% after they implemented AI-driven underwriting and tightened risk criteria. This didn’t just protect their bottom line—it freed up capital for reinvestment, a CFO’s dream.
- C-Suite Impact: More predictable P&L, stronger investor confidence, and a competitive edge in cost management.
2. Conversion and Revenue Boosts
- Case Study: For an installment lender, their AI models and pricing strategies doubled response rates and increased applications in the top pricing tier by 75%. Another client saw a 20% lift in conversion rates across their portfolio.
- C-Suite Impact: Higher revenue per customer, improved ROI on marketing spend, and a scalable path to market dominance—music to a CEO’s ears.
3. Accelerated Time-to-Market
- Case Study: They took a credit card concept from whiteboard to market in nine months, raising funds and securing industry-leading terms along the way. Another client scaled from 50,000 to 1 million loans in the same timeframe.
- **C-Suite Impact:** Faster innovation cycles, first-mover advantage, and the ability to capitalize on market windows—a CPO’s strategic win.
4. Profitability Optimization
- Case Study: For one of India’s largest banks, they built AI models and optimization algorithms that increased credit card portfolio profitability by over 10%. A U.S. installment lender gained an NPV model to fine-tune pricing and scenarios, enhancing margins.
- C-Suite Impact: Stronger unit economics, better capital allocation, and a data-driven edge—key for CFOs and boards.
5. Borrower-Centric Resilience
- Case Study: A LATAM fintech improved repeat borrowing access by 20 points while catching 60%+ of merchant fraud earlier, blending growth with borrower trust. Another client reduced voluntary attrition by 9% through lifecycle line management.
- C-Suite Impact: Higher customer lifetime value, lower churn, and a reputation for reliability—priorities for COOs and CEOs alike.
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Special Call Out: Empowering STAR Servicers
As a former servicing executive, I’m particularly excited about our potential to support Fannie Mae’s 2024 STAR Program recipients—servicers recognized for excellence in General Servicing, Solution Delivery, and Timeline Management, yet still facing critical challenges. These organizations, including major players like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Mr. Cooper, Rocket Mortgage, and LoanCare, excel in specific areas but can struggle with borrower satisfaction, legacy system inefficiencies, and CFPB compliance pressures. For instance, we’ve seen high complaint volumes tied to payment processing errors, poor communication, and rushed foreclosures, even among top performers.
How We Can Help: Our collective expertise in AI-powered underwriting, real-time risk monitoring, and strategic digital transformation directly addresses these pain points. We can overhaul legacy systems for servicers like Wells Fargo to streamline payment processes and reduce foreclosure errors, tackling their 2022 CFPB violations head-on. For Rocket Mortgage, we can refine digital-first underwriting to eliminate glitches and accelerate hardship solutions, improving borrower experience. LoanCare could benefit from our monitoring tools to catch risk earlier, reducing reliance on aggressive foreclosure timelines and enhancing support for delinquent borrowers. By partnering with us, STAR servicers can align operational excellence with customer-centric outcomes, strengthening their position in Fannie Mae’s ecosystem and beyond.
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Why This Matters to You
As a trusted advisor and three decade industry executive, I’m not here to deliver theoretical advice—I’m rolling up my sleeves alongside a team of battle-tested experts. Our clients don’t just get consultants; they get partners who’ve managed $1 billion P&Ls, built AI models from scratch, and scaled businesses globally. For C-suite leaders, this means:
- CEOs: Achieve your growth vision without compromising stability or shareholder value.
- CFOs: Protect margins, optimize capital, and reduce risk exposure with precision.
- CROs: Gain cutting-edge tools to manage risk proactively, not reactively.
- CPOs: Launch products faster and smarter, outpacing competitors.
- COOs: Streamline operations and elevate borrower experience, even under pressure.
How We Engage and Next Steps
We offer flexible engagement models tailored to your specific needs, ensuring alignment with your strategic priorities. Here’s how we can partner:
1. Schedule a Discovery Session: Join us for a 1-2 day collaborative workshop where we’ll dive deep into your business model, review your credit strategy, and explore technology infrastructure. We’ll present a gap analysis, quick wins, and a tailored engagement plan to kickstart transformation.
2. Complete Our Self-Assessment: Score your organization across 20 key dimensions—credit strategy, risk management, and growth potential—to identify critical gaps and opportunities where we can add value.
3. Receive a Tailored Statement of Work (SOW): We’ll develop a detailed plan outlining our approach, deliverables, and timelines, ensuring clarity and alignment before launching our partnership.
If you’re a C-suite leader facing these challenges, I invite you to take the next step. Schedule a discovery session with us or complete our self-assessment to explore how we can fuel your growth, optimize risk, and drive transformative outcomes—together. Let’s connect to turn your pain points into opportunities and position your organization for long-term success.
Regards,
Matt Slonaker
Summary deck here: