Biggest Challenges Faced By A Senior Manager Financial Alliances And Strategy At LiquiLoans
Arnav's career progression, encompassing auditing, investment banking, and internal strategy at a FinTech startup, reveals a preference for structured roles initially, transitioning to a desire for responsibility and impactful contributions. The startup experience, in particular, allowed for rapid growth, "at the age of 24, 25, in charge of six or seven people," and the opportunity to "learn from some of the best guys in the industry," directly informing current work and future career goals.
Financial Sector Expertise, Startup Environment, Career Progression, Strategic Thinking, Leadership Experience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Arnav Sutaria
Sr. Manager - Financial Alliances & Strategy
LiquiLoans (FinTech Startup)
University of Mumbai, 2018
None, professional certification - Chartered Accountant (India)
Accounting
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Strategic Management and Executive
International Student
Video Highlights
1. In his audit role, Arnav appreciated the structured environment, established frameworks, and readily available resources for professional development and staying current on industry trends and regulations.
2. His investment banking experience provided broad exposure to various financial sectors, enabling him to gain a surface-level understanding of numerous companies and industries.
3. Arnav's startup role offered early managerial responsibilities, a flexible and open work environment that fostered learning from senior management, and valuable skills applicable to future career pursuits and business school applications.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your current role?
I'll probably answer this with all three roles. With audit, the good part is it was a very structured role. The entire template and system are defined for you. If you work for a larger firm, they will have nice frameworks and a body of knowledge.
They will have information on accounting standards and industry trends. You can learn about the market and new financial reporting standards. They'll also cover regulator proposals and upcoming changes.
For example, in India, we transitioned from Indian GAAP to Ind AS, which aligns with international financial standards. Companies had roadmaps, protocols, and manuals prepared for this. There were also manuals on auditing best practices.
These manuals covered how to understand a business, materiality thresholds, and what numbers to investigate. If you want an organized and structured job, auditing is a good option.
Investment banking offered the opportunity to learn a lot about the financial sector and different types of companies within it. I learned about insurance companies, banks, non-banking finance companies, and mutual funds. This is a more surface-level understanding compared to audit.
Internal strategy was enjoyable because I moved from an analyst to a manager role. Startups often give you a lot of responsibility early on. The more you own that responsibility, the more you receive. At a young age, you can manage people, which normally takes longer in larger companies.
Startups offer flexibility. We had an open-door policy, allowing me to share ideas with my boss. He would then point out flaws, and we would rework it. Within three to six months, we could implement something new.
The ability to speak with different levels, especially senior management, is a benefit at startups. You can learn from experienced individuals. You will talk to senior management and benefit from their wide range of experience.
For me, the startup role was the most valuable for business school. Many of the skills I learned there are still useful today, even in job recruitment. It's important to work in a variety of roles or find one you like and make it your own.
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