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매거진 스타트업 마케팅과 홍보

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계정을 잊어버리셨나요?

by Katie Bomi Son 손보미 Apr 23. 2019

콰라소프트 기업인 손보미, 100대 세계 여성 핀테크

가장 핫한 핀테크 스타트업 TOP 10, 콰라소프트 선정

과분하게도 제가 콰라에 오고 나서, 최근 2년 동안 영국/싱가포르의 '래티스80(LATTICE80)' 이 선정하는 'Top 100 Women in Fintech' 에 연속 선정이 되었습니다. 제가 아직도 기여하고, 해내야 할 일이 많은데, 벌써 너무 멋진 감투를 받은 것 같네요. 반성하고, 더 전진해서 이름(타이틀)에 부끄럽지 않게 성과를 내고 싶은 마음입니다.

현재 저는 인공지능(AI) 딥러닝을 활용한 로보어드바이저 서비스를 제공하는 핀테크 스타트업 콰라(QARA, QARAsoft Inc.)의 한국 (공동/각자) 대표, 싱가포르 법인 대표를 맡고 있습니다.

(시간이 어찌나 빠르게 흐르는지... 벌써) 3년 전에 콰라에 합류해서, 작년에 코쇼(KOSHO)라는 앱을 베타 출시하고 글로벌 반응을 이끌어내면서 (겨우겨우) 이번에 정식버전 론칭을 했습니다.

어떤 내용으로 기사화가 되었는지 더 알기 쉽게 적어주신 기사를 공유합니다. 이렇게 기사로 다뤄줘서 넘 고맙네요. https://www.lattice80.com/top-100-women-in-fintech-2019/

2018년, 2019년 연속으로 핀테크 세계 여성 리더 100인에 선정되는 영광을! 감사합니다^^

래티스 80은 지난 2018년부터 금융, 기술 분야에서 두각을 드러내는 세계 여성 리더 100인(Top 100 women in Fintech 2019)을 발표하고 있다. 핀테크 분야에서 성취도와 영향에 따라 선정하는 100인 중 가장 많은 여성리더를 배출한 도시는 런던(17명), 홍콩(12명), 뉴욕(10명), 싱가포르, 샌프란시스코(8명)순이다. 아시아권 리더는 총 28명으로 서울에서는 유일하게 손보미 콰라소프트 대표가 이름을 올렸다.

2017년 8월 콰라소프트에 합류, 글로벌 비즈니스 및 마케팅 영역을 이끌고 있는 손보미 콰라 공동대표는 “콰라의 기술력을 글로벌 서비스에 적용하여 한국뿐만 아니라 해외 시장에서도 승부를 보겠다는 의지로 지난 2년 동안 총 15개국 해외 투자자들을 만나고 시장조사를 해왔다”며 “코쇼 서비스를 시작으로 콰라가 한국의 대표적인 AI 핀테크 업체로, 또 미래 금융혁신에 선두적인 기업으로 성장해 나갈 수 있도록 최선을 다할 것”이라고 밝혔다.

한편 콰라가 선보인 인공지능 로보어드바이저 코쇼는 지난해 5월 29일 한국과 싱가포르에 동시 출시한 이래 2019년 3월 현재 일본, 홍콩, 대만, 중국 등 아시아권을 비롯해 미국, 영국 등 총 8개국에 5개 국어로 서비스되고 있다. 전 세계 사용자 수는 전체 사용자의 약 20%로 나타난다. (출처: 벤처스퀘어 이예화 기자님 http://www.venturesquare.net/777088)

Top 15 Women Leaders in Asia’s Fintech Industry in 2021 - Fintech Singapore

15 female fintech leaders who are driving changes in Asia’s banking, financial services and insurance industry.

fintechnews.sg

해외에서 영문으로 다루어진 기사들이 있습니다. 추가로 인터뷰 요청이 있어서 핀테크 산업 내에서 여성 리더십에 대한 질문에 답변을 하기도 했어요. 그러면서 스스로 반성하고, 스스로 힘내보자 다짐하는 시간도 가졌습니다.

더 자세한 인터뷰는 아래에서 보실 수 있습니다.

https://www.lattice80.com/katie-bomi-son-top-100-women-in-fintech-2019/

This interview is part of a series of interviews featuring female Fintech leaders globally. LATTICE80, in partnership with Miss Kaya, recently published our Top 100 Women in Fintech 2019 list.The effort reflects our efforts in women empowerment and support in a field where women continue to be underrepresented. Check out the full list for 2018 here as well.

Miss Kaya is a lifestyle driven financial platform for the modern woman that aims to empower them to carve their own financial freedom through technologically-empowered financial tools. The mission is to provide the modern women globally with the support, resources, and community they need to live the lifestyle that they want.

Disclaimer: The interviews are published on a rolling basis and the order by which they are published by no means representative of any rankings. This article features an interview with Katie Bomi Son, Global CEO at QARA.

1. Tell us more about what you do and how did you move into Fintech?

At QARAsoft, I am the Global CEO in charge of marketing, business, and global strategy. QARA is a fintech startup that provides asset management & investment services through the financial AI (artificial intelligence, machine learning & deep learning) technology.

Earlier in my career, I started my job as an enthusiastic marketer at Johnson & Johnson, MSD & Pfizer, providing marketing strategy on health care products for a healthier and better world. Then I found my first marketing company called Project AA Inc., which was acquired by a fintech company in 2015. I worked there as a CEO & Founder for 3.5 years. Then I worked for two different fintech companies in Korea.

Now I am working to create a healthy investing culture at QARA. QARA stands for Quant AI Robo-Advisor. We were founded in 2014 with a mission to simplify, educate, and inspire people to make better investment decisions through the AI deep learning technology. Here at QARA, I believe we can eliminate the fear, the confusion, and the high cost. We hope to democratize the financial system so that anybody can learn to invest in a more efficient and healthier way. Our core AI technology can help investors save time, save money, and gain more confidence.

The fastest track you get to know our business is a new application called KOSHO, which has recently been released to 8 different countries worldwide last month. Some people have mistaken us for a “get-rich-quick” type of service. But we can tell you that that’s not our main purpose. Our goal is to help regular people like you and me, and especially people who don’t have the time, money, or the analytical skills to become a better investor. We would like to save their energy by helping them through their investing journey.

2. What does being a woman in Fintech mean to you?

It’s a great opportunity! Because you are unique. It has been a way larger group of males in this industry for a long time but it is changing as female leadership are becoming more involved in delivering more consumer-centric services over the decade. However, it remains a big challenge. It is difficult to communicate for women and create the results, and the diversity may not be supportive of you. As a woman in fintech, I am still learning and struggling with all the different issues and everyday challenges. I feel this is my fate and I am enjoying it by overcoming tough issues and discovering new solutions. This makes you strong by achieving one by one and step by step.

자산관리의 대중화를 꿈꾸며 사업을 하는 이유

제가 경영학을 공부하긴 했지만, 대학생 때 봉사활동하고 다니고, 외국계 기업에서 마케터로 일하다가, 창...

blog.naver.com

3. What challenges do you think women face in Fintech?

There are not many female leaders or role models so you have to think and find ways by yourself most of the time. At the same time, women need cooperation with men. We face barriers in terms of communication, and may be treated as an outsider sometimes in this financial sector. We need to know how to survive in this men-dominated environment.

콰라소프트(Qarasoft) 겨울 인턴분들이 이야기하는 진짜 콰라의 모습!

4. What advice would you give to other women starting out and growing their careers in Fintech?

Stay Positive and Be Confident: No one is perfect and you’ve got to believe that you have a strong power to overcome all the difficulties inside. You have to trust yourself even if you feel afraid of something. We can learn by doing anyway. Also, I believe heaven helps those who help themselves.

Have Courage and Stay true to who you are: High Risk, High Return. No pain and no gain. It may sound cliche but if you do not challenge, nothing happens. I think one female with courage will inspire more women in the near future. Like the saying that ‘The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators’, only the person who has faith in herself is able to be faithful to others.