About Me

I got into the Financial industry by accident.

In my early 20’s, I was in that stage of life where you don’t give much thought to a long-term career.  My focus was on paying rent for a tiny apartment while trying to figure out what I wanted out of life.  I didn’t think about a career, I just needed to pay the bills.  We’ve all been there.

While working temp jobs, I interviewed for a position as an assistant to a financial advisor.  I didn’t even know what stocks were, let alone mutual funds, foreign currencies or global investments.  Finance, to me, was a scary, complicated world where tall guys in business suits on Wall Street negotiated huge business deals too detailed for the average person to understand.  No one was more surprised than I to find that it wasn’t as complex as I initially thought, and I grew to love it.

Moving to Israel taught me 3 very important things that helped me in my career:

1. Reinventing your career is crucial.

Continuing in my field without taking into consideration differences in culture and business needs would have been an enormous mistake.

2. Everyone is an entrepreneur.

From cab drivers to bank tellers to my child’s kindergarten teacher, everyone thinks they’ve got the next Waze or Uber.  Cutting through the bull and time-wasters is an acquired skill.  Do I have my own startup idea?  You bet.

3. Never underestimate the power of networking.

Native Israelis have a built-in close network of contacts from childhood, school, army service, etc.  Immigrants don’t have this.  We create it ourselves.

Reinventing My Career

Financial advisory services are almost non-existent in Israel, so I knew I had to tailor my financial background to something else.  I entered the Forex industry, where I spent 9 years learning about the huge trillion-dollar industry that is Currency Trading.  I found this absolutely fascinating.  An online trading platform allows people worldwide to try their hand trading foreign currencies.  Previously, the industry was relegated to corporations, banks or the ultra-wealthy.  At some point in time, it changed & was opened to retail traders.

I learned a lot about how finance works in other countries work, what is the cultural norm in different places and how the flow of money has such a huge potential for positive (or negative) impact across the globe.

Taking Risks

I’d been involved with a Business Management & Consulting startup in the early 2000’s, just towards the end of the dot-com bust.  After a long stint in the corporate world, I took a risk and joined a Fintech startup.  It was an incredible experience, being a part of something so different, where people are intensely passionate about what they’re trying to change.  The 9-to-5’ers have got nothing on the entrepreneurial crowd!

My part in the startup came to an end, but it opened me up to new ideas and a lot of fantastic people.  I mentioned earlier the importance of networking.  Meeting so many other people all doing truly innovative things, I confess, I found myself bit by the proverbial startup bug.

While on the hunt for a new position, I spent time attending networking events, meeting more business people & expanding my network.  Writing has always come easily to me & I’ve naturally gravitated towards writing-related projects at almost every previous job.  I also began writing articles & blogs about topics that are important to me, such as women’s career advancement, changing corporate culture and of course, Fintech.  I started Fintech Advisor, an industry news site to bring attention to startups doing truly innovative things.

I’ve also come up with a great solution to a common retail consumer-related problem.  But I’m keeping that to myself, in stealth mode…for now.

In the meantime, I’ve had my hands in a lot of different professional pots, so to speak.  From senior & executive management positions to marketing projects, content writing & Fintech, I am one of the most well-rounded, experienced business people I know.

http://www.fintechadvisor.me/http://www.fintechadvisor.me/Growing companies need people with a 360-degree business view who can use their talents in Leadership, Marketing, BizDev drive the company’s vision forward.  My senior management experience can be a great match for the right team.