Meet TrustPay Team: Interview with Soňa Kostanjevcová, Risk Manager

Why did you choose TrustPay?

For me, the process was a bit different. I was right out of school, and my tactic was to take the first job that came my way and then decide what to do next. TrustPay approached me proactively (based on my CV, which I had on Profesia) asking if I would like to come in for a math test, so I thought, why not? I had no idea an interview would follow the test immediately, and I was suddenly signing the contract.

What position are you currently working in, and what do you enjoy most about it?

My position is called Risk Manager, and what I enjoy most about it is the regularly recurring agenda, such as weekly, quarterly, semi-annual reports, or even daily monitoring. Also, our daily risk meetings, held in cooperation with the Compliance Department (a department focused on ensuring compliance with generally binding legal regulations, as well as internal standards), are both interesting and beneficial. They aim to assess new clients and decide whether to accept them into our portfolio. Preparing for these meetings is not always easy, but one almost always learns something new. Often, we share a laugh with the team, which lights up the day and makes it more pleasant.

“Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, which complement each other, thus forming a great team.”

What do you value most about your work, and what is your biggest challenge now?

The biggest challenge for me is getting a parking spot in the company parking lot. 😀
However, if you’re specifically asking about the work environment, a significant challenge for me is improving my skills in SQL. It’s a very useful tool for data processing, and Excel is no longer sufficient in many cases, especially since we are continuously growing and data keeps accumulating.

What I value most about my job is working in a back-office position. Since I’m not really one for leading formal dialogues and presenting in front of a crowd of 2 or more people (which stresses me out quite a bit), I appreciate that I encounter this type of work only minimally and mostly communicate through written channels and internally within the company. Additionally, I appreciate that nobody cares if I wear a hoodie and two-tone pants – which is not a problem at TrustPay in back-office departments.

I also appreciate having my own large desk, being in a closed office, and having access to 2 large monitors. All of this creates a suitable working environment for me, as I need peace and quiet to work.

What are your relationships with colleagues within the company, and how do you evaluate TrustPay’s corporate culture?

Usually, I’ve had mostly male colleagues in the department, and men are generally adaptable, which suits me. Therefore, I perceive our relationship as very good (hopefully, it’s mutual :D). Since only a few of us are in the office, we can always agree on the heating or air conditioning intensity. Similarly, in our work area, each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, which complement each other, thus forming a great team.

What does a typical day look like in your position?

I experience two types of days in my role: when I am responsible for daily risk monitoring and when I am not.

On days with daily risk monitoring, mornings follow a routine. During this time, I prioritize the daily agenda, which involves reviewing card transactions and other variables from the previous day or weekend in our department, followed by approving “merchant funding” for our clients. This approval typically occurs at 10 o’clock, so I make a concerted effort to avoid distractions to meet the deadline calmly. Subsequently, I prepare for the daily risk meeting, usually scheduled for 11 o’clock, by reviewing and analyzing pages related to potential clients.

Following the meeting, there’s typically a lunch break, after which I continue analyzing the morning’s monitoring findings and communicating them with relevant departments (such as compliance and sales) while also recording them internally. Once the daily agenda is complete, and if time permits, I undertake additional tasks such as regular reporting (weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual) or ad hoc reporting/analysis, prioritizing those with set deadlines. Additionally, I manage emails, tickets, and requests from colleagues, encompassing both administrative and analytical tasks.

On days without duty on risk monitoring, I am assigned to authorization monitoring, which is less time-consuming. Therefore, I can devote myself more expansively to the agenda as mentioned earlier.

Any fun moments from working at TrustPay?

Since I am known for my mischievousness, I always enjoy recalling moments like when a colleague, sitting on a chair, leaned back against the backrest which broke. He stretched out fully under the table of a colleague with whom he had just been discussing something. Fortunately, he was not hurt, and they also laughed about it. 😊