International Women’s Month Series: Novie Marlika

Meet the women advancing Grab Financial Group's (GFG) mission of driving financial inclusion across Southeast Asia by empowering small businesses with the capital to grow and enabling individuals to improve their financial well-being. Find out what excites them about the burgeoning FinTech scene, their aims at GFG, leadership styles and advice for aspiring women leaders to #breakthebias and thrive.

Novie Marlika, VP of Customer Experience at OVO, GFG's FinTech arm in Indonesia, oversees the handling of all its interactions with users and merchants, and aims to maximise customer satisfaction via consistent service excellence and customised interactions where possible. If she could have one superpower, it would be the ability to help others in need. She firmly believes in making the most of every moment and in creating precious memories with her friends, family and four adorable cats.

1. What do you enjoy most about being in FinTech and what FinTech trends excite you?

I'm most excited about emerging innovations that advance financial inclusion. In particular, it has been incredibly rewarding to be able to directly support those impacted by the pandemic. In April 2020, the Indonesian Government launched the Kartu Prakerja (Pre-employment Card) initiative, a state-stimulus programme providing professional development training and social assistance for job-seekers impacted by the pandemic, with disbursements conducted in partnership with a state-owned bank and four e-money platforms-including OVO. To date, OVO has successfully made over three million disbursals and it heartens me to know that we played a role in supporting these beneficiaries during their time of need.

2. As a leader, what drives you?

Numbers, market share, market value, user flow, data flow and faster response time-all these are definitely important KPIs that drive me and my team. At the same time however, values are equally if not more so important, and these are shaped by our principles, character, and experience. My values serve as a compass which points to my true north when I need to make important decisions.

3. What do you find most challenging as a leader and how do you overcome them?

Managing Contact Centres, I work in a people-focused field. Although we might have automated or user self-help tools to support us, customer service has and will always be about people. As we seek to deliver great results for our users and merchants, I'm mindful that these are delivered by our team and recognise that building relationships with our users and merchants should not come at the expense of relationships with team members. Having said this, it can be easy to lose sight of this at times when one is trying to meet ambitious performance targets, so I'm very conscious about it. As a leader, I also strive to be clear about our goals and convey them in a manner that excites team members such that they are raring to come onboard - not the easiest to do, but I try my best

4. What can be done to #BreakTheBias and bring about greater gender equality?

As a woman leader, I believe in the need to lead by example and to speak up and challenge the status quo if needed. At the same time, it's crucial to be mindful that bringing about gender equality is not about men versus women, but about working together to #BreakTheBias, and transforming limitations and barriers into opportunities for change.

5. What advice do you have for aspiring women leaders to #BreakTheBias and thrive?

Be the best version of yourself, and believe that you can do anything, in any field. There are no limits to what you can do and don't let others hold you back. Be true to yourself, what you believe in and who you are, and don't hold back in presenting that to the world. Remember that you can never regain lost time, so don't let fear hold you back and seize the opportunity to make each moment count!

Stay tuned for more in this International Women's Month series!