Grace Macharia, our Customer Success Manager for the Data Team describes herself as someone who is naturally curious, creative and a problem solver. Grace holds a BSc in Applied Statistics in Computing, she joined Cellulant with 5 years of experience in data analysis, which afforded her to work as a health and social researcher.
Still, today she finds herself working in a fintech space because of her love for solving customer queries using data. Grace further described herself as someone passionate about data science and women empowerment, loves travelling and is a sucker for crime shows and true crime documentaries, when she is not busy working with data and making sure to deliver customer delight she is either cooking up a storm in the kitchen trying out new recipes because she relishes on good food or bonding with her family and friends
Here is her Cellulant story:
What attracted you to Cellulant?
The need for a change in career, environment and general growth, influenced me because I had been in a research-based industry for a long time as such Fintech seemed like an interesting space to explore.
Cellulant is a leader in the digital payment industry and that appealed to me because I knew that it would provide a very good environment for me to grow and even explore more opportunities for myself.
What drives you?
This is a difficult question. Sometimes I feel like a programmed robot!
I believe it’s learning new things and meeting goals. I get excited every time I watch a tutorial and implement what I’ve learnt. Meeting goals also gives me a sense of accomplishment (and relief).
What would you say has been the most exciting part of the job?
I must say working for Cellulant, a leading payment network in Africa makes it exciting and knowing am part of a company that is a pan African and is dedicated to shaping the future of payments in Africa just makes it more exciting for me. Another exciting part is that automating reports to real-time means that teams have access to real-time data and insights for their customers and they can easily identify issues and work on resolving them thus making customers happy and retaining them.
What’s the one problem you are solving for clients in this market?
Solving customer incidents through data. Simply put. I use data to expose problems and service issues which need to be addressed. I also work with teams to ensure that we uphold our Service Level Agreement when it comes to incidents and customer queries.
What has been the most rewarding moment?
Getting the work D.O.N.E!
Seeing an improvement in our Service Level Agreement means that the customer incidents and queries are handled within the time stipulated. When problems and service issues that degrade our quality of service are resolved. When a customer expresses their appreciation for the quality of service reports that have been sent to them.
What has been the greatest challenge/learning opportunity about the job?
Cellulant is very fast-paced and sometimes that comes with a lot of pressure and a lot of deliverables. These challenges, however, have helped me to develop different skills such as creativity and problem-solving.
Who has been the biggest influence in your career & why?
My father. He has always believed that I can do anything and he pushes me to do more. I used to hate it when I was younger but now I’ve come to appreciate it.
My managers. I have been fortunate enough to find managers who are invested in my growth and they have provided me with guidance and motivation. and they always challenge me to continuously do better.
What do you love most about working at Cellulant?
Knowing that I am part of a company whose mission is to enable seamless payments for businesses, banks and consumers across Africa. As well as getting the opportunity to work with young and talented people. There is space for creativity and experimenting with different tools and technology. This has led to a lot of learning and growth in my field.
How do you want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as a person who was authentic, reliable, and kind and who lived up to her potential.
On a lighter note, what did you do for fun after office hours?
I inherited wanderlust from my father so I love to travel, I come alive when I’m outdoors. I unwind by watching a comedy or crime show with a delicious meal and a strong drink.
In your own words, what does Cellulant want to do in Africa and why is that inspirational for you?
FABA (For Africans by Africans) We solve Africa’s problems using solutions designed by Africans.
That’s inspirational because I believe that Africans are best suited to solve their problems. After all, they extensively understand them.
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