Through the lens of the media you often just see one side of finance, Wall Street traders and stock charts make up most of the images that grace your screens. At How To Money we know there’s a lot more to finance than that, and there are countless individuals working in the industry across a wide variety of roles.

Whether you’re looking to work in finance or are just interested in what they do all day, this series focuses on people working in the industry and their stories. Welcome to the Faces of Finance…

In this first installment of Faces of Finance, we interviewed Sam Brown, the Founder and CEO of Pelikin. As this is a brand new series we’d love your feedback and suggestions on who we should interview next! Get in touch via the comments below or send us an email at howtomoneyaus@gmail.com.

Where do you work and what is your role?

I’m Founder and CEO of Pelikin, a FinTech building a banking app and prepaid VISA card that can be used all over the world at a low-cost.

How did you get into finance?

I’ve always had a keen interest in foreign exchange, and early on towards the end of my uni days, I was really interested in global remittances. More specifically how digital payments can directly impact financial inclusion in developing countries. In fact, that’s what we initially wanted to do at Pelikin, but after spending time traveling overseas and having some very crappy experiences with my money, the inspiration for Pelikin was created and I’ve never looked back.

What do you enjoy about working in the financial services industry?

For what we’re doing at Pelikin, I love that from the conception of an idea we’ve been able to combine finance and technology to build a product that will fix a real problem. The challenges of existing in the industry are something I (and our team) really enjoy, we’re pushing the envelope a little with what we’ve built and every day, from compliance to our payment rails, we’re facing new challenges and I love it.

I also really like the pressure and expectation that comes with trying to build a financial service. Money is sacred, you can’t mess with it or you will be hung out to dry. If you offer a financial service (particularly to the demanding millennial market) it better be good…this is exactly why we’ve built Pelikin with our future customers by our side and getting feedback as we go, anyway we can…we couldn’t afford not to.

Do you see any downsides to working in this industry?

Not really.

What is the most common misconception you think others have about the industry?

You don’t have to be an ex-banker or have 30 years experience to get sh*t done in the industry. With the technology available to build great products and to effectively engage with consumers, any team that has the dedication and drive to fix a real problem can get it done.

If you received $1000 extra to spend to ‘increase your happiness’ right now, what would you use it on?

Travel. More specifically Coachella next year.

What are your tips for young Australians considering a career/job in finance?

There are so many learning resources available to young students at the moment, but for me, there is none better than real on the job experience. Seek internships anywhere and everywhere, try a big firm and try a start-up until you find what you’re passionate about. When you find it, chase it hard!

Any other comments to add…

Always try to learn new things. Talk to as many people as you can and write stuff down.

That brings our first installment of Faces to Finance to an end. Find out more about Pelikin here. If you’re interested in learning more about money and personal finance, catch us on the How To Money podcast which you can find on iTunes, Spotify or via our online web-player. Follow us on Twitter @HowToMoneyAUS, and on Medium at How To Money Australia.

If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comments below.

Kate — HTM Editor & Host

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