In this spotlight, Nicole Baxby, VP of Customer Success at Quantifind, shares her personal journey, significant career achievements, and valuable insights on how technology, collaboration, and a customer-centric approach are key to staying ahead in the fight against financial crime.
She also offers advice for women aspiring to lead in risk management and related fields, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, flexibility, and understanding the unique challenges and priorities of both customers and companies.
Let’s dive into Nicole’s experience and learn how her leadership is shaping the future of customer success and risk management.
What inspired you to pursue a career in customer success and risk, and how has your journey evolved to address the growing challenges of financial crime?
From the start of my career, I’ve always gravitated towards roles that allow me to work directly with customers. Customer Success is a unique part of any business because it requires collaboration across departments, all working towards the shared goal of customer satisfaction. My journey in this space started in financial services and quickly evolved into risk management, particularly fraud prevention, as I recognized the increasing role customer trust plays in driving business outcomes. Over time, my focus expanded to include leveraging compliance, fraud detection, and cybersecurity strategies to help customers mitigate financial crime risks. As I transitioned through roles in fintech and cybersecurity, such as leading Customer Success at Ironscales and Featurespace, I became increasingly focused on using data, technology, and customer success strategies to stay ahead of evolving threats like fraud and AML risks.
Can you share a significant achievement in your career that had a direct impact on mitigating or preventing financial crime risks?
In my previous role, I managed a key relationship with our largest customer and channel partner, which grew significantly over time. Together, we introduced three best-in-class products to the market, successfully adopted by some of the world’s largest banks. These products were designed to prevent card fraud and ensure regulatory compliance, making a meaningful impact on financial crime prevention.
How have technological advancements, like AI and data analytics, influenced your approach to customer success?
Having worked extensively with financial institutions, I’ve seen firsthand that banks are among the largest buyers of software and technology. This high level of investment is driven by several factors, including digital transformation, compliance requirements, and the need to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. Over the past 8 years, the companies I have worked for have products which include AI and machine learning to enable banks to accurately identify financial signals of fraud and money laundering.
Compliance is key driver of technological investment in banking. Regulatory requirements are strict, and banks need robust software to ensure data security and adhere to legal standards. AI and data analytics help automate compliance processes and flag potential issues in real-time, allowing us to offer our clients solutions that not only enhance their operational efficiency but also keep them compliant with evolving regulations.
These technology advancements have also fundamentally transformed how I approach customer success, enabling me to focus on scalable, data-driven strategies that deliver real value to our company and customers.
What advice would you give to women aspiring to lead in risk management roles and related fields?
There is no one defined path to achieve your career aspirations. I would encourage women to stay curious and flexible as they progress their careers. It is critical to understand your customers and how and why they make buying decisions. It is also crucial to understand your company’s vision as well as the priorities of the customers. My advice is to be able to articulate how your work supports the strategies of your company and its customers.
I was in my mid-30s when I decided to get my Master’s degree in Law with a focus on financial compliance. If you find that you develop an interest in risk and compliance, consider pursuing a qualification or certification that better equips you to work in these fields.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an executive in risk, and how have those experiences shaped your leadership?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is navigating the complexity of scaling teams and processes globally, particularly in a high-stakes environment like financial compliance. As the Global VP of Customer Success at Featurespace, I was responsible for managing teams across Europe, North America, LATAM, and APAC. Leading during this time required balancing strategic vision with operational execution—managing customer expectations while also driving internal process optimizations. These experiences shaped my leadership by teaching me the importance of resilience, adaptability, and the need to foster a culture of collaboration, all of which have been instrumental in the success of my teams and the business.