With two decades of experience in financial services, Tam Trinh is a data and analytics leader specializing in risk modeling, digital transformation, and fintech innovation across emerging markets. She has held senior roles at global institutions, teaches at NUS Business School, and holds elite certifications.
In an insightful interaction with CEO Insights Asia Magazine, Tam shared her perspective on how data is reshaping leadership in finance, driving strategy, managing risk, and fostering innovation. She highlighted the importance of evidence-based decisions, data-driven culture, and adaptive leadership in today’s evolving financial landscape.
To learn more about Tam’s insights on data-led leadership and women in finance, read the full article below.
How do you see data redefining leadership in finance today, and what role does it play in shaping strategy and organizational direction?
In my view, leadership in this modern age is less about relying on seniority or intuition and more about asking the right questions and making decisions grounded in evidence. To provide some context, Nikel, where I work, is a fintech startup that provides credit solutions in Indonesia. For us, data has been key to shaping our growth strategy, and a central determinant for us in deciding, for instance, which customer segments to serve.
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Importantly, we also use data at a tactical level, where robust data pipelines are crucial inputs into our credit products. More broadly, I believe that it is increasingly important for leaders in finance to be champions of building data-driven cultures in their respective organizations. Making sense of complex and messy data must be a core competency for both leaders and firms in this space.
As data becomes key to decision-making, how can leaders translate complex analytics into clear insights that drive confidence across the organization?
In my view, there are two core principles to do so. First, as a leader, it is important to recognize that there will be many stakeholders that either do not or prefer not to speak in the language of data. The question that I constantly ask myself is: “what is the business value” for a particular piece of analytics. My goal when I talk to various stakeholders is to communicate this value instead of using overly technical language.
Second, I think it is vital for an organization to hire well. Communication is a two-way street, and the best communicator in the world will still struggle if a recipient refuses to listen. Hiring talented people who are open-minded, teachable, and well-informed about both the promise and limits of data, will greatly facilitate the development of a data-driven organization. At Nikel, we continue to strengthen our hiring and development with these qualities in mind. Technical skills are important, but they are most effective when combined with humility, collaboration, and willingness to let evidence, rather than assumptions, guide decisions.
In your view, what qualities differentiate leaders who successfully harness data for innovation from those who rely on traditional approaches?
From my experience, leaders who use data for innovation tend to be curious, adaptable, and comfortable with experimentation.
Such leaders are unafraid to admit that they don’t know something but are also quick to work hard to fill any gaps in their knowledge when they discover them.
They have a wide array of tools at their disposal and tend to be problem-driven, picking the right tool for the right job, instead of always relying on the same small set of methods because “these have worked in the past.” They are also what I’d like to call “T-shaped” people, having deep expertise in some area (the vertical line of the “T”), but also have enough breadth of knowledge (the horizontal line of the “T”) to connect with other individuals and rely on the expertise of others when needed. They also resist falling in love with their own solutions and instead stay anchored on solving the right problem.
Data-driven innovation is baked into the DNA of Nikel, and I am proud that several of our senior leaders at Nikel embody the characteristics of such leaders. Our founder and CEO, Renier Musters, has long recognized the importance of having a data-centric approach in the ideation and development of our product offerings. Even though we are primarily in the lending technology business, since the inception of our firm, he has always prioritized having a data and analytics team to develop the core capabilities of our products.
How does a data-driven perspective influence the way you evaluate opportunities and risks, especially in a rapidly evolving financial landscape?
Rather than seeing risk as a negative to avoid at all costs, I think that a data-driven approach means that risk is simply something we aim to quantify and manage thoughtfully. Adopting a data-driven approach also means that we understand the limits of data. There will inevitably be situations when we simply do not have enough data or data of sufficiently high quality to evaluate certain risks or opportunities. In these situations, we will then have to decide whether to proceed with expert judgment or to see if we can procure or obtain alternate sources of data for our needs. This balance between evidence and judgment is a critical leadership skill.
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At Nikel, where we build lending solutions for underserved customers in emerging markets, we rely on transactional, behavioral, and reliable tax data to continuously reassess creditworthiness and growth potential. This enables us to expand access to finance while remaining disciplined in our approach toward risk management. One advantage of our data-driven approach is that it can also provide early warning signals, which can help us to proactively respond to changes in customer behavior or market conditions. In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, this ability to cautiously learn and adapt in near real time is a significant advantage.
Building on that, how can leaders leverage data to make confident strategic decisions, create long-term impact in finance? What is your advice for people who want to lead with data?
I like to think of data-driven decision-making as a journey, rather than a destination. Each individual is already somewhere along that journey, and the most important part is to simply keep moving forward. Using data to guide strategic choices can takes discipline and practice, and will have its ups and downs, so there’s no better time to start than the present.
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Finally, here’s my advice to people who want to lead with data: Focus on building both data fluency and strong business judgment. You do not need to be the most technical person in the room, but you do need to understand how data informs decisions. Be proactive; if you feel that you lack knowledge in some area of data analytics, seek out resources to fill these gaps. There are plenty of such resources, both online and offline, paid and free. Adopt an 80/20 mindset, start simple, and always pair analytics with ethics, empathy, and usage. What’s important is to be curious, be open-minded, and most importantly, to simply begin.