Interview with CEO & Co-Founder , MO Tecnologias – Paolo Fidanza

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your role at MO Tecnologias?
I was born in Italy and graduated in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Rome, Italy, but I have lived most of my life outside of Italy, and my career has spanned across continents and industries. I have a passion for technology and for making of the world a better place. I founded MO because I wanted to be able to use technology to help the billions of people in the world who cannot access credit and cannot progress as a result of this. Today I am the CEO and Chairman of the Board at MO and oversee all Companies operations, with particular focus and very much hands on product & technology development.

2. How would you define your company’s role in revolutionizing the credit scoring industry?
Our mission is to promote financial inclusion by offering everyone the possibility to access a small loan. We aim at revolutionizing the credit scoring industry by eliminating the discrimination due to lack of credit history giving everyone the possibility to access nano & micro loans in a simple and effective way. With our revolutionary technology we have created an end-to-end solution that allows us to transform the lives of people not financially included and take them to a new world full of opportunities.

Thanks to our product range integrated by credit technologies, credit issuing, payment services and consulting, our business partners, Financial Institutions, Service Companies and other Fintechs, can offer new credit products to consumers & merchants with no access to traditional credit.

3. Of how much importance do you think promoting financial inclusion is in order to build a customer centric financial model?
Currently almost 70% of adults worldwide do not have access to traditional credit – to build a customer centric financial model we need to include most of the excluded, so to make it fair and for everyone.

4. Where did you see the fintech market lacking when you first started, especially in terms of accessibility of loans?
More than 3 billion people in the world do not have access to credit, and this stops them from progressing socially, but also from accessing little funds when needed for basic needs such as urgent medicine or public transport to get to work. These little things make a huge difference in the lives of billions of people, and today’s credit industry has been lacking the tools to help these people.

5. We recently covered your press release on you partnering with i2c for instant card-based loans. That is a great step ahead. You think this measure was long due?
Yes, finally we have a way to give access to the masses and the excluded to both credit and digital payments. This will be truly a small revolution that will help a long way in including financially many people.

6. Do you think AI is the next big thing for the fintech market?
I think that machine learning is already the next big think across many industries, including the Financial industry. Machine learning solutions will help improve all areas in the financial sector, from credit, to servicing, to customer support.

7. There is a lot of talk going on about technology reshaping the roles of CEO’s. How far do you justify this statement?
I see it from a different point of view. The role of a CEO is to manage a company to deliver the best performance for all its stakeholders (investors, shareholders, employees and customers), and in today’s world there is no industry where a CEO can achieve this without the use of technology.

8. We all keep hearing about credit scoring in loan management. Can you explain it to us?
MO has developed a proprietary software using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to calculate pre-approved amount for customers (SME or consumer), without the need to know the identity of the user.

9. What do you think will be the next big thing that will revolutionize the fintech market?
To use advance in machine learning technology and connectivity, to give everyone the opportunity to access a small credit to improve their lives, independently from their credit history, social position, and location. More than 3 billion people in the world do not have access to credit, and this stops them from progressing socially, but also from accessing little funds when needed for basic needs such as urgent medicine or public transport to get to work. These little things make a huge difference in the lives of billions people, and today’s credit industry has been lacking the tools to help these people

10. According to you what should be the typical tech stack for which CEO’s must be budgeting for next year?
This really depends on the industry and plans, very specific to each industry and Company… however, for all CEOs of Financial Institutions or Fintechs, I recommend to get the MO credit suite, it is a must J

11. Can you tell us what book are you reading currently?
I am overloaded with contracts, work, and a 9 months old baby, so no time to start a new book yet… my reading time is dedicated to news and tech news to keep myself always up to speed with market developments.

12. Do you have any tips for CEO’s to adjust to the rapidly growing tech arena?
Yes, read about all new tech developments, even in industry different from theirs, and have a very good and competent CTO to advice on the specific