In recent years, the rise of digital players in the financial sector has made it easier for the average person to obtain finances. Fintech has emerged as the most effective lending platform, reshaping traditional banking practices as well as the end-to-end consumer experience. It has opened a plethora of chances for accessing into a large and diverse universe of clients, allowing for a solid digital foundation.

Contributing to the financial industry with her vast experience of over two decades, Jijy Oommen is establishing effective, robust, and flexible digital and technology systems with a strong emphasis on retail BFSI and Fin-tech arena. Jijy has substantial knowledge and expertise as a senior management member, having led various advanced tech transformation initiatives and building high-performing teams.

Tell Us About Your Industry Experience And What You Bring To The Table. What Sowed The Seed Of Your Interest In Technology?

I'm a lifetime learner, and I wouldn't consider myself to have learnt so much. Every year, I add new abilities and learning to my portfolio since I believe there is always something new to learn. And, of course, education gives you a lot of confidence, which has aided my journey. I believe that the more I educate myself, the more confident I will become. I've always been interested in broadening my skill set, and last year I completed my Iron Lady program, which focused on how women can develop themselves in leadership roles and become more successful. I am quite interested in social elements and have a strong interest in psychology, personal economics, and a variety of other subjects, but my core focus remains on technology.

Give Us A Brief Overview Of Aavas Financiers.

Aavas is a housing finance company that primarily helps people with middle and lower incomes fulfill their dream of owning a home, particularly in under-served and un-served areas. We are incredibly successful in our journey of serving a consumer segment that believes it is difficult to obtain loan since they are not that affluent. We have a diversified portfolio of services focusing on this customer segment and are serving through a network of 297 branch offices across 13 states. We are also a publicly traded company at NSE and BSE.

What Are The Various Functions And Responsibilities That Your Present Position As CTO At Aavas Financiers Entails? How Does Your Prior Experience In The Financial And BFSI Sectors Assist You In Your Present Tasks And Responsibilities?

I'm here to lead the company's total technology ecosystem. We have a diverse technology portfolio that includes digital systems, applications, data center, IT & cyber security, data engineering, process automations, IT governance & controls, and more. We do a lot of product development in terms of mobile applications, web apps, and digital products, and we have a comprehensive portfolio in terms of technology systems. We must constantly reinvent various parts of the systems to make them more scalable, efficient, faster, and to provide better experience to our users including customers, employees and business partners, and everyone in the value chain is influenced by technology. We've also provided a plethora of touch points for our customers, whether it's through our field teams, branches, contact center, social media, website, customer app, and more, and have a full spectrum of connected digital ecosystem that enable omnichannel experience for our customers. We have a highly engaged team of more than 70 people on the technology team and are working on increasing our strength, gradually in the coming months.

“These Are The Three Major Pillars On Which My Concentration Is, And All Our Projects And Programs Revolve Around These Goals”

Tell Us About A Significant Project You Oversaw At Aavas Financiers. What Was The Initiative's Planned Impact, And How Did It Turn Out?

My journey at Aavas Financiers began only three quarters ago with a mission to enable multiscale business growth with a robust and scalable technology framework. We are working on many major projects, but my first aim is to ensure that we are operationally robust at every level while also being able to do a lot of innovations. In my previous roles, I had the opportunity to lead many high impact technology and digital transformation programs and construct Fintech platforms for MSME and gold loan businesses.

How Do You Drive Growth Within The Organization As One Of The Firm's Top Leaders? What Is Your Leadership Guiding Principle?

We are an innovative and growing financial services organization with a strong emphasis on governance, risk, and compliance. As this industry is becoming more competitive, and the lending industry is fast expanding, we want to put a lot of focus on technology, and we want to make things more and more efficient. Secondly, risk is actively handled, whether it is operational risk, compliance risk, or business risk with the help of technology. The third component is innovation, which refers to how we ensure that the organization is future-ready. These are the three major pillars on which my concentration is, and all our projects and programs revolve around these goals.

Jijy Oommen, CTO, Aavas Financiers

Jijy holds an M.Tech in Computer Science from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, as well as an MBA in Information Systems, a Master's Degree in Banking and Insurance Management, and is a PMI ­ US Certified Project Management Professional. She has also received management training from IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode, as well as cyber security training from Data Security Counsel of India. She has extensive expertise in the retail Financial Services and Fintech sectors, having made significant contributions in areas such as IT Governance, Digital Transformations, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, AI, RPA, and Analytical Platforms. She had worked for Kinara Capital, Manappuram Finance, Bajaj Capital, and Wonderla Holidays in the leadership roles, before joining the Aavas team.