Experian Stories

I’m an IT Trainee at Serasa Experian. I research and identify ways to solve the challenges facing financial technology (fintech) organizations in Brazil, including fraud. Fraud is a prevalent problem that makes loans expensive and application processes time-consuming. I’m working to help fintechs, like online lenders, give their customers more affordable loans without risking fraud. One particular fintech wanted our help to offer cheaper credit to people through online lending. The problem was they weren’t relying on any bureau data or automated processes, which made verifying identities and credit scores difficult. They relied on face-to-face conversations and a manual paperwork reviewal process, which was both expensive and tedious. Not surprisingly, they were having significant issues with fraud. My team came in and provided a scoring system for credit reports and a fraud protection tool that Experian had developed. Now when an individual applies for a loan through the lender’s mobile application, Experian runs the credit score for them and verifies that person’s identity. This process is not only faster, but it has significantly decreased their cases of fraud. Because this fintech can now obtain more accurate credit scores for its applicants, it can offer loans to more customers who genuinely need them, while lowering costs. I take pride in knowing that the work I do is making an impact on my country’s economy and helping people get the financial access they need at a fair price, faster. Read more #ExperianStories from our colleagues around the world.

I’m a Marketing Specialist with Experian’s shared Marketing and Innovation department, which means my team and I work with different business units within Experian to strategize and build email marketing campaigns for our clients and prospects. My role in marketing is largely driven by analytics. I help my clients strategize and develop emails that get deployed to consumers who might be looking for better access to credit or information to make decisions for their business. I help my clients create a communication strategy rooted in data, then review the performance of their campaigns to analyze how they can improve their communications in the future. I can definitely tell when my work is making a difference. Often businesses make marketing decisions based on gut feelings—like randomly choosing to add a green button to an email campaign rather than a red button simply because they like that color better. Without the numbers behind that decision-making process, they’re simply relying on feelings. But when I come in using data from the campaign, I can prove that the green button drove 50 percent more click-throughs than the red one, for example. Recently I developed a training guide for marketers to help them learn more about email marketing analytics and how they can use data to transform how they communicate with their own clients and consumers. Whenever a marketer deploys emails, they want to know and understand how the campaign performed. I have often found, however, that marketers shy away from even basic metrics like click-through rates because they think the numbers are too difficult to understand, or they don’t know how to properly gather that information. The guide I built gives our clients some of the tools they need to pull the metrics and break down the numbers. Once a marketer understands the story the data is telling them, they can begin to improve on subject lines, calls to action and other email campaign components to better reach their audiences and drive revenue. In other words, they can improve their businesses and address their customers’ needs better by relying on data instead of gut feelings. Read more #ExperianStories from our colleagues around the world.

I am a Senior Business Analyst in Experian’s office in Bulgaria. When refugee camps in my country first began filling up with Syrian refugees, I went to help as a volunteer. Since Experian had helped with similar initiatives for those in poverty in Bulgaria, I thought it would be a good idea to volunteer so I could inform other Experian employees of ways they could volunteer in the future. And now I can see that happening, as Experian is about to embark on a new volunteer project as a result. When I first stepped into the refugee camp as part of my own volunteer efforts, it was evening and nearly winter. I came with two volunteers, each carrying bags of clothes and food. No one can really prepare you for the conditions you witness in the camp, and they’re difficult to describe, too. Families had staked claims in small spaces by hanging up curtains, and while some families had the luxury of a bed made from a basic mattress, most people slept on the ground. As I made my way through the camp, I met a family of 12, including a small baby. I was overwhelmed by the welcome they gave me as they invited me to stay and talk with them. A few of them spoke some English, but the rest just wanted to communicate to me in whatever way they could. They graciously prepared me a dinner in traditional Syrian style — couscous, with vegetables and sauces. The meal was like a small celebration for them. They were delighted to even have my attention. Before I left, they sang me a traditional Syrian song that brought tears to my eyes. These people were a normal family — just like mine. They may be from a different country, speak a different language and have different cultural traditions, but I felt a strong sense of kinship to them. My experience grew in me a desire to do more for refugees coming to our country and bring more people along to help. I decided to apply for funding for Experian to work alongside the Refugee Project in a joint initiative to make a bigger, long-term impact on these people. This funding would give other Experian employees a chance to volunteer and provide refugees with the supplies they need. Additionally, Experian is in the process of organizing workshops for families who wish to stay in Bulgaria. These workshops will provide financial education to help them open a bank account, learn how our financial system works and give them the financial information they need to rebuild their lives. It means a lot to me to see what a difference we’re making and how we’re changing lives. I love knowing our work is helping people find a place to live, get a job and start their own business, as well as introducing Syrians to our local culture and customs. Read more #ExperianStories from our colleagues around the world. Photo: Tram in Sofia, Bulgaria