Meet Debby Macharia, Building Community at WorldRemit
Debby Macharia is a Kenyan-Canadian Marketing Manager for North America at WorldRemit. She leads our community engagement efforts on the ground in the region, working with diaspora communities on events in the United States and Canada.
What is your role at WorldRemit?
I am the North America Marketing Manager with a special interest in events and community engagement
Tell us about your journey into fintech. How did a beauty entrepreneur wind up working for a tech company?
I worked in the beauty industry for many years as a distributor then later as an entrepreneur. The beauty industry is going through many of the same changes as financial services: shopping behaviours have shifted towards digital services versus traditional bricks and mortar. But more than that, working in beauty prepared me for fintech because of the emphasis on listening to your customer, understanding the diversity of their needs, and providing an inclusive product and service. It also helped me develop deep roots within the African diaspora community in North America with government, business and community leaders.
Because of that skillset and background, WorldRemit approached me when they were searching for a local partner to help activate community engagement activities. I originally started as a consultant before taking on the role of North America Marketing Manager in 2017.
What brought you to WorldRemit?
I have always believed that people are the backbone of any company. Companies that engage, integrate and invest in communities have always been of great interest to me. WorldRemit’s customers work hard for their money. Helping their hard work go further gives me great joy and satisfaction.
Why is events and community engagement critical at WorldRemit?
As a digital company, community engagement — both offline and online — is an integral part of maintaining direct contact with our customers. Not only does it make WorldRemit relevant, it also gives the company a “face” within the community.
People know WorldRemit, trust our service, and come back because our consistent and continuous community engagement helps us build strong relationships and brand loyalty.
I love being out there in the community learning how best to serve our customers.
You’re a Kenyan living in Canada. How has your background helped you succeed in your work at WorldRemit?
Emigrating to a foreign country as an adult brings about a lot of anxiety, self-awareness and a steep learning curve. The ability to create and start a new life in a new country has made me develop a diverse skill set and be very innovative, while still adopting a proactive mindset.
Being away from my country and community has taught me to define my own identity while still bringing new ideas, attitudes and new experiences to the table.
Being both an employee and a WorldRemit customer, I have the unique advantage of experiencing the impact the decisions we make in our day to day running of the company have on our customers.
Can you tell us about one of your favourite days on the job at WorldRemit?
I have a story I always tell of a friend of mine who wanted to make some renovations to her ageing mum’s house to make her life a bit easier. She had tried sending money to her relatives to hire a contractor, but the money had been diverted to other projects. Through WorldRemit, she was able to send the money directly to the contractor. My most favorite day was when she sent me a photo of herself, her mother, the finished bathroom and a note that said, “thank you for introducing me to WorldRemit”. It is stories like this that make me love what I do.
Any advice for young people hoping to work for a consumer-facing technology company like WorldRemit?
Being very involved in girls’ education in Africa, I would encourage young people to explore careers in fintech. I hope my story transitioning from beauty to the tech industry shows that skillsets are adaptable. What matters most is attitude and commitment. Embrace the unknown by exploring territories that are unfamiliar, have the courage to take risks, and find great mentors who will provide information and advice to help you succeed. And above all have fun!
To learn more about career opportunities at WorldRemit, visit our website.
