Richard Marsh, Chief Customer Officer, Finova
At Finova, we’ve always believed that our customers sit at the very heart of our business. Over the past few years, that belief has guided a deep transformation in how we engage, support, and grow with our clients. As Chief Operating Officer, and now in my new role as Chief Customer Officer, I’ve had the privilege of leading that evolution, embedding a customer-first mindset across every part of the business.
Our journey began with a simple but powerful principle: when our customers succeed, so do we. That idea has reshaped how we define success - not just through delivery timelines or product features, but through the strength of the relationships we build and the outcomes we help our clients achieve.
We’ve shifted from transactional engagements to strategic partnerships, defined by trust, transparency, and a shared vision of success. And now, we’re taking that approach to the next level.
A new era for customer success
One of the most exciting steps in this journey has been the creation of a dedicated Customer Success function at Finova. This isn’t just a new team - it’s a strategic investment in our future and a commitment to doing things differently in our industry.
We’ve brought in seasoned professionals from some of the world’s most respected SaaS providers - Salesforce, MuleSoft, Microsoft - leaders who know what it takes to deliver excellence at scale. Our newly appointed Customer Success Directors and Customer Success Account Managers bring deep expertise in driving adoption, fostering long-term relationships, and unlocking real business value for our clients.
Already, their impact is being felt. We’re hearing it in customer feedback, we’re seeing it in satisfaction metrics, and we’re measuring it in renewal commitments - including several recent five-year renewals across our Lending, Savings, and Equity Release clients.
Building a culture of advocacy and partnership
Customer Success at Finova is more than a function - it’s a philosophy. We’re laser-focused on Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a core measure of loyalty, trust, and long-term partnership. In the SaaS world, NPS is more than a number. It’s a barometer of health and a compass for growth. Top-performing companies use it to guide decisions across product development, customer engagement, and innovation. And we’re no different.
Our ambition is to deliver an NPS that sets the benchmark in our sector. More importantly, we want to use that feedback to continually evolve how we serve, support, and scale with our clients.
What’s next
Over the coming weeks and months, you’ll start to see the next phase of our customer success journey taking shape.
We’re introducing a transparent, structured portfolio model, with every client having clear points of contact, defined success plans, and tailored engagement strategies. We’re currently trialing this model with select clients, and full rollout is planned for this summer.
This structure builds on relationships I’ve personally developed over the last five years. Relationships that have led to transformational projects, dual-running migrations to our lending platform (formerly known as Apprivo), and seamless delivery across our platform capabilities.
And we’re just getting started.
Looking ahead
Looking forward, I believe customer experience will be the defining factor in market leadership - not just a differentiator, but a true driver of innovation, retention, and growth. At Finova, we’re building that future right now: one conversation, one success story, one customer at a time.
Whether you’re a broker, a lender, or a savings provider, our mission is clear: to be your most trusted technology partner, not just today, but for the long term.
Watch this space - we’ve got more to come.
