The Octane team prides itself on delivering an outstanding experience for customers, dealers and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partners. We sat down with Katherine Curiel, Strategic Partnerships Director, to find out what she had to say about life at the fast-growing fintech.
Why did you join Octane?
Octane stood out because it’s a technology company in an industry that is ready for change; the powersport finance market has not modernized as quickly as the mortgage and auto finance markets, for example. We have a challenging opportunity to bring technology to our dealers, manufacturing partners, and customers.
I had good conversations during the interview process and thought it would be a great team to join. My role was new and I had the opportunity to define it. In the beginning, I supported our partners with reporting and making sure they were satisfied with our product and partnership. I’ve since broadened my role’s scope and taken on the project management of requests originating from OEMs. For example, when a partner asked us to finance a new product, I led the project from origination to launch.
What do we do better than anyone else?
We prioritize customer service, whether that’s making sure deals get done on time or being there for our dealers and partners. In my role, I manage our relationship with our manufacturing partners and advocate for them internally as much as I can. Our partners and dealers are always top of mind.
How would you describe Octane’s culture?
As a rapidly growing fintech startup, our culture is collaborative. We’re trying to solve big problems so there’s a lot of critical thinking involved and a need to work together.
We’re results-oriented, which means we’re flexible and work quickly. We test and iterate a lot, which means our products continue to improve and evolve. Since I joined we’ve launched numerous product features and a direct to consumer offering, which will enable our own growth and that of our industry.
The people are really friendly and transparent. That’s an important part of what makes us Octane. The people are great to work with and willing to help you out, even if you haven’t worked together in the past.
Octane also gives employees a gift each month, which is a cool way of bringing the team together at a time when we’re all working from home. For instance, we received an assortment of cooking spices from Omsom to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.
What inspires you about working at Octane?
The fact that we’re growing so fast means there are many opportunities, both for the company as a whole and employees individually. The growth also means people can progress and develop their careers within Octane; I’ve seen people move across different teams. There’s a lot of opportunity to try out new areas and gain new skills.
Learn more about careers at Octane.
