Meet Tsambika Jeffries, VP Risk and Governance at BVNK

Tell us about your role.

I'm VP Risk and Governance, which means I help colleagues understand the types of risk we're exposed to and how we can control them to an acceptable level. The goal is simple: enable the business to deliver our strategy safely. 

From a governance perspective, it's about making sure the right people have the right information at the right time to make good decisions. That sounds procedural, but it's actually the difference between moving fast and moving recklessly.

What’s a typical day like?

One thing I love about risk management is that there isn't a typical day. My calendar could include anything from strategic deep-dives on what could throw us off course to reviewing emerging regulatory developments to incident response and project reviews.

One thing that genuinely surprised me at BVNK was how close-knit the culture is, even with people spread across the globe. Everyone is remarkably engaged and supportive – that's not something you always find in fast-moving fintech environments.

Why BVNK?

There's something genuinely refreshing about working in a new sector at the forefront of innovation. New risks mean new challenges. New challenges mean new solutions to invent. It's intellectually demanding in the best possible way.

Your superpower?

I'm a problem-solver at heart – I can't see a problem without trying to fix it. That's probably why I've never gotten bored in risk management. I get to use logic to analyse risk and creativity to find solutions. And crucially, I get to do this with people, not in a silo. You can't build risk awareness and culture alone.

How does “accelerate global money movement” show up in your work?

In a fast-moving market, you need internal structures that move fast too. Part of my job is ensuring we have the governance in place to make decisions quickly, unblock bottlenecks, and make prioritisation calls when they matter. A good governance structure actually speeds things up – it's the difference between hesitation and velocity.

Your advice for aspiring risk and governance leaders?

Jump sectors! So much of what we do is transferable and it’s a refreshing challenge to apply it in a new way. I’ve spent many years in the financial sector, in pensions, investments, and now fintech, but I’ve also worked in a frontline hospital and in energy distribution. In those environments, you’re talking about personal harm as a potential risk outcome so it offers a completely different perspective.

Where can we find you outside the office?

I’m a mum of 3 boys who are all football mad, so most weekends I’m pitch-side cheering them on. For ‘me time’ I love wild swimming; I swim in a local lake several times a week, whatever the weather. There is something so refreshing about being immersed in nature (and being shocked awake by the cold!).

What motivates you?

At this stage of my life, I want my kids to see that their mum works hard at something she enjoys. I want to set an example of finding your path and committing to it – and hopefully that inspires them to do the same.
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