Employee Spotlight: Nikhil Ashra, Senior Client Success Manager

On a regular basis, we talk with our team members about their experience working at Canoe, and their future goals and aspirations. This week, we spoke with Nikhil Ashra, Client Success Manager.

Tell us about your background. How did you find Canoe?

I started my career in financial technology in 2014 at iCapital Network. Prior to that, I was working at a commodities futures trading company and credit that experience to my entrepreneurial work ethic. At iCapital Network, I was an early employee and was able to grow professionally with the firm. I had built a very strong network of relationships within the wealth management sector and was a key member of the enterprise integration team. I was at iCapital Network in 2015 when I came across Canoe. This was before the company officially launched, but the founders were passionate about building a technical platform focused on portfolio management. After leaving iCapital Network at the end of 2018, I joined two other ventures. One was focused on monetizing consumer data and the other was an app, launched in India, to solve the decision paralysis of what to watch and where to stream the content. I kept a close eye on the development of Canoe and was persistent in joining the team, which I did in the summer of 2020. 

How has your previous work experience contributed to your success at Canoe?

Having passion and dedication are key contributors to my overall success. Joining an early-stage company requires a certain level of grit. There are expectations to be a good team member that can drive results. In some instances, in order to achieve those results, you have to be able to roll up your sleeves. I would say that my first work experience as an intern in the operations department at a hedge fund set the foundation for my success. In my more recent work experiences, I learned how to manage relationships and people more effectively. 

What has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your role and how have you overcome it?

A good challenge to have is strategizing for growth and scale. Since I’ve joined Canoe, our client base has grown exponentially. Working with different members of the client success team and leaning on their product expertise has really helped formulate plans to enhance our client experience and service. 

Canoe has grown substantially since you joined the company. What aspect(s) of the company excite you most from a client success perspective?

Enhanced Value and Strong Relationships. Canoe has become a known service platform in an array of market sectors. What excites me most is the diversity of our client base and the multitude of use cases for Canoe’s technology. Because of this variety, we have the privilege to be able to grow alongside our clients. The constant collaborative efforts of our Sales, Client Success, Product, and Engineering teams to deliver the best offering to our clients has been amazing. The ability to pivot our focus and listen to our clients will continue to yield success. 

I look forward to the year ahead and know that I will meet new people, learn new businesses and overcome more challenges with our strong team.