The Social Loan Company (TSLC), which has developed a unique Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine-Learning-powered credit enablement platform, announced today the appointment of two key hires in a bid to strengthen its global leadership team as it expands across emerging and frontier markets.

The Company appoints Ziad Sawalha as Group Chief Technology Officer and Shagorika Heryani as Chief Marketing Officer. Both will report to co-founder and group Chief Executive Officer Deepak H Saluja.

Ziad Sawalha joins TSLC from Klarna, a leader in Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and brings over 20 years of global leadership experience, driving innovation and leading technological transformation. At TSLC, he will focus on delivering on the Group’s tech vision, strategy and implementation, help build the foundational pillars of data science, credit-decisioning, R&D, engineering, solution architecture and patents with the overarching purpose of building a cutting-edge, global financial wellness platform for underserved consumers.

Deepak Saluja, Co-Founder, Group CEO & Board Member, TSLC said: “Ziad’s tech-leadership experience will now be our tailwind as we embark on a global expansion drive. He started with us as an investor, and I am delighted to have him as our Group CTO and on the global executive team. He’s a rare combination of acumen par excellence, a high-performance team builder with all the technological, product and business skills and experience we were looking for in a Group CTO and most importantly, he shares our vision for the future.”

Ziad Sawalha said: “Deepak and his teams have an ambitious agenda to be at the forefront of the disruptive, FinTech-led distributed banking phenomenon. I’m energised by our mission to usher in a new era of hyper-inclusive, honest, and affordable financial services for underserved digital natives. With the power of its in-house technology, TSLC will be able to make financial inclusion possible and scalable. I’m delighted for the opportunity to join TSLC as a member of the exceptional leadership team already in place.”

Shagorika Heryani is a multi-disciplinary marketer with over 18 years of experience building culturally relevant brands that are a catalyst for business growth. She joins from Grey Worldwide, where she was Regional Head of Strategy. At TSLC, she will be responsible for delivering a global impact brand designed to empower digital natives, one that symbolizes the confluence of consumer motivation, technology, and cultural shifts.

“Shagorika’s multi-geography and multi-disciplinary experience and her proven track record in building leading brands and customer experiences speaks volumes,” said Saluja. “She’s a unique talent who combines business savvy and operational excellence with a deep understanding of consumers and what motivates them. With our world-class product-team supporting her, she will help us extend and deliver on the purpose, positioning and promise of our brand. I am proud and excited to have her join my global leadership team.”

Heryani added “I am thrilled with the opportunity to create and scale a purpose-led brand driven to make financial freedom a reality for millions globally. The quality of thinking and leadership within TSLC are so inspiring and I am excited to work alongside Deepak and the team to build a marketing ecosystem that’s relentlessly innovative and customer-obsessed.”

Saluja added, “We have raised over $100M in strategic equity and debt capital since our inception in 2016 and are at an inflection point of breakaway growth, expanding across APAC, Middle East, LATAM and Sub-Saharan Africa. We have secured balance sheet commitments from well-established banking partners and are in an enviable pre-launch stage in markets as diverse as Bangladesh, MENAT and Mexico. We are committed to tech-based, globally scalable, data-driven financial wellness, and are attracting exceptional global talent who are leaning into our mission. I am privileged to see top talent join us, further reinforcing our culture of purpose-orientation, obsession with sustained execution and a drive to create positive impact. Our journey has only just begun!”