From Intern to CMO: Joost’s path to leadership at iwoca

Joost Versteeg is the CMO at iwoca and joined in September 2017 as an intern.

How has your role evolved from intern to CMO?
When I first started at iwoca as an intern in marketing, I was eager to make an impact, learn as much as I could and be useful. Very early on I was probably thinking about what roles I could grow into, but over time, I stopped thinking about this and focused on where I could learn the most and contribute the most.

Becoming CMO wasn’t something I aimed for. As I moved through different roles—starting in direct response marketing, then tackling pricing and exploring ways to make our products more valuable for small businesses in product strategy, and later diving into commercial strategy—I kept picking up skills and perspectives that led me here. Each step taught me something new: how to analyse data, how to think strategically about customer needs, and how to align teams around a shared vision.

It certainly wasn’t planned. It was more like following a trail of interesting (and relevant!) problems and seeing where they took me. Looking back, I think the key was staying open to what the business needed and what I could offer, rather than trying to force a particular outcome. This, and the drive to learn and adapt, is what most shaped my journey.

What does a typical day look like as CMO?

It depends. A part of my day is about making decisions—clearing roadblocks, setting direction, keeping things moving. At other times, it’s about understanding—diving into numbers, speaking to customers, figuring out what’s happening in the business.

A lot of time goes into creating clarity. Where are we going? What matters most right now? Are we on track? What are the principles behind our decision-making? That means reviewing performance metrics, aligning teams and people, and making sure resources are pointed in the right direction.

There’s also a constant balance between thinking and doing. Some moments are about stepping back—strategising, questioning assumptions. Others are about getting into the details—working through a plan, tweaking a message, unblocking a project.

And then there’s the unexpected. A new challenge, an insight from a conversation, a shift in priorities. It’s never predictable, it’s a mix of staying close enough to the ground to see what’s happening, and high enough up to decide what to do about it.

What were the biggest challenges and rewards on your journey to CMO?
The hardest part has been figuring out how everything works—business, lending, SMEs, data science, marketing. There’s no manual for it, just endless layers to peel back. I’ve made a point of diving into everything, from underwriting to UX design, but I’ve only scratched the surface. There’s always more to learn, and that’s both humbling and exhilarating.

The reward has been the learning itself. Every day brings new opportunities to dive into something fascinating, to figure out how things fit together, and to do cool, meaningful work. iwoca has given me the freedom to explore, to go deep in ways I never expected. And along the way, I’ve hopefully been able to make an impact too.

Is there a milestone that stands out?
The rollout of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) was a defining moment. The entire company came together to help small businesses access urgent funding during the pandemic. The collaboration and determination across teams—product, underwriting, customer support, and marketing—was incredible. It reminded me why we do what we do: to help businesses thrive, especially when they need it most.

If you started your own business today, what would it be?

The honest answer is that if I knew the answer to this, I would have started one yesterday. Right now, I believe I can create the most value for SMEs, the UK economy, and my own growth by staying at iwoca. The challenge of our time is getting the UK growing again, and helping businesses invest beyond their cash flow is at the heart of that mission. That’s what we do at iwoca, and despite all the progress, the funding gap for SMEs is still massive. If I were to start something today, I’d probably tackle the same problem from a different angle.

Whatever it was, I’d take what I’ve learned from iwoca: build around the customer, use data to drive decisions, and create a culture where the best ideas win—where people have the autonomy to move fast and make things happen.