Spencer Robinson · Product, risk and decisioning advisory

I help companies build, launch and scale products, and the automation behind them.

Product strategy, credit risk, data and decisioning, from someone who has built all of it inside a fast-growing lender and for some of the world's largest banks.

Get in touch How engagements work
  • Chief Strategy OfficerA fintech building financial products for small businesses
  • Global reachProducts run for some of the world's largest banks, across 9 markets
  • Chief Credit OfficerCommercial Non-Card Lending at American Express, and at a leading FinTech small business lender
  • Organization BuilderBuilt multiple teams from 1 to 100+ contributors

Focus areas

Where I go deep.

The parts of a product that are hardest to get right, and the most expensive to get wrong.

  1. 01

    Product strategy, zero to launch

    Who it's for, the offer, the unit economics and the launch plan. From idea to a live product with a team to run it.

  2. 02

    Automated and AI-native decisioning

    Engines that approve, price and monitor applications without a person in the loop, with the governance to stand behind every outcome.

  3. 03

    Credit model development

    Underwriting and risk models built on the data you have, clear enough for a credit committee and a regulator.

  4. 04

    Data partnerships

    Finding and wiring up the data that sharpens every decision, and cutting the sources that only add cost.

  5. 05

    SMB products at scale

    The policies, operations and controls that let volume grow faster than risk.

  6. 06

    Multi-market expansion

    Local data, local rules, local partners, and one operating model that holds up across all of them.

Services

Five ways to work together.

Pick the shape that fits the problem. If the problem changes, the shape can too.

  • 01

    Discovery Sprint

    A focused look at your plan, data and risks, ending in a written point of view and clear next steps.

  • 02

    Project

    One defined piece of work with a clear deliverable, like a launch plan, a decisioning build or a risk policy.

  • 03

    Retainer

    A standing sounding board for leadership on product, risk and data, on call for the decisions that come up as you build.

  • 04

    Embedded Fractional

    I join your team part time in a senior product, risk or data seat until the permanent hire is in place.

  • 05

    Ad Hoc

    A single conversation or review when you want a second opinion on something specific.

Scope and fees are set together after a first conversation, then confirmed in a short written proposal.

Approach

From first conversation to launch.

  1. Step 01

    Conversation

    We talk through what you're building, where it stands and what's in the way. No deck required.

  2. Step 02

    Diagnosis

    I look at your data, models, policies and plan, and tell you plainly what I see and what I'd do first.

  3. Step 03

    Build

    We work on the pieces that matter most, alongside your team, so the knowledge stays with you.

  4. Step 04

    Launch

    We go live with monitoring, reporting and controls in place, so you can run it well after I step back.

Spencer Robinson

About

Spencer Robinson

I started as a software developer, then moved into product strategy, data and credit risk. At a small business lender I rose to Chief Strategy and Credit Risk Officer, then served as Chief Credit Officer for Commercial Non-Card Lending at American Express.

I've run lending products under the brands of some of the world's largest banks, and led product for a small business lending launch at American Express. My teams built small business lending's first fully automated bank-data underwriting platform, and our models decisioned billions in credit across 9 markets.

I started HEM Advisory in 2024 to bring that experience to companies building and scaling financial products.

  • Chief Credit Officer, Commercial Non-Card Lending, American Express
  • Chief Strategy and Credit Risk Officer at a small business lender
  • Built small business lending's first fully automated bank-data underwriting platform
  • Launched small business lending products across 9 global markets
  • Led data and risk organizations of more than 100 people
  • BS in Computer Science, University of Notre Dame

Contact

Tell me what you're building.

A few lines is enough to start. I read every message myself and reply within 2 business days.

A few lines on where things stand and what you need.

Your details are used only to reply to you. No mailing lists.