Nika Safonova

Powerlist Category: Financial and Professional Services

Nika is a fintech product lead driving solutions that help small businesses decarbonize by leveraging financial data. At Cogo, she defined a product vision enabling corporates and banks to report Scope 3 emissions by engaging SME suppliers and supporting their decarbonization.

She led the launch of Cogo’s Carbon Manager for SMEs in partnership with Xero, helping businesses start their decarbonization journey and manage carbon footprints. Nika also represented Cogo in the Perseus Project, a cross-sector initiative with 190+ members to automate carbon emissions reporting and unlock green finance for SMEs, advocating for carbon accounting providers, as well as SMEs, and banks Cogo works with.

In addition, she supported Cogo’s work with banks like NatWest and ING, optimizing carbon insight solutions used by over 1.5 million users. Nika’s contributions drive fintech innovation in sustainable finance and carbon accountability.

Nika’s working style is collaborative and supportive, creating an environment where individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to share their ideas, regardless of their background. Colleagues and clients praise her ability to listen deeply and make others feel heard, fostering trust and inclusivity in every interaction.

As a woman with an immigrant background and a mother, Nika has actively supported colleagues facing similar challenges. She has mentored and coached new mothers returning from maternity leave, offering guidance and encouragement to ease their transition and promote a supportive workplace culture.

Nika has also contributed to diversity and inclusion indirectly through her product management work. By designing solutions that empower small businesses, she has enabled those led by individuals from underrepresented communities to embark on their sustainability journey and future-proof their operations.