Industry
Marketplace / Fintech
AB InBev / Z-Tech
SMB Marketplace & Fintech Ecosystem
Transforming fragmented SMB operations into a unified marketplace and fintech platform—unlocking new revenue streams, improving efficiency, and enabling millions of businesses to operate and grow through a single ecosystem.
Role
Global Head of Product Design
Scope
8 designers, 3 researchers, global cross-functional teams
Key Outcomes
2M+ SMBs, $1.2B GMV, new fintech revenue streams
The situation
Small and medium-sized businesses across Latin America operated in highly fragmented environments. Procurement, payments, inventory, and vendor management were often spread across disconnected tools, messaging apps, phone calls, and manual processes.
That fragmentation limited growth, reduced efficiency, and kept many SMBs from accessing financial services that could help them operate more effectively.
The challenge
The challenge was to unify procurement, payments, and financial services in a single platform while keeping the experience usable for a highly diverse audience with different levels of digital literacy.
This meant balancing marketplace dynamics, fintech capabilities, regional complexity, and real-world operating constraints across multiple countries.
My role
As Global Head of Product Design, I led design strategy across a distributed, cross-functional organization. I worked closely with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to align platform direction and ensure the experience supported both user needs and business objectives.
My focus was shaping a system that could scale across markets while maintaining clarity, usability, and operational consistency.
How I operated
Reframed the problem
We moved from improving isolated tools to designing a connected ecosystem that combined marketplace and financial services in one platform.
Structured the platform
We defined core workflows and system architecture that could support procurement, payments, and operations across multiple markets.
Aligned global teams
I worked across regions and functions to align priorities, ensure consistency, and build shared understanding around platform direction.
Enabled scalable execution
We established reusable patterns and systems that supported faster rollout across countries without redesigning from scratch.
Key decisions
Discovery-led marketplace design
We shifted from transaction-first flows to discovery-driven experiences, helping SMBs find products, compare options, and make better purchasing decisions.
Fintech as infrastructure, not feature
Payments, credit, and financial tools were embedded directly into workflows, enabling SMBs to operate more efficiently without switching systems.
Mobile-first for low-literacy environments
We designed for real-world usage conditions—ensuring accessibility, clarity, and usability for users with varying levels of digital familiarity.
Unified vendor and operations model
We created a single system that connected procurement, fulfillment, and financial visibility for both SMBs and suppliers.
Outcomes
- Built a unified marketplace and fintech ecosystem serving more than 2 million SMBs across Latin America.
- Generated $1.2B+ in annual gross merchandise value through integrated platform capabilities.
- Unlocked new revenue streams through embedded financial services including credit and payments.
- Improved SMB operating efficiency by reducing fragmentation across procurement, payments, and vendor workflows.
- Strengthened AB InBev’s position as a digital transformation leader in the SMB marketplace ecosystem.
Reflection
This work shows how design can operate at the level of business systems—not just interfaces—connecting marketplace dynamics, financial services, and operational workflows into a cohesive platform with measurable economic impact.