Adelina Krementšukova joined Wallester in December 2022 as a Client Relationship Manager. Since then, her role has grown together with the company. She became Senior Client Relationship Manager in 2023, then Client Relationship Manager Team Lead, and in May 2026 she was appointed Head of Client Success.
In this interview, Adelina reflects on her path at Wallester, what she has learned from working closely with clients, and how the Client Success function has changed as the company has grown.
Interviewer:You joined Wallester in December 2022 as a Client Relationship Manager. What do you remember most clearly from your first months in the company?
Adelina: I remember my first months incredibly vividly – it was a time of immense learning and pure excitement. One memory that stands out most is meeting our CEO, Sergei Astafiev, for the very first time. The first thing he told me was, ‘You made the right choice!’ And looking back, he couldn’t have been more right.
At that time, we were building Wallester Business virtually from scratch. It was a true collective effort. We worked side-by-side with Sergei and the team, spending days and nights brainstorming how to create the most successful product on the market. We focused heavily on two things: delivering an outstanding user experience for our clients and making the platform intuitive and efficient for our team’s daily operations. We were completely fueled by a massive shared goal, genuine passion, and the desire to build something game-changing.
Interviewer:What first attracted you to client-facing work, and what made the Client Relationship Manager role a good fit for you?
Adelina: I’ve always been a highly responsible and accountable person. What first attracted me to client-facing work is the direct human impact. In the fintech world, you have to be exceptionally proactive because things move at lightning speed and you are dealing with a company’s financial core.
Throughout my career, I’ve always deeply internalised our clients’ challenges. I treat their obstacles as my own, because I truly believe we are in this together—their success is our success, and their hurdles are our hurdles. Every time I managed to untangle a complex issue for a partner, it reaffirmed for me that this is exactly where I belong. Delivering tangible value, solving real problems, and building trusted, long-term relationships is what made the Client Relationship Manager role a perfect fit for me.
Interviewer:You moved from Client Relationship Manager to Senior Client Relationship Manager within your first year. What changed in your responsibilities at that stage?
Adelina: As the saying goes, with a bigger role comes greater responsibility. Moving to the Senior position within my first year was an exciting milestone, and the shift in responsibilities was profound.
While I continued managing key accounts, my focus expanded into mentorship and team enablement. I became responsible for onboarding and training our new colleagues, sharing my firsthand experience, our team dynamics, and my personal approach to building deep client trust. For me, it was no longer just about my individual performance; it was about elevating the entire team. I wanted to ensure we standardised excellence across the board, so that every single manager could deliver that same high-end, premium level of support Wallester is known for.
Interviewer:In November 2023, you became Client Relationship Manager Team Lead. What was the biggest shift when you moved from managing client relationships yourself to also supporting and leading a team?
Adelina: The biggest shift was moving into a ‘player-coach’ dynamic. I didn’t step away from our wonderful partners. I continued managing them actively, but now I held formal accountability for my team.
The most profound shift was mental. I strongly believe that a leader must take absolute ownership of everything. If my team makes a mistake or faces a challenge, it’s my mistake and my challenge. There is no separation between the leader and the team. To support them through this, I chose to lead by example. Instead of just giving abstract instructions, I used real-time cases from my own active portfolio to show them exactly how to navigate complex scenarios. Demonstrating the solutions in action worked brilliantly and built deep trust within the team.
Interviewer:Client Success can mean different things in different companies. How would you explain what it means at Wallester?
Adelina: I would explain it exactly as it is stated in our department’s name. At Wallester, Client Success is quite literally our own success. It is a win-win philosophy: when our clients win, we win, creating a powerful loop of mutual growth.
This approach serves as the foundation for long-term partnerships that very often evolve into genuine professional friendships rooted in deep trust. We never look at a client as just a ticket or a revenue stream. Instead, we constantly go above and beyond to find tailor-made solutions that help them scale, optimise, and expand. By dedicating our energy to enabling their growth, every effort we make turns into a major, shared triumph.
Interviewer: You have worked closely with Wallester clients for more than three years. What have those conversations taught you about what businesses really need from a financial platform?
Adelina: More than three years of daily conversations with clients have taught me that businesses look for a perfect synergy of two things.
First, on the technical side, they need an incredibly seamless, intuitive management platform that continuously innovates, rolls out cutting-edge features, and stays ahead of market trends. But second, and perhaps even more importantly, they need the human element – those trusted, rock-solid partnerships. At the end of the day, people gravitate toward people they can genuinely trust and rely on when challenges arise.
That is exactly what we have mastered at Wallester. We have managed to scale at a lightning-fast pace as one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, constantly adding new functionalities, while keeping our communication deeply personal and trust-driven. And honestly, we’ve only just begun! 🙂
Interviewer: As Wallester has grown, have client expectations changed as well? If yes, where have you noticed that most clearly?
Adelina: Honestly, our clients have been thrilled with our growth because it translates into more features and better capabilities for them.
The real test for any fast-growing fintech company is expanding without losing its grip on quality, and I’m proud to say we’ve nailed it. Despite our massive scaling, our core standards haven’t shifted a bit. For both our long-standing, legacy partners and our brand-new clients, the experience remains exactly the same. We have managed to maintain an uncompromisingly high level of product quality and personal support across the board.
Interviewer: What makes a strong client relationship in fintech? Is it speed, product knowledge, trust, communication, or something else?
Adelina: As I touched upon earlier, it’s not about choosing just one option. It’s about the synergy of all these elements combined.
Think about it: if you have incredible speed but lack clear communication, the client experience feels incomplete and stressful. On the flip side, if you offer world-class support but your product is unreliable or broken, you simply won’t get results. In fintech, you cannot afford to have a weak link. You have to deliver excellence at every single touchpoint simultaneously. It is a collective, cross-departmental effort, and that holistic high performance is exactly what we achieve together every day.
Interviewer: You became Head of Client Success in May 2026. What are your main priorities in the role now?
Adelina: My core mission hasn’t shifted since the very first day I walked into Wallester: client success is our success. What has changed is the scale of my impact. By stepping back from day-to-day client communications and daily operational tasks, I am now fully focused on the macro level – driving our global business strategy and turning our biggest product ideas into reality. We have an ambitious pipeline ahead, and I’m excited to elevate both the platform and the overall client experience.
The second, equally vital priority for me is my team. Their happiness, alignment, and professional fulfilment mean everything to me. We have an incredible, deeply dedicated group of people at Wallester, and my goal as Head of Department is to sustain that internal passion and drive. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure they feel supported, inspired, and empowered to excel every single day.
Interviewer: You were also at Money20/20 Europe this year. From a client success perspective, what stood out to you most from the conversations, meetings or general mood at the event?
Adelina: To be completely honest, I believe Wallester absolutely stole the show at Money20/20 Europe this year! The buzz around us was incredible. Our booth, our team’s unmatched energy, and even our unified outfits made a phenomenal statement.
Looking at it from a Client Success perspective, what stood out to me most was that our presence was a perfect, transparent reflection of our daily work ethic. It showed everyone that we are a team that operates at 100% capacity and focuses meticulously on every single detail, no matter how small. When current and potential partners saw that level of flawless execution on the big stage, it instantly reinforced their trust in how we handle their business. I felt incredibly proud of Wallester and what we achieved there.
Interviewer: Your own path at Wallester shows quite clear internal progression. What helped you grow inside the company, and what advice would you give to someone who wants to do the same?
Adelina: What helped me grow most was staying absolutely true to my path, my principles, and always leading with authenticity. I have loved Wallester since my very first day, and the company’s success has always felt like a deeply personal achievement to me.
If I were to give advice to someone wanting to build a similar career path, it would be this: find a mission that genuinely fulfils you every single day. Surround yourself with a team of fellow enthusiasts who share your vision, look in the same direction – and then, put in the work. Success naturally follows those who invest their energy sincerely and give it their absolute all.
Interviewer: What kind of team culture do you want to build in Client Success?
Adelina: The Client Success team I am building is a community of deeply kind, highly intelligent, responsible, and genuinely enthusiastic individuals. For me, a great culture is built on psychological safety and a flat hierarchy. Every single day, we support one another regardless of title or seniority – we don’t just listen to ideas; we truly hear them.
A unique aspect of our team is that we are split across two countries – Estonia and France. Because of this, one of my top priorities is fostering unmatched cross-border synergy. We consciously invest our energy into supporting each other so closely that the geographical distance disappears, creating a vibrant feeling of all being present in the exact same room. It’s a culture where distance is just a number, but collaboration is our reality.
Interviewer: When you are not working with clients or the team, how do you usually like to spend your time?
Adelina: Outside of work, I focus a lot on staying active, and running is a big part of my routine – it’s how I clear my head and recharge. I also deeply cherish spending quality time with my loved ones.
Music also plays a massive role in my life; in fact, I have been singing professionally for over 20 years. It’s an incredible creative outlet that has taught me immense focus and performance discipline over the years. Lastly, I am an avid traveller – whenever I get the chance, I love discovering new destinations, which always broadens my perspective.
