Meet H’acina, Head of Marketing at Capitalise

At Capitalise, our mission is shaped by the people behind it: passionate, driven individuals who bring our vision to life each day. In this edition of Get to Know the Team, we’re spotlighting our Head of Marketing, who brings her creativity, insight, and leadership to help small businesses across the UK discover a better way to approach business finance.

Meet H’acina Smaini, Head of Marketing

What is your role at Capitalise?

I’m the Head of Marketing at Capitalise. My team’s job is to make sure UK small businesses know who we are, understand what we offer, and have the smoothest experience possible when it comes to business finance. We also share a lot of insights along the way. We want to help businesses get to grips with their finances so they can make confident, informed decisions.

Since marketing touches everything these days, we focus on being where our audience is, with the right message, at the right time, through the right channels.

What does your typical day look like?

As Head of Marketing, one thing that stands out is how varied my day can be. In a single day, I might be drafting a social media post, preparing slides for a strategy meeting, reviewing website updates, or storyboarding a campaign. The reality is, I don’t really have a “typical” day. And that’s exactly what makes this job so stimulating.

I usually start my day by looking at the numbers: key metrics, performance data, trends. It gives me a clear sense of where we are and where we’re heading.

From there, I move into planning and execution mode: reviewing deadlines, managing my to-do list, and working across projects. I usually catch up with the team to align on priorities, unblock anything that needs support, and bounce around ideas.

There’s also a part of my day that involves copywriting. I’ve always held words in high regard, so I really enjoy that part of my job is writing content.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

A big part of what I love is how much this role aligns with my values. When a business uses Capitalise, they get valuable insight and can access the funding they need. All with full transparency. There are no hidden surprises for clients, and that makes me genuinely proud to be a Capitaliser.

I also love the creative side of marketing: thinking outside the box, exploring new angles, and pushing into new areas. That kind of problem-solving is exciting to me. It keeps me motivated.

At the same time, I’m someone who trusts numbers. Marketing can be subjective, based on instinct or emotion. Data analysis provides evidence of what is effective and ensures that our strategies are based on insights. With a background in science and investment banking (where things can be quite dry but reliably objective) I really value the balance between creative thinking and analytical rigour.

And then there’s teamwork. As good as you can be as a marketer, you’ll never get the best results without collaboration. I work closely with the product and funding specialists, as well as with our partnership managers. Those cross-team conversations are where so many great ideas come to life.Managing a team is also a part of the job I really enjoy. It’s genuinely fulfilling to see the next generation of marketers and designers grow, develop their skills, and build amazing work together. It’s the human touch I need in my day-to-day working life.

I could also talk about what it’s like working in fintech and in a small business — both are incredibly exciting. But then I probably wouldn’t stop talking!

Where are you planning your next holiday?

I’m heading to Lanzarote this summer. It will be my first time seeing black sand and I’m very excited!

Do you have a favourite music artist, song or album?

I’ve been a bit obsessed with Michael Kiwanuka lately. I’ve listened to ‘Home Again’ hundreds of times and I still love it. He’s performing at Cross the Tracks in May, and I bought tickets just to see him!

Do you have any book, movie, or theatre recommendations?

Absolutely, I love reading and going to the theatre, so you’re in for a treat!

In terms of fiction books, my all-time favourite book is probably The Life before us by Romain Gary. Very few authors write as powerfully as he does. It’s a classic. I also have a very fond memory of The rock of Tanios by Amin Maalouf. He won the Goncourt Prize for it, which is the highest recognition a French writer can get, so I hope it says enough to get you intrigued by this book. It made me want to visit Lebanon, which I haven’t yet. 

Any Human Heart by William Boyd is another one I loved. Ok and the last one would be Body & Soul by Frank Conroy.

In terms of biographies, Limonov and Joseph Kessel by Emmanuel Carrère are incredibly powerful: such unbelievable characters, and so well written. The comic book Maus touched me very deeply when I read it in secondary school. I bought it at Christmas to read it again. 

In terms of theatre, I really liked The Mousetrap play. 

For movies, I recently really liked Anatomy of a Fall. It’s such a smart film. I didn’t think much of it in the first half, so if you feel the same, I’d say stick with it. It’s worth it.

Ok I am done (big laugh)!

H’acina’s approach to marketing blends creativity, data, and collaboration, all with a clear focus on supporting small businesses. If you’re curious about marketing, fintech, or just want to swap book or music recommendations (Michael Kiwanuka fans, take note),you can connect with H’acina on LinkedIn.