Capital One associate Tabot sits at a table with his laptop open and pen over notebook

Building products for every credit path

It’s easy to take having a credit card for granted. But for Tabot, a product manager in Business Cards and Payments, it represents a path that wasn't always available to him.

In 2019, Tabot relocated to the United States after a global career spanning Nigeria, Mauritius and Kenya. Like many newcomers with a sparse credit history in a new place, the best credit he received was a $300 secured card.

"I couldn’t do much with what I was given by the bank," Tabot said. It took four years before he was bumped up from that secured card to a startup card with a $1,500 limit.

Instead of being discouraged by the slow progress, he used it as motivation to power a new career goal. He didn't just want a better financial path for himself—he wanted to build one for others, too. Tabot joined Capital One in 2021 with a clear mission to use his expertise to help solve the same problems he had faced as someone new to credit. “I wanted to do something for young professionals, students and others starting out.”

Transforming personal experience into product innovation

In his early work at Capital One, Tabot transitioned from protecting customer funds to expanding credit access. Joining the Bank Data and Fraud group in 2023, he led teams to build machine learning models for fraud detection in check deposits. For customers living paycheck to paycheck, the impact was tangible. These models ran in the background to flag fraudulent deposits, stopping bad actors in real time while ensuring customers could access their funds faster.

Building on that success, Tabot moved into the New to Credit space in 2024, where he partnered with an aggregator connected to over 10,000 banks. By analyzing two-year transactional reports, his team provided alternative data to underwrite credit for customers lacking a traditional credit history, which paved the path toward higher credit line increases within six months—the exact solution that would have helped him when he first came to the United States.

Today, Tabot is in a new role within the Business Cards and Payments team. His work has evolved from helping individuals gain financial empowerment to making business-level impact. Tabot’s team builds products that solve small business pain points, like managing unpredictable cash flow, streamlining purchasing and navigating complex payment processes.

“It always feels great when you're able to lend a helping hand—to send the proverbial ladder down to enable other people to climb up and see them thrive.”

Finding a voice and a community

Starting his journey at Capital One, Tabot focused on immersing himself in the tech landscape and navigating a new professional environment. During his first year, Tabot admits that it took some time to find the place where he could make the most impact.

That changed when he attended a networking event and connected with a product leader who became a long-term mentor. Through their weekly 30-minute meetings, Tabot gained the guidance and perspective needed to transform his career, resulting in more impactful results and increased confidence.

“One of the biggest takeaways from my mentor was learning not to be afraid to speak up,” Tabot said. “I come from a cultural background where I often took a backseat, so I had to learn to share my thoughts here at Capital One. My mentor would always ask, ‘Tabot, what’s your point of view?’”

These days, he shares his perspective in every meeting, knowing that his voice is valued and that his unique experience gives him the empathy to build better products. “I feel like my voice is heard here,” Tabot said.

Paying it forward with product mindset

His passion for making an impact extends well beyond his day-to-day role as a leader in product management. Every Friday, he volunteers with the Capital One Growth Consulting team to advise startup businesses on their business plans and offer tangible solutions to their challenges.

Outside of work, Tabot’s wife leads an organization that offers fun and engaging coding classes to kids. Tabot supports the mission by helping teach the students how to code through Scratch, a block-based environment that lets them build their own animations and games.

As a product manager, Tabot believes innovation and making a difference go hand-in-hand. Whether he’s designing a credit policy that helps a newcomer get on their feet or helping a child build their first animation, he hopes to build the world that he once needed. It’s this rare chance to merge professional experience with personal purpose that keeps him inspired every day.

“I would choose Capital One over any other company.”