July 30, 2025 • 23 mins
From her journey through marketing roles at large payments companies to building out the marketing function at Paysafe, Alisa Barber, CMO reveals the continuous learning and adaptation required to thrive in the rapidly evolving payments landscape. Her leadership philosophy centers on providing clear direction while creating space for team members to shine, emphasizing that growth comes not from singular defining moments but from getting better every day: "What we did yesterday is not good enough for tomorrow."
Women bring unique strengths to payments, Barber explains, particularly empathy and a deeper understanding of consumer experiences. This perspective is invaluable when designing products and building systems, especially considering women make many household financial decisions yet are underrepresented in the industry. Their collaborative leadership style becomes increasingly crucial as artificial intelligence transforms payments – a change Barber predicts will be "as big as the internet was."
The conversation explores mentorship's vital role in career development, with Barber noting that while most of her mentors were men, she now prioritizes mentoring women to provide the guidance she lacked early on. Her practical advice for aspiring payment professionals? Embrace change, speak up, view challenges as opportunities, and invest in relationships – because in an AI-driven world, human skills will differentiate the truly successful leaders.
Whether you're a seasoned payments veteran or considering entering this dynamic industry, this episode offers valuable insights on navigating leadership with authenticity, building inclusive teams, and preparing for the technological transformation reshaping our financial landscape.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Leaders in Payments podcast,
where we talk to C-level leadersfrom across the payments
landscape.
We'll be discussing theproducts and services that
impact the payment space today,as well as trends and
predictions for the future ofpayments.
We will also hear stories fromour guests about their journeys
to the top.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hello everyone and welcome to the Leaders in
Payments podcast.
I'm your host, greg Myers, andthis episode is part of our
Women Leaders in Payments month,something we do every year in
the month of July, and it's oneof my favorite times of the year
.
This year's theme is redefiningleadership, influence, impact
and innovation, so those aresome of the things you're going
to be hearing about during themonth of July.
So, first, a special thank youto our sponsors.
(00:41):
Our title sponsor is WorldPay,our participating sponsors are
VisiPay and PayRock, and ourepisode sponsors are the
Clearinghouse and Genico andPaySafe.
So special thanks to thosecompanies.
Today, our special guest isAlyssa Barber, the Chief
Marketing Officer at PaySafe.
So, alyssa, thank you so muchfor being here and welcome to
the show.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Thank you.
I'm so excited to be here andto talk a little bit about women
and payments this week.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Great, so let's start off with a little icebreaker.
So if you could have dinnerwith any woman in history, past
or present, who would that beand why and what type of
restaurant would you take themto?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
That is a great question, and there's lots of
women I think I would like to goto dinner with maybe Amelia
Earhart, just because you knowshe was so bold in her time and
then really decades ahead of hertime, and so I just would love
to like pick her brain andreally understand her mindset of
how like she just kept stayfocused and really kept pushing
(01:38):
boundaries even when the worldwasn't really ready for her.
From a restaurant standpoint, Iwas just in Peru last week and
now I've kind of have a love forPeruvian food and because it's
kind of unexpected, like she was, I think I'll go Peruvian food.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Okay, okay, great.
So let's talk a little bitabout your background.
So tell us you know, sort ofmaybe, where you grew up, where
you went to school and what ledyou into payments.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
I grew up in South Georgia and ended up going to
Florida State College ofBusiness and had a major in
marketing actually and doingwhat I went to college for, and
I really began my paymentscareer with a company called
Penley.
It was a startup for thePatriot Act and, through a
series of acquisitions, ended upfor many, many years at FIS and
(02:23):
did a little and had a varietyof marketing roles there.
Up for many, many years at FISand did a little variety of
marketing roles there.
I built out our demand genfunction at FIS as well as did
some marketing consulting withour clients and did some
direct-to-consumer marketingwhile at FIS, which was a great
experience to learn a little bitabout everything.
In 2020, I decided to step awayfrom payments for a couple of
(02:45):
years and was the led themarketing efforts at a company
called Varent, led the marketingefforts for the America's
Marketing and it was great tohave a chance to see like
marketing from a different, froma different place than payments
.
But in 2022, payments camecalling and I started working
for Paysafe to really build outthe marketing function here and
(03:09):
if you don't know, paysafePaysafe is a New York stock
exchange company.
We're a global payments platformwith a strong focus on the
experiential economy.
So we serve consumers inentertainment sectors like
iGaming and video gaming, andrestaurants and airlines and
hotels.
You really our focus is turningtransactions into experiences.
We have about 3,000 employeesin 12 countries and have a
(03:33):
strong focus on our onlinepayments, and so, when you think
about SMBs, we're actually atop five non-bank payment
processor, and what I love aboutthat is we're supporting
thousands of retailers andrestaurants across the world.
Many of those are women-ownedbusinesses.
But we also have digitalwallets for their
direct-to-consumer called Skrilland NetTeller.
(03:55):
A couple of online cashsolutions PaySafeCard,
paysafecash, and then our newonline cash solution in Peru,
pago Efetigo.
We've just transformed thatinto a wallet, which is actually
why I was in Peru last week.
So just a little bit ofbackground on kind of my career
so far.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Okay, great, great.
So if you're asked to go onstage or at a conference and
you've got to give apresentation and you have your
kind of walk-up music or yourhype music, what would that
music be?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Another great question Because you know we're
in the midst of such atransformation at Paysafe I'm
thinking Alicia Keys' Girl onFire, because it's not just me
being on fire, it's the wholemarketing team is and so I
thought that might make sense.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Okay, okay, that's great, because I've asked that
question, obviously, to all theinterviews this month and no one
has given the same answer twice, so I think that's kind of cool
.
So, yeah, tell us a little bitabout exactly what you do there
and maybe what excites you everyday when you come into the
office.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Okay, perfect, so well.
When I joined PaySafe, it was areally exciting time.
It was in late 2022.
Our CEO, Bruce Lothers, hadbeen around about six months and
Paysafe is definitely in growthmode.
We originally were reallyfocused on M&A for growth, and
so you know, Bruce has reallytransformed our vision.
It's really focused on growingthrough organic growth, and so
(05:20):
what my role is is to reallyhelp support the company's
growth goals and then reallylead the transformation of
marketing.
So we've done everything fromunifying our brand architecture,
really have a stronger focus ondata and being a data-driven
marketing organization reallyfocused on outcomes, and we've
centralized the marketing teamacross the world.
(05:40):
I think what gets me excitedevery day is one is the team
team, and they're fantastic andgetting to work with people
globally, but also we're reallygetting to work on projects that
make a big difference for thecompany.
So we've done everything fromhave a complete rebranded all of
(06:02):
our major sub-brands so that wereally have a pay-safe family
of brands, which, as a marketer,is a really interesting task.
But we also have a lot of newproducts that we've been
launching, like the one that Italked about in Peru, but we
also have a lot of programs thatreally focus on women.
(06:23):
And last month in London weactually had a women in video
gaming event where we hadpanelists come talk about how
they got into gaming, how theygot into entertainment, and it
really brought together a greatconversation and the focus on
building community and that'sone of the things we want to do
from a marketing standpoint.
And I think the way you tell ifan event was good is when I was
(06:45):
leaving, someone said when'sthe next one?
So we're definitely planning todo some more women women in
gaming or maybe one of our otherindustries, you know, over the
coming months across the world.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Okay, great, great.
Well, let's talk a little bitabout leadership and maybe some
lessons learned.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
So think people are looking for clear direction on
what we need to accomplish andthe goals we need to accomplish,
(07:23):
but also they need to be heard,and I think people really want
to know that there's a space forthem to shine and that their
leaders care about what theywant to do.
But also, especially inpayments, change happens so
frequently, and certainly withtechnology, we just have to be
able to change, and I want to beable to help the team be able
to change so that they're readyfor the next big thing and I
(07:46):
think what's exciting aboutPaySafe is is that not only are
many of my directs women, but46% of all of our employees are
women.
We have employees from bothgenders, and so we have
diversity as a part of thecompany.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
When you step back and look at your career or even,
broadly, your life.
Have you had those sort ofmoments in time that helped
define who you are?
I kind of call them those ahamoments.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
You know it's interesting, but there's
definitely not just one.
I think every career has got alot of milestones.
Milestones, you know, like whenI became a vice president, or
when I became a CMO, or when Ileft a, you know, when I left a
very stable company to go to ariskier startup, or even that
campaign that really was a bigwin, or the one that wasn't a
big win.
Those moments, it's not justthe big moments, it's about the
(08:34):
day to day.
It's about getting better everyday, so that those defining
moments happen in the journey.
And I think it's really aboutthe journey, because it's how
you show up and you grow.
And one of the things I tellthe team all the time is what we
did yesterday is not goodenough for tomorrow.
And I think that absolutelymatters in your career, and I
(08:54):
think that's ultimately whatdefines your career is how you
adjust and adapt.
And now, of course, I'm reallytrying to help others navigate
their careers as well.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Okay.
Well, what's something that youthink women leaders bring to
the table that our industryneeds more of?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Well, you know, obviously, empathy I brought
that up earlier but it's reallya deeper understanding of that
consumer experience and sincewomen make up half the
population, it makes sense thatwhen we're designing product or,
you know, building risk models,that we would really shape our
solutions to be more inclusive,and I think that's unique to
women.
I think we really are intuitiveand can really make sure that
(09:33):
our products and our solutionsanything in payments right are
focused on all the population.
I also think women have acollaborative leadership style
and I think in today's world,especially when you think about
AI, the technology is fabulous,but I think the people skills
around that technology arereally going to matter.
I think that's going to standout.
(09:55):
We talk a lot about, you know,working the matrix right and
really being able to work acrossgroups, and I think women
really do that well typically.
Is that collaborative spirit?
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Yeah, that's been a pretty common theme with the
answer to that question thecollaboration the empathy.
Yeah, I mean, it's like it'skind of and also you brought it
up and it's been brought up inone other episode as well is
that women make and I think thestat that was given was like 72
or 82 percent of the financialdecisions in a household.
A woman makes that decision andthen here we are in payments
(10:29):
and so many men are making thedesign decisions on products.
So it is kind of an interestingdynamic.
So I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Well, and I think just even the visibility around
that the industry does skewmales.
So how do we create productsthat are just authentic to the
world around us?
So I definitely think womenhelp.
I totally agree with you.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Well, let's talk a little bit about innovation and
impact.
So, as we've talked about andyou've already said it this
industry is changing quickly.
There's a lot of innovation, sohow do you stay on top of that,
how do you stay innovative as aleader?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, we talk a lot about being your own chief
knowledge officer and spending alot of time.
I mean, there's so manyresources today, whether it's
LinkedIn, learning or podcastslike this one, all the industry
events, like one of my favoriteis the Women Leadership Summit
that's in Atlanta every year.
You know, we really dochallenge our employees to go,
(11:24):
you know, to get that knowledge.
Now, paysafe has a greattraining program, and we do.
You know, we actually are in themidst of doing AI training for
the whole company, which is allfabulous, but I think you have
to take it on yourself andreally go out there and find out
what's happening in theindustry, because, if not,
you're going to get left behindbecause there's so much going on
.
And I think and again, youcan't have this conversation
(11:45):
without talking about AI.
I was actually at a conferenceand the speaker said and I can't
quote them because I can'tremember the name of the speaker
but they said AI is going to beas big as the internet was and
I was like, wow, that's a greatway to think about it.
It really is going to changethe world.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, without a doubt .
So it's a good segue into thenext question.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So what is one of the main changes or trends that
you're really keeping a closeeye on?
It absolutely has to be AI.
You know, being a marketer, youknow.
I think we, we everyone jumpedon being able to use it for
content right and making yourcontent better.
But that's just the verybeginning.
There's so many layers of howwe can take AI as a technology
and then allow us to reallycommunicate more personally to
(12:30):
every consumer, every merchantthat we're marketing to, which
is really exciting.
But, again, it's really aboutthe personal skills and those
human skills, because having thedata, having the technology, is
great, but we still have to beable to communicate with the
people we work around andcollaborate, which, again, is
one of the strengths for women.
But I think that's the key.
I think the people who aregoing to do the best in an
(12:53):
AI-driven world are ones thatstill can work with others very
well.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yeah, and I think AI is one of those things that when
you step back and look at thebroader picture, it can change
individuals, it can change teams, it can change companies, it
can change industries andthere's so much going on and
within our industry because I'mtalking to CEOs, normally on
these conversations they allbring up how they can use it for
(13:20):
fraud and kind of compliant, alot of those things.
But I think marketing hugeright, you know there's so much
can be done within marketing andeven just products.
And then you've got MasterCardand Visa that come out with
these announcements about.
You know, basically bots willbe buying things and you know
that whole agentic commercething.
So there's just so much in ourindustry to keep up.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Absolutely, and that kind of goes back to your
previous question aroundlearning.
It really does make sense tostay on top of everything, even
using an LLM to do research.
It's definitely a very dynamicworld to these days.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yeah, without a doubt .
So how do you think that womenleaders can influence the future
direction of our industry?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Well, I think women bring a fresh perspective, you
kind of that lived experienceand and really just that natural
focus on inclusion.
And I think, as we you know, aswe look at payments and how
people access and move money,you know I really do feel like
there's an opportunity for newvoices to drive innovation, and
I think that's a part of whatwomen can do for the industry.
(14:27):
But also I think we can reallychange what fintech looks like.
You know, as more and morewomen are joining our industry,
you know that really helps thenext generation envision
themselves there as well.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Well, let's talk a little bit about mentorship.
So over your career, have youhad mentors and if you have, how
have they sort of influencedyour career?
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I definitely have.
But I think the interesting,the interesting fun fact about
my mentors is most of them havebeen men, and and so for me, as
a woman who has enjoyed aquality career in payments, I
try to actually mentor women,because I didn't have as many
women earlier in my career, andso PaySafe actually has a
(15:10):
mentorship program where it's ayear program where you work with
one particular person for thatyear, and so I have chosen to
work with women each year andit's been great because I've
gotten to know them a little bitbetter in their career goals.
But, as kind of a fun fact,I've now actually worked with
them on projects and now I knowthem very well, so it's worked
(15:31):
out really well.
But when I think about the kindof women who have impacted my
life, I can kind of think of twothat really stand out in
particular.
One is a lady named ChrisPeterson, who's one of our sales
leaders today, but I've knownher for many years at previous
companies and she has always hadkind of a strength and presence
and really been an authenticleader, and so it's been great
to have someone who's kind ofsuch a powerful example of what
(15:53):
kind of how you lead with gritand grace.
And then the second is when Iwent to Verint, the CMO there,
Celia Flyshaker.
She was just truly what a greatCMO looks like.
She knew how to elevatemarketing but also really stay
grounded and focus on outcomes,and I think that's what we're
all looking for right is who wewant to be when we grow up, and
(16:15):
so Celia definitely was one forme that I was like, wow, that's
the kind of CMO I want to be, soanyway.
So I'm certainly thankful forthe example and absolutely all
the every mentor, any person whoshaped my career I'm so
grateful for.
But I am grateful for now thatthere's starting to be enough
women that we can really mentorthat next generation and really
try to kind of pay it forward.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yeah, and I want to kind of double click on the
mentorship because I think it'sso vitally important and it's
great that PaySafe has like aprogram.
A lot of companies aren'teither big enough or maybe too
early in their evolution to havethose kinds of things.
So maybe what are your thoughtson kind of finding that
mentorship kind of on your ownand we've also talked a lot
(16:58):
about during this series is likementorship doesn't have to be
an official program.
Right, it can be.
You can get it from a book, youcan get it from a podcast, you
can get it from friends andfamily, you know.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
So maybe some of your thoughts on that Well and
that's actually a really greatpoint is a mentorship doesn't
need to be 12 months long or onemonth long, or someone you talk
to every week.
I really think there's anopportunity to if there's
someone that you aspire to be,just invite them to lunch, have
a conversation and youabsolutely you know, I think
(17:30):
there's something to be said forI mean, I love all the learning
opportunities, but I do thinkit's something to be said for
talking to someone about, kindof what their career journey was
and then how you want toemulate that or not emulate that
.
So, yes, sometimes just a lunchis enough, or it's hey, can I
call you every once in a while,and I think that's something
that I think sometimes you justhave to be bold and ask for it.
(17:51):
Most people are going to say,yes, you know anybody who comes
to me and said, hey, can we goto lunch and talk about, and
talk about marketing or yourcareer.
I'm absolutely going to do it,and so, and I think most people
will.
So that's a great point.
It's definitely anyone whoinspires you or someone who
(18:12):
you've seen their journey andyou want to learn about it.
I think you should definitelyask.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, and you know, the other thing that's come up a
good bit is sort of thedifference in mentorship and
sponsorship, where sponsors kindof are talking about you when
you're not in the room, versusmentors who are trying to help
you for your career.
So kind of curious if you'vehad any experience with sponsors
and if so, kind of maybe whatthat was like.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
You know, I've had a little bit of both and sometimes
it can be the same person.
But I think your career and thatjourney of career and who you
want to be doesn't always alignwith the role you're in or the
role you want to be doesn'talways align with the role
you're in or the role you aspireto be, and so I think it's
really two separate purposes.
It's if you've got a careergoal, that's absolutely a
sponsor, but then a mentor isreally it's just a lot more
(18:56):
personal relationship on whatyou're trying to accomplish in
your life.
I find that a lot of times withthe folks I mentor, the ones
I've been mentored, I becometheir friends because you start
learning about not just theirwork life but their family life
and where they want to go onvacation and those type of
things, and it's and I think alot of times careers are just
about relationships andsponsorship is absolutely so
(19:18):
important, especially for women,because basically I was
laughing with someone the otherday we always talk at the old
boys club there's not a women'sclub and so we do need to help
each other.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Why not Right, right, no, I love it.
I love it.
So if someone is coming, mayberight out of school into
payments, or maybe they'rechanging from another industry
or vertical, they're coming intopayments, it's a woman.
She's looking to you for someadvice.
What would you tell her to helpher be successful?
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I think the thing to know about payments is that the
industry moves fast and itchanges quickly and you have to
be prepared to change.
For that change with theindustry and because innovation
is constant.
Like you just have to alwaysthink freshly.
And it's okay to speak up, askquestions, be bold, because that
is going to matter in thepayments world.
You know I tell my team all thetime be a change agent.
(20:07):
Change is going to happen, sowhy not embrace it and make the
most of it?
The other thing is you know nois an opportunity and don't just
accept no, like figure out theyes in that no and then figure
out how you make the most ofthat.
And I think sometimes we let.
If someone says, oh, that's nota great idea or oh, we don't
need to do that now, well, maybewe don't need to do it now, but
(20:29):
why not do it in six months?
And let's figure out a reasonand business case for doing that
.
You know how do we get thatoutcome to come?
And then, finally, like, reallyinvest in relationships,
because in the end, when I thinkabout my career, I do think
about the people that I'veworked with all these years in
payments and, again, like in anAI-driven world, human skills
(20:49):
matter.
So that's kind of the advice Igive.
That's probably more than one,but that's what I typically give
.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I think I've asked for one, but I don't think I've
ever gotten just one.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
There's just too many things.
There's too many things,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
One more kind of fun question before we wrap up.
So when you get your phone outand you look at it, what is your
most used app that'snon-business related, and what
does that say about you?
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Got it.
I would tell you.
If you asked me for my businessapp, it would probably be Delta
, because I fly all the time.
But for my non-business app, atypical Saturday morning for me
is walking out in the gardenlooking around at my flowers,
and I've got an app calledPicture this on my phone that
you can basically take a pictureof a flower and it'll tell you
what if it's sick or if it's notsick, what it is.
(21:35):
You know, if my roses aren'tgrowing like they're not growing
this year, figuring out what'sgoing on.
So I became a gardener duringCOVID and just really have
embraced it.
I like the solitude of thegarden, but I also feel like
gardening is a peaceful way tokind of be out in the world, is
a peaceful way to kind of be outin the world, but also like it
helps me stay curious, which iswhat I like to be in my work
(21:58):
career and also nurture thepeople around me.
So it's kind of it actuallymakes sense that I like to
garden.
But basically I think it saysthat I guess growing gardens
like growing a team maybe, butthat's definitely the app I use
the absolute most.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So when you use that app, does it tell you like you
need to water it or you'rewatering it too much, or those
kinds of things?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And again, like where I live,this year has gotten so much
rain, and so you know, when myapp says it's overwatering, it's
like, well, what do you do?
It's raining, but you know.
It's just a simple app.
It tells you.
Sometimes, if you're in agardening store, you can find
out what a plant is, becauseit's all about learning, right,
it's kind of that continuouslearning around.
(22:40):
I know so much more about thetype of plants than I ever did,
and I never even cared what aplant looked like.
I just said, oh, that's a nicebloom.
And now I kind of know thedetails behind them.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Nice, nice, Well behind them.
Nice, nice, Well.
Before we go, I wanted to justkind of open up the floor, see
if there's anything else youwanted to cover, any other
comments maybe you want to makeabout you or Paysafe, or
anything else?
Just kind of open up the floorand after that we'll wrap up.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Okay, well, first of all, I love that you're
highlighting women in paymentsfor your podcast, so thank you
very much.
I really do think the future isbright and there's so many
opportunities in payments, andespecially women in payments,
and I do think these type ofconversations kind of help us
bring the future forward.
So thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Yeah, absolutely so, alyssa.
Again, thank you so much forbeing on the show.
I know your time is veryvaluable, so again, thank you
for being here today.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
It was a pleasure.
Thank you, Greg.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
And to all your listeners out there.
I thank you for your time aswell, and until the next story.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
Thank you for joining us this week on the Leaders in
Payments podcast.
Make sure you visit our websiteat leadersinpaymentscom, where
you can subscribe to the showand where you'll find our show
notes.
If you enjoyed listening,please share on your social
(23:55):
channels as well.
Welcome to the Leaders in Payments podcast,
where we talk to C-level leadersfrom across the payments
landscape.
We'll be discussing theproducts and services that
impact the payment space today,as well as trends and
predictions for the future ofpayments.
We will also hear stories fromour guests about their journeys
to the top.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hello everyone and welcome to the Leaders in
Payments podcast.
I'm your host, greg Myers, andthis episode is part of our
Women Leaders in Payments month,something we do every year in
the month of July, and it's oneof my favorite times of the year
.
This year's theme is redefiningleadership, influence, impact
and innovation, so those aresome of the things you're going
to be hearing about during themonth of July.
So, first, a special thank youto our sponsors.
(00:41):
Our title sponsor is WorldPay,our participating sponsors are
VisiPay and PayRock, and ourepisode sponsors are the
Clearinghouse and Genico andPaySafe.
So special thanks to thosecompanies.
Today, our special guest isAlyssa Barber, the Chief
Marketing Officer at PaySafe.
So, alyssa, thank you so muchfor being here and welcome to
the show.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Thank you.
I'm so excited to be here andto talk a little bit about women
and payments this week.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Great, so let's start off with a little icebreaker.
So if you could have dinnerwith any woman in history, past
or present, who would that beand why and what type of
restaurant would you take themto?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
That is a great question, and there's lots of
women I think I would like to goto dinner with maybe Amelia
Earhart, just because you knowshe was so bold in her time and
then really decades ahead of hertime, and so I just would love
to like pick her brain andreally understand her mindset of
how like she just kept stayfocused and really kept pushing
(01:38):
boundaries even when the worldwasn't really ready for her.
From a restaurant standpoint, Iwas just in Peru last week and
now I've kind of have a love forPeruvian food and because it's
kind of unexpected, like she was, I think I'll go Peruvian food.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Okay, okay, great.
So let's talk a little bitabout your background.
So tell us you know, sort ofmaybe, where you grew up, where
you went to school and what ledyou into payments.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
I grew up in South Georgia and ended up going to
Florida State College ofBusiness and had a major in
marketing actually and doingwhat I went to college for, and
I really began my paymentscareer with a company called
Penley.
It was a startup for thePatriot Act and, through a
series of acquisitions, ended upfor many, many years at FIS and
(02:23):
did a little and had a varietyof marketing roles there.
Up for many, many years at FISand did a little variety of
marketing roles there.
I built out our demand genfunction at FIS as well as did
some marketing consulting withour clients and did some
direct-to-consumer marketingwhile at FIS, which was a great
experience to learn a little bitabout everything.
In 2020, I decided to step awayfrom payments for a couple of
(02:45):
years and was the led themarketing efforts at a company
called Varent, led the marketingefforts for the America's
Marketing and it was great tohave a chance to see like
marketing from a different, froma different place than payments
.
But in 2022, payments camecalling and I started working
for Paysafe to really build outthe marketing function here and
(03:09):
if you don't know, paysafePaysafe is a New York stock
exchange company.
We're a global payments platformwith a strong focus on the
experiential economy.
So we serve consumers inentertainment sectors like
iGaming and video gaming, andrestaurants and airlines and
hotels.
You really our focus is turningtransactions into experiences.
We have about 3,000 employeesin 12 countries and have a
(03:33):
strong focus on our onlinepayments, and so, when you think
about SMBs, we're actually atop five non-bank payment
processor, and what I love aboutthat is we're supporting
thousands of retailers andrestaurants across the world.
Many of those are women-ownedbusinesses.
But we also have digitalwallets for their
direct-to-consumer called Skrilland NetTeller.
(03:55):
A couple of online cashsolutions PaySafeCard,
paysafecash, and then our newonline cash solution in Peru,
pago Efetigo.
We've just transformed thatinto a wallet, which is actually
why I was in Peru last week.
So just a little bit ofbackground on kind of my career
so far.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Okay, great, great.
So if you're asked to go onstage or at a conference and
you've got to give apresentation and you have your
kind of walk-up music or yourhype music, what would that
music be?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Another great question Because you know we're
in the midst of such atransformation at Paysafe I'm
thinking Alicia Keys' Girl onFire, because it's not just me
being on fire, it's the wholemarketing team is and so I
thought that might make sense.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Okay, okay, that's great, because I've asked that
question, obviously, to all theinterviews this month and no one
has given the same answer twice, so I think that's kind of cool
.
So, yeah, tell us a little bitabout exactly what you do there
and maybe what excites you everyday when you come into the
office.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Okay, perfect, so well.
When I joined PaySafe, it was areally exciting time.
It was in late 2022.
Our CEO, Bruce Lothers, hadbeen around about six months and
Paysafe is definitely in growthmode.
We originally were reallyfocused on M&A for growth, and
so you know, Bruce has reallytransformed our vision.
It's really focused on growingthrough organic growth, and so
(05:20):
what my role is is to reallyhelp support the company's
growth goals and then reallylead the transformation of
marketing.
So we've done everything fromunifying our brand architecture,
really have a stronger focus ondata and being a data-driven
marketing organization reallyfocused on outcomes, and we've
centralized the marketing teamacross the world.
(05:40):
I think what gets me excitedevery day is one is the team
team, and they're fantastic andgetting to work with people
globally, but also we're reallygetting to work on projects that
make a big difference for thecompany.
So we've done everything fromhave a complete rebranded all of
(06:02):
our major sub-brands so that wereally have a pay-safe family
of brands, which, as a marketer,is a really interesting task.
But we also have a lot of newproducts that we've been
launching, like the one that Italked about in Peru, but we
also have a lot of programs thatreally focus on women.
(06:23):
And last month in London weactually had a women in video
gaming event where we hadpanelists come talk about how
they got into gaming, how theygot into entertainment, and it
really brought together a greatconversation and the focus on
building community and that'sone of the things we want to do
from a marketing standpoint.
And I think the way you tell ifan event was good is when I was
(06:45):
leaving, someone said when'sthe next one?
So we're definitely planning todo some more women women in
gaming or maybe one of our otherindustries, you know, over the
coming months across the world.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Okay, great, great.
Well, let's talk a little bitabout leadership and maybe some
lessons learned.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
So think people are looking for clear direction on
what we need to accomplish andthe goals we need to accomplish,
(07:23):
but also they need to be heard,and I think people really want
to know that there's a space forthem to shine and that their
leaders care about what theywant to do.
But also, especially inpayments, change happens so
frequently, and certainly withtechnology, we just have to be
able to change, and I want to beable to help the team be able
to change so that they're readyfor the next big thing and I
(07:46):
think what's exciting aboutPaySafe is is that not only are
many of my directs women, but46% of all of our employees are
women.
We have employees from bothgenders, and so we have
diversity as a part of thecompany.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
When you step back and look at your career or even,
broadly, your life.
Have you had those sort ofmoments in time that helped
define who you are?
I kind of call them those ahamoments.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
You know it's interesting, but there's
definitely not just one.
I think every career has got alot of milestones.
Milestones, you know, like whenI became a vice president, or
when I became a CMO, or when Ileft a, you know, when I left a
very stable company to go to ariskier startup, or even that
campaign that really was a bigwin, or the one that wasn't a
big win.
Those moments, it's not justthe big moments, it's about the
(08:34):
day to day.
It's about getting better everyday, so that those defining
moments happen in the journey.
And I think it's really aboutthe journey, because it's how
you show up and you grow.
And one of the things I tellthe team all the time is what we
did yesterday is not goodenough for tomorrow.
And I think that absolutelymatters in your career, and I
(08:54):
think that's ultimately whatdefines your career is how you
adjust and adapt.
And now, of course, I'm reallytrying to help others navigate
their careers as well.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Okay.
Well, what's something that youthink women leaders bring to
the table that our industryneeds more of?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Well, you know, obviously, empathy I brought
that up earlier but it's reallya deeper understanding of that
consumer experience and sincewomen make up half the
population, it makes sense thatwhen we're designing product or,
you know, building risk models,that we would really shape our
solutions to be more inclusive,and I think that's unique to
women.
I think we really are intuitiveand can really make sure that
(09:33):
our products and our solutionsanything in payments right are
focused on all the population.
I also think women have acollaborative leadership style
and I think in today's world,especially when you think about
AI, the technology is fabulous,but I think the people skills
around that technology arereally going to matter.
I think that's going to standout.
(09:55):
We talk a lot about, you know,working the matrix right and
really being able to work acrossgroups, and I think women
really do that well typically.
Is that collaborative spirit?
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Yeah, that's been a pretty common theme with the
answer to that question thecollaboration the empathy.
Yeah, I mean, it's like it'skind of and also you brought it
up and it's been brought up inone other episode as well is
that women make and I think thestat that was given was like 72
or 82 percent of the financialdecisions in a household.
A woman makes that decision andthen here we are in payments
(10:29):
and so many men are making thedesign decisions on products.
So it is kind of an interestingdynamic.
So I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Well, and I think just even the visibility around
that the industry does skewmales.
So how do we create productsthat are just authentic to the
world around us?
So I definitely think womenhelp.
I totally agree with you.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Well, let's talk a little bit about innovation and
impact.
So, as we've talked about andyou've already said it this
industry is changing quickly.
There's a lot of innovation, sohow do you stay on top of that,
how do you stay innovative as aleader?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, we talk a lot about being your own chief
knowledge officer and spending alot of time.
I mean, there's so manyresources today, whether it's
LinkedIn, learning or podcastslike this one, all the industry
events, like one of my favoriteis the Women Leadership Summit
that's in Atlanta every year.
You know, we really dochallenge our employees to go,
(11:24):
you know, to get that knowledge.
Now, paysafe has a greattraining program, and we do.
You know, we actually are in themidst of doing AI training for
the whole company, which is allfabulous, but I think you have
to take it on yourself andreally go out there and find out
what's happening in theindustry, because, if not,
you're going to get left behindbecause there's so much going on
.
And I think and again, youcan't have this conversation
(11:45):
without talking about AI.
I was actually at a conferenceand the speaker said and I can't
quote them because I can'tremember the name of the speaker
but they said AI is going to beas big as the internet was and
I was like, wow, that's a greatway to think about it.
It really is going to changethe world.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, without a doubt .
So it's a good segue into thenext question.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So what is one of the main changes or trends that
you're really keeping a closeeye on?
It absolutely has to be AI.
You know, being a marketer, youknow.
I think we, we everyone jumpedon being able to use it for
content right and making yourcontent better.
But that's just the verybeginning.
There's so many layers of howwe can take AI as a technology
and then allow us to reallycommunicate more personally to
(12:30):
every consumer, every merchantthat we're marketing to, which
is really exciting.
But, again, it's really aboutthe personal skills and those
human skills, because having thedata, having the technology, is
great, but we still have to beable to communicate with the
people we work around andcollaborate, which, again, is
one of the strengths for women.
But I think that's the key.
I think the people who aregoing to do the best in an
(12:53):
AI-driven world are ones thatstill can work with others very
well.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yeah, and I think AI is one of those things that when
you step back and look at thebroader picture, it can change
individuals, it can change teams, it can change companies, it
can change industries andthere's so much going on and
within our industry because I'mtalking to CEOs, normally on
these conversations they allbring up how they can use it for
(13:20):
fraud and kind of compliant, alot of those things.
But I think marketing hugeright, you know there's so much
can be done within marketing andeven just products.
And then you've got MasterCardand Visa that come out with
these announcements about.
You know, basically bots willbe buying things and you know
that whole agentic commercething.
So there's just so much in ourindustry to keep up.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Absolutely, and that kind of goes back to your
previous question aroundlearning.
It really does make sense tostay on top of everything, even
using an LLM to do research.
It's definitely a very dynamicworld to these days.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yeah, without a doubt .
So how do you think that womenleaders can influence the future
direction of our industry?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Well, I think women bring a fresh perspective, you
kind of that lived experienceand and really just that natural
focus on inclusion.
And I think, as we you know, aswe look at payments and how
people access and move money,you know I really do feel like
there's an opportunity for newvoices to drive innovation, and
I think that's a part of whatwomen can do for the industry.
(14:27):
But also I think we can reallychange what fintech looks like.
You know, as more and morewomen are joining our industry,
you know that really helps thenext generation envision
themselves there as well.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Well, let's talk a little bit about mentorship.
So over your career, have youhad mentors and if you have, how
have they sort of influencedyour career?
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I definitely have.
But I think the interesting,the interesting fun fact about
my mentors is most of them havebeen men, and and so for me, as
a woman who has enjoyed aquality career in payments, I
try to actually mentor women,because I didn't have as many
women earlier in my career, andso PaySafe actually has a
(15:10):
mentorship program where it's ayear program where you work with
one particular person for thatyear, and so I have chosen to
work with women each year andit's been great because I've
gotten to know them a little bitbetter in their career goals.
But, as kind of a fun fact,I've now actually worked with
them on projects and now I knowthem very well, so it's worked
(15:31):
out really well.
But when I think about the kindof women who have impacted my
life, I can kind of think of twothat really stand out in
particular.
One is a lady named ChrisPeterson, who's one of our sales
leaders today, but I've knownher for many years at previous
companies and she has always hadkind of a strength and presence
and really been an authenticleader, and so it's been great
to have someone who's kind ofsuch a powerful example of what
(15:53):
kind of how you lead with gritand grace.
And then the second is when Iwent to Verint, the CMO there,
Celia Flyshaker.
She was just truly what a greatCMO looks like.
She knew how to elevatemarketing but also really stay
grounded and focus on outcomes,and I think that's what we're
all looking for right is who wewant to be when we grow up, and
(16:15):
so Celia definitely was one forme that I was like, wow, that's
the kind of CMO I want to be, soanyway.
So I'm certainly thankful forthe example and absolutely all
the every mentor, any person whoshaped my career I'm so
grateful for.
But I am grateful for now thatthere's starting to be enough
women that we can really mentorthat next generation and really
try to kind of pay it forward.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yeah, and I want to kind of double click on the
mentorship because I think it'sso vitally important and it's
great that PaySafe has like aprogram.
A lot of companies aren'teither big enough or maybe too
early in their evolution to havethose kinds of things.
So maybe what are your thoughtson kind of finding that
mentorship kind of on your ownand we've also talked a lot
(16:58):
about during this series is likementorship doesn't have to be
an official program.
Right, it can be.
You can get it from a book, youcan get it from a podcast, you
can get it from friends andfamily, you know.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
So maybe some of your thoughts on that Well and
that's actually a really greatpoint is a mentorship doesn't
need to be 12 months long or onemonth long, or someone you talk
to every week.
I really think there's anopportunity to if there's
someone that you aspire to be,just invite them to lunch, have
a conversation and youabsolutely you know, I think
(17:30):
there's something to be said forI mean, I love all the learning
opportunities, but I do thinkit's something to be said for
talking to someone about, kindof what their career journey was
and then how you want toemulate that or not emulate that
.
So, yes, sometimes just a lunchis enough, or it's hey, can I
call you every once in a while,and I think that's something
that I think sometimes you justhave to be bold and ask for it.
(17:51):
Most people are going to say,yes, you know anybody who comes
to me and said, hey, can we goto lunch and talk about, and
talk about marketing or yourcareer.
I'm absolutely going to do it,and so, and I think most people
will.
So that's a great point.
It's definitely anyone whoinspires you or someone who
(18:12):
you've seen their journey andyou want to learn about it.
I think you should definitelyask.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, and you know, the other thing that's come up a
good bit is sort of thedifference in mentorship and
sponsorship, where sponsors kindof are talking about you when
you're not in the room, versusmentors who are trying to help
you for your career.
So kind of curious if you'vehad any experience with sponsors
and if so, kind of maybe whatthat was like.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
You know, I've had a little bit of both and sometimes
it can be the same person.
But I think your career and thatjourney of career and who you
want to be doesn't always alignwith the role you're in or the
role you want to be doesn'talways align with the role
you're in or the role you aspireto be, and so I think it's
really two separate purposes.
It's if you've got a careergoal, that's absolutely a
sponsor, but then a mentor isreally it's just a lot more
(18:56):
personal relationship on whatyou're trying to accomplish in
your life.
I find that a lot of times withthe folks I mentor, the ones
I've been mentored, I becometheir friends because you start
learning about not just theirwork life but their family life
and where they want to go onvacation and those type of
things, and it's and I think alot of times careers are just
about relationships andsponsorship is absolutely so
(19:18):
important, especially for women,because basically I was
laughing with someone the otherday we always talk at the old
boys club there's not a women'sclub and so we do need to help
each other.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Why not Right, right, no, I love it.
I love it.
So if someone is coming, mayberight out of school into
payments, or maybe they'rechanging from another industry
or vertical, they're coming intopayments, it's a woman.
She's looking to you for someadvice.
What would you tell her to helpher be successful?
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I think the thing to know about payments is that the
industry moves fast and itchanges quickly and you have to
be prepared to change.
For that change with theindustry and because innovation
is constant.
Like you just have to alwaysthink freshly.
And it's okay to speak up, askquestions, be bold, because that
is going to matter in thepayments world.
You know I tell my team all thetime be a change agent.
(20:07):
Change is going to happen, sowhy not embrace it and make the
most of it?
The other thing is you know nois an opportunity and don't just
accept no, like figure out theyes in that no and then figure
out how you make the most ofthat.
And I think sometimes we let.
If someone says, oh, that's nota great idea or oh, we don't
need to do that now, well, maybewe don't need to do it now, but
(20:29):
why not do it in six months?
And let's figure out a reasonand business case for doing that
.
You know how do we get thatoutcome to come?
And then, finally, like, reallyinvest in relationships,
because in the end, when I thinkabout my career, I do think
about the people that I'veworked with all these years in
payments and, again, like in anAI-driven world, human skills
(20:49):
matter.
So that's kind of the advice Igive.
That's probably more than one,but that's what I typically give
.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I think I've asked for one, but I don't think I've
ever gotten just one.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
There's just too many things.
There's too many things,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
One more kind of fun question before we wrap up.
So when you get your phone outand you look at it, what is your
most used app that'snon-business related, and what
does that say about you?
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Got it.
I would tell you.
If you asked me for my businessapp, it would probably be Delta
, because I fly all the time.
But for my non-business app, atypical Saturday morning for me
is walking out in the gardenlooking around at my flowers,
and I've got an app calledPicture this on my phone that
you can basically take a pictureof a flower and it'll tell you
what if it's sick or if it's notsick, what it is.
(21:35):
You know, if my roses aren'tgrowing like they're not growing
this year, figuring out what'sgoing on.
So I became a gardener duringCOVID and just really have
embraced it.
I like the solitude of thegarden, but I also feel like
gardening is a peaceful way tokind of be out in the world, is
a peaceful way to kind of be outin the world, but also like it
helps me stay curious, which iswhat I like to be in my work
(21:58):
career and also nurture thepeople around me.
So it's kind of it actuallymakes sense that I like to
garden.
But basically I think it saysthat I guess growing gardens
like growing a team maybe, butthat's definitely the app I use
the absolute most.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So when you use that app, does it tell you like you
need to water it or you'rewatering it too much, or those
kinds of things?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And again, like where I live,this year has gotten so much
rain, and so you know, when myapp says it's overwatering, it's
like, well, what do you do?
It's raining, but you know.
It's just a simple app.
It tells you.
Sometimes, if you're in agardening store, you can find
out what a plant is, becauseit's all about learning, right,
it's kind of that continuouslearning around.
(22:40):
I know so much more about thetype of plants than I ever did,
and I never even cared what aplant looked like.
I just said, oh, that's a nicebloom.
And now I kind of know thedetails behind them.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Nice, nice, Well behind them.
Nice, nice, Well.
Before we go, I wanted to justkind of open up the floor, see
if there's anything else youwanted to cover, any other
comments maybe you want to makeabout you or Paysafe, or
anything else?
Just kind of open up the floorand after that we'll wrap up.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Okay, well, first of all, I love that you're
highlighting women in paymentsfor your podcast, so thank you
very much.
I really do think the future isbright and there's so many
opportunities in payments, andespecially women in payments,
and I do think these type ofconversations kind of help us
bring the future forward.
So thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Yeah, absolutely so, alyssa.
Again, thank you so much forbeing on the show.
I know your time is veryvaluable, so again, thank you
for being here today.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
It was a pleasure.
Thank you, Greg.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
And to all your listeners out there.
I thank you for your time aswell, and until the next story.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
Thank you for joining us this week on the Leaders in
Payments podcast.
Make sure you visit our websiteat leadersinpaymentscom, where
you can subscribe to the showand where you'll find our show
notes.
If you enjoyed listening,please share on your social
(23:55):
channels as well.
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