What inspired you to enter the Commercial Payments industry, and how has your journey evolved since then?

The role actually found me, and I leaned into it. My first job out of college was as a financial analyst and part of that included managing the company P-Card program. As the role evolved and the program expanded, I found myself enjoying the variety with each day bringing something new. I appreciated the opportunity to solve problems creatively while working directly with cardholders.

 

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies in the Payments space?

A mix of approaches works best for me. Spotting patterns in my day-to-day gives me a real-time pulse on the industry and insights you don’t always get from articles. Connecting with other card managers through IOCP is also helpful; when multiple people are seeing the same issues, it’s often a sign that something broader is emerging. For bigger-picture trends, I stay current with industry news and keep an eye on where investments are flowing. That’s usually the clearest way to anticipate innovation and upcoming banking regulations.

 

What's the most innovative project you've been a part of, and what made it stand out?

Transitioning from paper applications to a digital process made a big impact. I leveraged our internal ticketing system to create a streamlined way for employees to apply for a Travel Card, which automated manager approvals and removed the need to scan and archive paper forms. It also cut down on the back-and-forth involved in correcting incomplete applications, saving time and improving accuracy.

 

If you could change one thing about the Payments industry, what would it be and why?

I’d like to see the industry take a more proactive approach to fraud prevention. There has to be a better front-end solution than simply investigating transactions after they are reported. One potential quick win could be introducing tax incentives for banks and merchants to prevent fraud at the point of sale, rather than absorbing the cost following an investigation and writing off the transaction as a loss. This wouldn’t eliminate fraud altogether, but it would encourage more front-loaded authentication innovation for card present and card not present transactions. Even reducing a fraction of the annual fraud could ease the downstream impact on both commercial and personal card programs, offering meaningful relief across the ecosystem.

 

How has the Institute of Commercial Payments (IOCP) helped improve your program?

The connections I’ve built over the years have been incredibly valuable. The Commercial Card end-user space is a tight-knit community, and you often cross paths with the same people. Having those relationships through IOCP to exchange ideas has been a huge benefit to my program.

 

Any current challenges?

One challenge is getting cards to new hires who start their roles with immediate heavy travel. Since employees need to have their internal credentials fully set up in the company system first, it limits how quickly I can process rush orders. I know this is a common pain point for other managers too. 

 

What are you passionate about outside of work?

Spending time with friends and family, traveling and watching my favorite sports teams. I also love taking naps.

 

What is a fun fact about you?

In 2019, Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens joined my rec softball team for a season after a teammate randomly invited him while shopping at our local Dick’s Sporting Goods. We were shocked when he showed up that first night and even more so when he continued playing with us all year. He was filming a documentary in Nashville and would fly in early each week to make our games before filming. He even brought friends to watch, including Julio Jones, who played for the Titans that year, and came to one of our games. It was surreal, and yes—there are social media posts and pictures to prove it!