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

I ended up in the payment industry by chance. I have a procurement background and spent my career in transportation procurement. When I started at Medtronic, I had no experience with commercial payments and couldn't even tell you what a remittance file was. I am closing in on two years in this space and can say that my knowledge and expertise have grown daily and that I still have so much more to learn. As a global program with 45,000 cardholders, learning to manage and adapt to the myriad challenges and obstacles that come with managing a program of this size has been the highlight of my career so far.

 

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

I am constantly reading about different solutions or potential disruptions in the payments space. I try to engage my peers to understand how they are dealing with potential challenges or changes on the horizon. One of the most disruptive technologies has been AI, and trying to stay ahead of the curve of that is almost a full-time job itself.

 

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

The most innovative project I have been able to lead was an implementation of a Virtual Card product in Europe to cover meetings and events spend with health care professionals. This project stands out due to the sheer complexity involved in trying to manage implementation across multiple countries with different languages, laws, customs and schedules. An added level of complexity was the level of reporting and transparency required when transacting with doctors.

 

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

I would change the reliance on the major card issuers. Corporates have little leverage at the negotiating table when it comes to interchange rates and with only a handful of global issuers, the potential for monopoly is high.

 

How has IOCP helped improve your program?

IOCP has provided a wealth of resources that have been instrumental in my ability to build industry knowledge. As I said in a prior question, I came into this industry only two years ago and having access to such a library of resources has allowed me to progress faster than I would have otherwise been able to.

 

Any current challenges?

Our biggest challenge is with policy compliance. With 45k cardholders spread across the globe, trying to catch all spend leakage and card misuse is difficult to say the least.

 

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I am an avid golfer and love to spend time outdoors with my wife.

 

What is a fun fact about you?

I've gotten to hold and feed a capybara, the world's largest rodent.