Head of Merchant Services
Few young executives have managed to prove themselves in as many diverse roles at a major bank in such a short span of time as Alina Crisi.
From her first job in PNC Bank’s human resources department, Crisi soon switched over to corporate and institutional banking, where she rose over several years to be a senior vice president within the division. Along the way, she developed a knack for helping to train and advance others.
Last year, Crisi took on a different challenge that exposed her to every aspect of the bank. She was appointed in December 2020 to a key role helping to direct the massive integration of BBVA, which the $551.9 billion-asset PNC acquired for $11.6 billion.
Early this year—at just 30 years old—Crisi moved up the corporate ladder again when she was named head of PNC’s merchant services, a role that marries all aspects of her skill set.
“In merchant services, we’re using payments technology to solve puzzles for small businesses up to global enterprises using our many different tools, and it requires being perceptive and strategic,” she said, noting that the Pittsburgh-based PNC provides software for a rich set of business-management tasks in addition to payments processing.
Finding and nurturing talent is also a big part of merchant services, where she oversees sales, risk, operations, product, and strategy in a fast-evolving unit that works closely with banks, fintechs and software companies—including a partnership with Fiserv.
“I love talent development. It’s fascinating to drive outcomes by focusing and investing in people,” she said.
Raised by parents who both worked as teachers and coaches, Crisi said that although her family wasn’t focused on business, they were very service-oriented.
“My dad was a football coach and my mom advised students, and the time I spent observing them and helping them was a great background for working with people,” she said.
While Crisi decided teaching wasn’t for her, she interned for various nonprofits during college and found satisfaction in developing business strategy and marketing plans, she said.
Hired by PNC right out of school and into a leadership training program in its human resources department, Crisi was inspired by PNC’s culture which encourages cross-training and active mentorship. “People were advocates for me, and invested themselves in my development by teaching and encouraging me,” she said of various PNC mentors who have propelled her forward at each stage of her career.
Her most recent mentor was Alex Overstrom, now head of small business and deputy head of retail banking, who previously was head of merchant services before passing the baton to Crisi.
The proving ground came last year when Overstrom was asked to lead the PNC-BBA integration, and he tapped Crisi to be his second-in-command during the 11-month-long effort.
Crisi had impressed Overstrom with her diverse skills, but said it was her grit during the bank integration—when he was simultaneously running the merchant services division—that convinced Overstrom that Crisi could take over his job when the integration was complete.
“She’s an absolute grinder—doesn’t take no for an answer,” said Overstrom, noting that Crisi never shied away from tough problems during the integration, and provided valuable input whenever he faced challenging situations. “She’ll work through it, no matter how long it takes.”
Crisi thrived on the meticulous planning, coordination and testing needed to knit together two large, complex bank operations under Overstrom’s guidance.
“I learned so much from him—getting people engaged, focused, and excited to keep an initiative moving forward by creating a positive sense of urgency within the teams,” Crisi said.
Running PNC’s merchant services operations—a $250 million business with more than 200 employees and 75,000 customers—requires that same level of energy, Crisi has found.
“Merchant services have evolved a lot from the days when it was just payment terminals. Along with payments services, we provide complex systems to track inventory, e-commerce and staffing, and to match these products with customers we have to understand these businesses and their needs,” Crisi said.
In her newest position, Crisi also plans to continue teaching and coaching colleagues on leadership skills, something she’s done in every department of the bank where she has worked.
Combining her initial human resources training with the organizational and leadership skills she’s learned at PNC, Crisi brings promising employees onto her team and assigns them projects, while also dispensing leadership and strategy tips. Using the same active-mentorship tools that helped her, she introduces her protégés to executive leaders, and works to help them land in positions that excite them.
“It’s funny—I never expected to work at a bank, but it’s definitely grabbed me. I love the evolving challenges, the need for strategies, and the culture we’re developing here,” she said.
