The toll of discrimination against the LGTBTQ+ community remains stark. Citi exec Pam (Codispoti) Habner is working hard to reverse that.
"To survive and survive and thrive in today’s society, we, and the corporations we represent, need to play a role in solving the societal challenges we all face," said Habner, Head of U.S. Branded Cards and Lending, and one of PaymentsSource's Most Influential Women in Payments for 2021. "We can’t sit on the sidelines."
In October 2020 Citi partnered with Mastercard to launch True Name, a feature that allows consumers to use their self-identified chosen first name on branded credit cards and service channels without requiring a legal name change. The program got a
True Name comes against a backdrop of continued discrimnation against the LGBTQ+ community.
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"Building a future where transgender and non-binary people feel recognized, accepted and empowered is imperative," Habner said.
Habner's time at Amex, which overlapped the 2008 financial crisis, was a turning point in her growth as a leader.
"I needed to figure out how to effectively lead a team to help our cardmembers, support our cobrand partners and protect our business all at the same time," she said. "Our travel partners were suffering as were our retail partners, and they needed us to help them weather the storm."
Habner arrived at Citi with a new financial crisis in full swing and dramatic shifts in consumer payment habits well underway. "One of the best things that the pandemic has revealed is the flexibility of payment solutions to serve customers, even during a rapidly changing environment," Habner said
Citi made several pivots, including relevant accelerators to incentive marketing for online spending, supermarket purchases and restaurant payments to lean into the trend toward take-out. The bank also adjusted its work with co-brand partner American Airlines to issue credits to accommodate the closures of Admirals Club lounges, extending the window to redeem flight discounts and launching new virtual engagement events.
The product adjustments came on a challenging accelerated timeline, though the experience did have a positive impact on how Habner's team works. "The silver lining is that the timeline required our remote teams to streamline our processes which has made us more nimble and flexible in our approach which we will sustain going forward," Habner said.
Where there used to be in-office conversations and conference room sessions, there's now Zoom, WebEx and BlueJeans. From a networking and mentoring perspective, this can have its advantages, according to Habner.
"I think it’s far easier to find time to schedule networking conversations," she said. "In the past, it might take days or weeks to get on a senior leader’s busy calendar for an in-person meeting or lunch. Now it’s much easier to find 15 or 30 minutes to catch up virtually."
Office work is expected to become a hybrid of remote work and in-person collaboration at
"As the growing acceptance of remote work environments continues, we will have to be more accommodating with colleagues who want to work remotely to ensure that they are continuously given the mentorship and sponsorship opportunities they need in order to succeed," Habner said, suggesting formal mentoring programs for top talent and scheduling recurring virtual check-ins as an example. "This can help bridge the physical gap for remote colleagues and allow them to continue to achieve their goals and grow and progress in their careers."
