Earning a mechanical engineering degree was transformative for Paulette Rowe, not only because it led to roles at GE Capital in various countries and at RBS in the U.K., but it gave her confidence and a sense of power in being the only woman and Black person in her particular course.
At RBS, she was eventually promoted to head the NatWest network of 1,600 branches — but after eight years of commuting from London to Edinburgh, she needed to recharge.
An 18-month sabbatical followed, wherein she created lasting memories such as walking with chimpanzee orphans in the Zambian bush as part of a parade at the Rio carnival.
After an experience like that, Rowe was set to go back to work and pursue new innovations in the payments world. After a role at Barclaycard Payments Solutions, Rowe moved into her current role of CEO of the integrated e-commerce solutions global division at Paysafe in January of 2020. All of her past experiences formed her philosophy as a leader of the new division.
"Before becoming an engineering student, I was really interested in writing and acting," said Rowe, a 2021 Most Influential Women in Payments honoree. "I wrote a play when I was about 16 and really wanted to produce the piece and have it performed."
After persuading her school to schedule a special performance of her work, Rowe ultimately managed the whole event, from casting students for the acting roles to directing and recruiting volunteers to organize the production.
"This experience taught me that you don’t need to be a figure of authority to lead others, and successful leadership is all about creating a sense of purpose," Rowe said. "What started out as a very personal project — me wanting to see my play performed — became about coming together to have fun and creating something for the collective."
Leadership skills have been important at payments companies during the coronavirus pandemic, and Rowe immediately saw the direction in which payments had to go to help ease the global health crisis.
"The pandemic has really galvanized the growth of omnichannel payments," Rowe said. "Against the backdrop of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, it’s been great to see how the payments industry has supported in-store merchants and their customers to pivot to offer online transactions and via mobile devices. Contactless payments and mobile wallets have also helped remove the friction of social distancing."
With merchants and processors likely to encounter extra tension during the pandemic, especially in industries suffering greatly, a different business model had to unfold. Paysafe developed a trustee product for its airline and travel customers, meaning the company did not have to impose additional reserves during the pandemic.
"This model is a win-win for the airlines, which are able to continue to operate with more working capital, and for their passengers whose spend on airline tickets is protected in the event of the airline failing," she added.
Rowe's appointment in the new executive role at Paysafe was a reflection of the company's desire to accelerate its global integrated payment services and strengthen its reputation as a provider of e-commerce solutions.
As with other executives moving into new positions at the same time of a pandemic breakout, Rowe had to quickly shift her communication processes.
"We're a global company with over 3,000 team members across multiple offices and 12 countries, so a great deal of work was already done remotely," Rowe said. "That said, as a new leader in the company and running a brand new division, the inability to visit my teams has been a hurdle."
She established a virtual community for her team, and communicated with members as much as possible.
"I would rather over-communicate than under-communicate in the current environment," she said. "I want people in my organization, especially new joiners, to know they can reach me to share their thoughts or drop-in virtually for advice."
Rowe also pushes for improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace at Paysafe. She sponsored an initiative to create the D&I Network as a safe space for minority employees and their allies to have honest conversations about their experiences and challenges, as well as share ideas on how to improve the company.
As demanding as her job is, Rowe made a rule years ago to not work on weekends. She admits to breaking that rule on occasion, but is committed to spending time with her nephew, whom she began raising as a single parent, when he was 12 years old and family circumstances called for that commitment.
"It was a huge adjustment," Rowe said of becoming a parent. "But I couldn't be prouder of the young man he has become. And I feel incredibly fortunate for a life journey that has been so much more than I imagined as a young girl."
