At PayPal, we have a thriving community of female employees (44% of the employees here are females!). The women at PayPal contribute in all areas from tech to communications and engineering, and are so important to the work we do.
We recently caught up with a few of them to find out more about what they do and their thoughts on working in FinTech. Meet:
- Isabell Tay, Communications Manager for the APAC region and PR lead for Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan.
- Cyndi Hui, who leads Channel Partners in Southeast Asia and is responsible for driving new merchant and revenue growth through strategic partnerships with global and local, existing and new partners.
- Wong Siew Kian, part of the APAC Enterprise Risk Management Team and helps the business to understand the risks they are facing, and how they can make risk-based informed decisions.
- Kusum Pinto, part of the Information Security (or InfoSec) team that takes care of third-party InfoSec risk management in APAC, ensuring that third-parties are capable of protecting sensitive data the same way as PayPal.
How long have you worked at PayPal?
Isabell: I joined PayPal in 2016 and have been working in the Singapore office for eight months now.
Cyndi: it's only been four months but it feels like more than a year! I have learnt so much during this time and I'm still learning.
Siew Kian: I've been with PayPal for about three and a half years now.
Kusum: It's been just over two years now! It seems like yesterday and at the same time, feels like I was always here.
What made you join a FinTech company and the particular field you are in?
Isabell: I love being in the communications field of work as there is never a dull day - be it managing a proactive media pitch to dealing with crises, there is always something to keep the adrenaline pumping. Working in a job that fuels your passion is the best match there can be! And at PayPal, I get to do all this in a supportive environment.
Cyndi: Southeast Asia is a unique region with mostly emerging markets and a relatively young population that presents enormous growth opportunities for PayPal. Given the fragmented and long-tail nature of our business in SEA, I strongly believe the most scalable and cost effective way of acquiring new merchants is through channel partners, which is why I took on this exciting challenge!
Siew Kian: Having worked with both the advisory/consulting and assurance arms of the Big4 accounting firms, I’ve seen the different ways corporations and organizations deal with risks. I believe that organisations with a more proactive approach to managing risks tend to be more sustainable in the long run, and I wanted to apply this at PayPal.
Kusum: I had an uncle who advised me to pursue my master’s degree in Information Security and have been in this field for the past 14 years. PayPal just seemed like a natural fit when I was exploring new opportunities to experience doing Infosec in the Fintech space!
How does PayPal support and nurture female employees?
Isabell: There is a conscious effort that runs through the company to be inclusive and welcoming of diversity – first coming from the senior leadership team, which has three female leaders! We are also recognised for our capabilities and rated on our merit and this reflected in our compensation too.
Cyndi: While Fintech can be male-dominated, particularly in the tech departments, PayPal is doing a great job to promote and embrace diversity. I also see a good representation of female employees at all levels including senior leadership roles, and women are well respected within the organisation.
Siew Kian: I think the leaders in PayPal have their heart in the right place, in that there is a strong awareness of the differences in treatment between males and ladies in the workplace. Our leaders have committed time and money for people managers to attend Inclusion&Diversity. As a result, people managers are more flexible and understanding about the needs of working mothers. I’m very happy to observe that some of our people managers hired ladies who were pregnant in their second trimester, knowing that the individual will need to go on maternity leave shortly after joining PayPal. These are signs that the organisation supports working mothers.
Kusum: Unity is one of our employee-led communities whose mission is to help women thrive at PayPal. We have periodic meet-ups, inspiring fireside chats and we even organized the first Girls in Tech coding workshop in Singapore last year. The group strives to walk the talk that women need to help other women be better in the workplace. This is just one way in which PayPal provides an inclusive environment where involvement, respect, collaboration and connections are cultivated.
Is there an inspiring mentor who’s helped you along your career journey? How important do you think this is?
Isabell: I am fortunate to have had two (TWO!) female (FEMALE!) bosses who have provided me with much counsel and guidance in the workplace – shaping the way I work, molding my thoughts and pointing me in the right direction. They have made me who I am today.
Cyndi: Yes, a female leader and ex-colleague who I have known for a number of years. She has always championed and supported other women to unlock their full potential and achieve their dreams. I see her spending a lot of personal time providing unwavering support, creating opportunities for women and connecting women together with a strong network of support. She has instilled confidence in me and inspired me to do things outside of my comfort zone, which seems to have a powerful impact, as I start to inspire and influence other women to do the same.
Siew Kian: I want to thank Natalie Jackson-Smith for her guidance. She has identified not only my strengths, but also my blind spots and things that I need to work on, so that I can get to the next level in my career. She leads by example, and doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty even though she could delegate the work to her team.
Kusum: It’s got to be my mom. She went from being a banker for over 20 years to being an established food author and blogger. It’s her never say never attitude and always challenging herself to come out of her comfort zone which has been my driving force.
What words of advice would you give to other women looking to embark on a career in Fintech?
Isabell: This applies in all jobs, not just towards one who is pursuing a career in Fintech. There is jungle out there to unravel, both professionally and personally, so relish the excitement that comes with achieving your goals and don’t the fulfillment of the journey that got you there.
Cyndi: It's an exciting time to be in Fintech, with endless opportunities and possibilities for women as there is a huge demand for female talent. Women are able to bring a different perspective to the table, enjoy greater visibility in a male-dominated environment, and make a positive difference in the world and peoples' lives through innovation in financial technology, which is meaningful and rewarding.
Siew Kian: It's an interesting time to be in Fintech since you are helping to shape the future. Have faith in yourself and don't be intimidated by the technical jargons and complexities.
Kusum: Tech isn’t rocket science and you don’t need to know how to code to be in FinTech! The key ingredient is having the right attitude and knowing that results have no gender. So be it FinTech or InfoSec – information is power, so keep learning!
We leave with you a powerful quote that Siew Kian shared with us:
The Woman who follows the crowd will usually go further than the crowd. The Woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” – Albert Einstein.
Isabell, Cyndi, Kusum and Siew Kian, thank you for sharing your experiences with us, and for inspiring other women to stand tall and bring our unique perspective to the table!
Find out how we celebrated International Women’s Day at the PayPal Singapore
here.