Leading with Purpose: Innovation – impact – inclusion
In the fast-evolving landscape of payment technology, leadership, and innovation go hand in hand to shape the future of how businesses and consumers transact. Saurabh Sehgal, Associate Vice President at Movate, hosted Nino Mesuradze on the Movate Talks – Business Insights Unplugged podcast. With over 2 decades of experience spanning finance and operations across the US, Canada, and Mexico, Nino talked about her inspiring journey, leadership philosophy, and views on the challenges and opportunities in the payments industry.
The two companies share a 5-year long partnership and still counting. This blog synthesizes key points from episode #5 featuring Nino Mesuradze, COO for North America at Ingenico.
From finance to operations: A journey of bold moves
Nino’s career trajectory is a testament to embracing challenges and pioneering new trails. Starting in finance and transitioning to operations leadership, she described her approach as one that is spurred by curiosity and a willingness to explore new business functions. “I like exploring unfrequented places,” she said, emphasizing her readiness to take on complex projects and learn by diving headfirst.
Her move from being the CFO to the COO was not a leap but an organic internal progression spurred by a close connection to the business. As CFO, Nino was closely involved in aligning finance with business goals, often acting as a business partner who sought practical solutions that advanced the company and solved customer problems.
This hands-on, results-oriented mindset carried over seamlessly into her operational role, where Nino focuses on cutting through complexity to address what truly matters for the business and its customers.
Balancing speed, regulation, and user adoption
The payments industry is unique regarding its share of innovation and adoption challenges. Nino highlighted the paradox of rapid changes in consumer expectations alongside the slow adoption of new payment technologies. For example, despite the availability of faster and more secure methods like contactless payments, adoption rates remain surprisingly low: around 50% in some geo-markets. Conventional methods such as using checks and swiping cards continue to be widely used even in stores.
Regulatory requirements, consumer habits, and the diversity of payment preferences across demographics influence this slow pace. Ingenico’s strategy to navigate this complexity revolves around 3 pillars: accept, manage, & enhance. This means ‘frictionless payment acceptance,’ ‘efficient terminal management’ for merchants and continuously adding innovative functionalities/features that elevate digital customer experience.
Nino stressed the importance of staying close to consumer needs to exceed expectations, noting that the ultimate goal is to delight both merchants and their customers; this customer success-based approach guides Ingenico’s investments in technology and service enhancements.
Omnichannel CX – Meeting consumers on their turf
In the AI era, consumers expect a consistent plus seamless experience, whether in-store, online, or via mobile apps. Nino explained that retail, CPG, and eCommerce must offer uniform perks such as coupons, loyalty programs, and flexible payment options across all channels to meet these expectations. Ingenico supports this by enabling merchants to provide diverse payment methods such as digital wallets, buy-now-pay-later options, and even cryptocurrency in some cases while ensuring that offers and discounts have “multi-channel synchronization.”
…With “omnichannel synchronization” in place, customer demands and merchant retention rates and their satisfaction levels are all met at a time when adaptability holds the key to success in a swiftly evolving retail sector.
Future peek: Biometrics and beyond
Looking ahead, Nino identified biometrics as a significant emerging trend that could reshape payment experiences. New age tech like facial recognition is already gaining traction in airports and other venues, and their integration into payments could bolster security and convenience.
Having said that, she cautioned that innovation must always solve real problems and improve usability rather than ‘innovation-for-innovation’s sake.
“Future-proofing payment solutions ensures that they align with maturing trends, while also leading to practical value for customers.”
People at the heart of leadership
Going beyond her scope of operational responsibilities, Nino is keen on about grooming young women for leadership roles. She reminisced her early days with gratitude toward mentors who were gracious in sharing knowledge and skills. Her past experience is a guiding light in her efforts to giving back, especially by helping younger peers who encounter bigger challenges.
Nino talked about the value of coaching and honest feedback, encouraging younger professionals to understand the “what” and the “why” aspect of decisions and processeshttps://www.movate.com/about-us/environmental-social-governance/; She campaigns for community initiatives and broader environmental programs, underscoring an approach that combines business success with positive impact.
Closing views…
Nino Mesuradze’s learnings are an impactful mix of of strategic vision, operational efficiency, and people-focussed leadership. Her journey from finance to operations reveals the impact of embracing challenges and staying close to the customer.
As the payments industry evolves, leaders like Nino, who balance innovation with practical adoption and grooming the next-gen of young women leaders, will lead the way in shaping a future that benefits businesses and consumers alike.
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