“This episode contains explicit language and may not be suitable for all audiences.”

The journey from developer to co-CEO of a global payments provider isn't for the faint of heart. Monika Liikamaa knows this firsthand. As the co-founder of Enfuce, she's built a company that processes cards for 24 million cardholders worldwide, pioneering cloud-native solutions when the industry thought it impossible.

Monika's story begins in northern Sweden, where Finnish parents raised a future engineer who would transform multiple industries. After cutting her teeth in telco during Finland's Nokia boom and subsequent crash, she found herself building a bank from scratch as a consultant. This experience sparked a revelation – she was a builder at heart, drawn to challenges others deemed too difficult. When offered the chance to create a financial institution capable of handling three countries, three currencies, two time zones and revolving credit, she couldn't resist.

What makes Monika's leadership philosophy stand out is its refreshing directness. "Openness, honesty and trust," she explains, form the bedrock of effective leadership. She advocates for diversity not as a checkbox exercise but as a competitive advantage. With approximately 50% male and female employees representing over 20 nationalities, Enfuce harnesses diverse perspectives to create more effective payment solutions. This approach acknowledges a simple reality in payment design: women make the majority of household payment decisions, yet have historically been underrepresented in designing those very systems.

Perhaps most revealing is Monika's response to crisis. When UNICEF needed relief cards for Ukrainian refugees, her team delivered in days what normally takes months. This experience crystallized what drives her – solving meaningful problems that make a tangible difference in people's lives. It's the same spirit behind the "Fortitude Pledge" she launched, challenging payment industry players to combat human trafficking and financial crime.

For those looking to enter the payments industry, Monica offers practical wisdom: understand problems deeply, gain perspective from different sides of the table, and remember that no company has been built exactly like yours before.

Redefining leadership requires authenticity, cross-functional collaboration, and a willingness to embrace non-linear career paths. Kari Wilhelm, SVP of Data Strategy and Commercialization at Worldpay, embodies these principles as she navigates the complex intersection of payments technology and data innovation.

In this fascinating conversation, Kari reveals how her unconventional journey from economic research in Hong Kong to management consulting at McKinsey ultimately led her to the payments industry. Rather than viewing her diverse background as a limitation, she's leveraged these varied experiences as strategic assets that provide unique perspectives on complex business challenges. As she notes, "I've really experienced that kind of non-linearity as more of a strength rather than a setback."

Kari offers profound insights on modern leadership, emphasizing the importance of building inclusive team cultures, setting clear expectations, and providing the necessary tools for success. She highlights how the pandemic has transformed leadership dynamics, creating new challenges for maintaining collaborative environments across dispersed teams. Her practical solutions for adapting leadership approaches in virtual settings demonstrate her thoughtful, pragmatic approach to team management.

The conversation explores the unique strengths women bring to payments leadership, particularly their ability to work cross-functionally and build consensus across stakeholders. Kari observes that women often excel at listening deeply to understand underlying needs rather than just surface requests, allowing them to craft solutions that address fundamental issues and build alignment across diverse groups.

As leader of Worldpay's data strategy initiatives, Kari provides fascinating glimpses into how AI and data analytics are transforming the payments landscape. Her current focus on leveraging Worldpay's vast transaction data to provide merchant insights represents the cutting edge of payments innovation, with potential to reshape how consumers discover and purchase products.

Whether you're a payments veteran, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about the human elements that drive technological innovation, Kari's perspective offers valuable guidance on navigating today's complex business environment with authenticity and purpose.

The payments landscape is undergoing dramatic transformation, demanding new approaches to leadership and innovation. Karen Xu, Chief Financial Officer for North America at Ingenico, brings a fresh perspective on navigating this evolution while balancing personal and professional priorities.

Growing up in Shanghai's French Concession sparked Karen's curiosity to explore the world, eventually leading her to America with a full scholarship to Emory University. After building expertise at consulting powerhouses and industrial giants like GE and Honeywell, Karen made the pivotal transition to Ingenico seeking greater impact in a private equity-backed environment. Within months of joining, she transformed the North American region into the company's top performer across all financial metrics.

Karen shares a defining moment when her first-grade son wished for "mommy to be happier," prompting her career pivot from a demanding global CFO role requiring 70-hour workweeks to her current position. This recalibration allowed her to maintain leadership impact while reclaiming family time - a decision she reflects on with satisfaction rather than regret.

The conversation explores why payments is more welcoming to women than traditional manufacturing sectors, and why this matters when women influence 70-80% of payment decisions. Karen believes women's natural empathy, collaborative approach, and diverse perspectives drive innovation essential for the industry's future.

For emerging professionals, Karen offers wisdom gained from mentors who shaped her approach to leadership: "bloom where you are planted" and develop the ability to see what others cannot. The most successful payment solutions will combine trust, ease of use, and scalability - with women leaders positioned to excel by staying close to customer needs and leveraging data insights.