In this Paybase Profile, Head of Marketing Jessy explains her role in the team, why she prefers working for startups and why she's excited about Paybase's future!

Hi Jessy! Tell us a little bit about your role as Head of Marketing

As the Head of Marketing I’m responsible for the creation and execution of the overall marketing strategy here at Paybase. I manage the relationship with our PR agency and ensure that the message we’re putting out is consistent across all platforms. I also speak on behalf of Paybase at events.

Interesting! Speaking at events sounds nerve-wracking, do you enjoy it?

I always used to hate it! Even now I find it challenging, but that’s also why I like doing it. Each time I do some public speaking I notice an improvement, and that is a rewarding feeling. I think it’s good to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Agreed! What are you most excited about for the coming months?

European expansion, definitely. There will be so much to do and so many different campaigns that we can pursue - it will be exciting.

Jessy you speak English, French, Spanish and Italian. Are you hoping to use some of your languages?

That would be great! I really like languages so leading campaigns in Spanish or Italian would be a lot of fun. Or even if it was just helping out with some translation or reading up on competitors, it would be nice to utilise the languages I’ve learnt in a professional environment.

How about presenting in another language?

Well French is my mother tongue so no problems there. Italian...let’s see (laughs). Maybe not a big presentation right now, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out!

Good to know! You are one of our more recent joiners, where were you before you joined Paybase?

Immediately before joining I was at a training provider in the retail banking space, before then I was at a larger financial company - so I’m certainly no stranger to FinTech.

Very true! How does Paybase compare?

It’s completely different, but it’s a much better fit for me. Something I’ve noticed about startups is that things move a lot faster, because they have to. They have to be agile to survive. In bigger companies, it takes a lot longer to get things going which can be really frustrating. Departments are often very siloed which makes it difficult to learn new skills - you can feel like you’re in a rut.

I see, so you’re enjoying it here?

Absolutely! I just prefer to learn new things and experiment with ideas. Paybase allows me to do that - it encourages me to challenge myself. Plus, it’s a really nice environment to work in. Lots of fun events, a strong focus on company culture - even the little things, the other day someone was cold and it was sorted instantly. At my old office I would be typing in my coat and gloves!

Ah! The least we can do is keep the office warm! You have a lot of marketing experience, what first made you interested in marketing?

I studied International Business at university and had to choose my Masters subject. Finance was where the money was, but I liked marketing a lot more, and was much better at it as well. However, my interest in marketing really peaked during my placement year in London. I got the chance to speak to some marketing professionals who introduced me to digital marketing, which at the time was a relatively new concept. It was completely different to everything I was learning and I was really excited by how much you could do with it.

I guess what I really like about digital marketing is that it’s a really good blend of creativity and analytics. I like coming up with ideas, and whilst I didn’t want to pursue a career in finance, I’ve always enjoyed working with numbers too. Over the years marketing has allowed me to develop creatively and analytically, which is great as they’re quite different skill sets.

For you, what is Paybase in 3 words?

Innovative. Agile. Fun.

Enough about work! What do you like to do in your spare time Jessy?

I love basketball! I’ve been playing it for most of my life. I’m from Martinique and it’s big there, as big as football. I play for an LGBT team in London and compete in a league, it’s a great way to get some exercise. I also really enjoy travelling and, as I mentioned before, I’m a big fan of learning languages.

What language do you think you would go for next?

Well Portuguese makes the most sense, considering the ones I currently know, but it would be cool to learn a completely different one. I tried Mandarin for a year and it was so difficult! When I first learnt English my brain learnt what is required to learn a new language, and I could apply that to Spanish and Italian. But for Mandarin it just didn’t work at all as it’s so different! But that’s why it’s interesting - I like the mental gymnastics you need to do when learning languages.

Keep that brain active Jessy, it’s doing great things. Thanks for speaking to us!

Twitter  LinkedIn