YPP Scholar Spotlight: Ashley Martin, REPAY
Ashley Martin is Senior Underwriter at REPAY – Realtime Electronic Payments, and a 2019 ETA Young Payments Professionals (YPP) Scholar, sponsored by Discover Global Network. In this interview, Ashley discusses her background, her work at REPAY, and the value of the ETA YPP program for her career.
Tell me about your background. Where did you start and how did you end up in your current role?
I’m originally from Chicago and moved to Georgia when I was in high school. I attended college at Clark Atlanta University before transferring and obtaining my Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Kennesaw State University with a concentration in Social, Culture and Organizational change. While finishing my degree at Kennesaw State University I decided to join the workforce to pay for my continuing education. I started as a receptionist at a small payment company in 2008 in Alpharetta, Georgia. I just knew I wanted more in my career and was drawn to the payment world. Later in 2008, I transitioned to an Underwriting Assistant. During my tenure, I was promoted to various management roles within the credit underwriting department. I was able to help grow the team and put new processes in place as well as assist with building out the automated underwriting approval process. In 2018, I made the decision to explore other opportunities to broaden my career and myself, enhancing my knowledge with various verticals and learn more about the Fintech world within the payment industry. I’m currently a Senior Underwriter with one of the fastest growing companies in Georgia, REPAY – Realtime Electronic Payments, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. I am reveling in my career and loving the REPAY culture.
What’s your day-to-day like? What major functions do you serve, and what types of projects do you like to work on?
Underwriting serves as a fence to keep potential risky customers out of our organization. I investigate, analyze and approve risk factors associated with new customers. My day to day functions consist of analyzing credit, bank and financial statements while also using 3rd party vendors and formulas to review data retrieved. The goal is to anticipate the risk involved with the merchant and make the best decision for our organization.
What do you think will be the most significant development in the payments industry across the next five years?
That’s an easy one! Contactless and wearable payments. There has been a huge growth made in the last five years, and I think in the next five years we will see more advancements on how the shopper’s experience is changing. These advancements will ultimately optimize the customer’s overall experience.
What surprised you most about the payments industry?
I was surprised at the lack of continuing education within the payment world. Knowledge is power, so in order to advance in anything, learning must occur. Increasing your knowledge of the new information in this ever changing industry will not only make you feel more confident in performing the duties of your current role, but will also allow you to move forward within the industry to other positions that may have sparked your interest. Within the ETA Young Professional Program, I was given an opportunity to take ETA designed courses – courses that will help me complete my ETA Certified Payments Professional certification. This certification will help me understand the established uniform defined standards of practice and gain knowledge that sets me apart from my peers.
Have you found any challenges or advantages being a young payment professional in payments technology?
I have been in the industry for ten years now and can say that an advantage of being a young payment professional is that we tend to help each other. I’m always open to answering different questions from my colleagues and just being there for one another through moral support. I am proud of the connections I have made in my tenure in the industry and hope that in turn I will help the next generation as well.
What advice would you give other young people who are entering the payments industry?
Networking inside your organization and outside is key, so work on your elevator speech, ask questions, give everyone the same undivided attention and don’t be afraid to move roles within your organization. Continue learning and looking for outside educational tools to help you enrich your career.
What has participating in the Young Payments Professional Scholar program meant to you?
The program has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. Having a mentor assigned to me within the program has not only been one of the best advantages of the program, it has allowed me to acknowledge things that I need to improve on professionally and even personally. My mentor and I have created a great relationship and I am so thankful for his time, feedback, and the effort he has put into being my mentor. I am extremely grateful for the doors that the ETA Young Payment Professionals Scholar program has opened in my career.
YPP Spotlight Features highlight ETA’s Young Payments Professionals (YPP) Scholars, their path through the payments industry, and their aspirations for the future. The 2019 ETA YPP Scholars represent the finest young minds across the payments technology ecosystem. You can read more about the program, which is sponsored by Discover Global Network, here.