The Politics of Partnership

In the Hot Seat

Building strong partnerships takes a lot of work, Joe Samuel from VISA talks about being fearless, looking for open doors, and keeping a learning mindset. Listen in for tips on avoiding misfit partnerships, what it takes to league with giants, and how your management team dynamics can influence partner decisions.

Key Takeaways.

• [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Joe Samuel, Vice President, Head of Issuer Enablers, Europe for VISA, in the hot seat.
• [2:26] Politics is about people and about getting things done, together.
• [6:00] Joe was going to be a banker, which brought him to Washington DC and surprisingly, tech!
• [11:02] Having a diversity of partners and looking for common ground is key to building future-proof businesses.
• [12:18] Surrounding yourself with new insights offers tangible benefits, like not getting left in the dust!
• [13:36] Joe’s advice on partnering up with a giant: find the open door.
• [17:11] What do big players look for in fintech partners? Joe breaks down the key qualities of companies he invests in.
• [20:45] Joe’s honest thoughts on working for VISA.
• [23:25] Whether you work for a small or large company, in every interaction, you have to learn to find the takeaway.
• [24:07] Joe’s tips for avoiding partnership misfits.
• [27:20] Shaking hands and signing the papers is just the start of a whole marathon.
• [29:00] Find the people who can help you move your mission forward: “Who else should I get to know”.
• [31:07] Denise signs out until the next time she puts an industry leader in the hot seat.

People.

• Guest Joe Samuel, Vice President, Head of Issuer Enablers, Europe, VISA, Helping people and businesses in our markets to prosper in a global economy.
• Host Denise Johansson, co-CEO and co-Founder of Enfuce, a female-founded fintech helping drive business growth, solve customer challenges, and extend financial inclusion.

Links.

• VISA
• Enfuce

Social.

(edited)

Guest Quotes.

• To get things done, it's really important to find others. No one does things on their own. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
• A partnership doesn't mean everything has to be shared. Find core areas where two organizations share the same point of view, the same direction, or the same philosophy. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
• It's important to not let fear of the unknown drive decision-making. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
• The bigger players are complex and you might not know where to go or who to talk to, but that doesn't mean there are not people in there who want to find you. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
• Have a strategy that outlines your overall roadmap for growth from a strategic perspective and identify what you need to enhance, and what you bring to the table. If you start off with that mindset, you can build great partnerships. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
• It's not just signing and shaking hands and then walking away. That's just the starting part, after that, you still gotta run the race. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat

Denise Quotes.

• It's easy to think that to have a good partnership you should be the same size and have more similarities on paper. But it’s not true. — Denise Johansson, Enfuce, InTheHotSeat
• No matter who you are meeting, always be looking for the lesson to be learned from this conversation. — Denise Johansson, Enfuce, InTheHotSeat
• Signing the paper, and shaking hands, that's really just the beginning… The fun part comes after that! Depending on if you like dating or being married. — Denise Johansson, Enfuce, InTheHotSeat