The operational logistics of any company play a vital role in the overall success of a business. This week’s feature has been a part of that crucial role from the start of her career. Nadine Geagea, Financial Partnerships Operation Manager at Fidel API, oversees the key financial partnerships operations. As a financial infrastructure API platform, Fidel API’s tools enable the development of programmable experiences at the point a transaction occurs on any payment card. Nadine works closely with Fidel API’s financial partners to advance their strategies behind these user experiences.
Full name: Nadine Geagea
Current job title: Financial Partnerships Operation Manager
Current company: Fidel API
Current location: New York
Nadine began her career in operations consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), focusing primarily on ERP system implementations, and later joined Flexport, a global freight-forwarding company. At Flexport, Nadine focused on operations as it related to end-to-end logistics and helping clients identify areas of improvement across their supply chains.
Nadine has always been interested in the FinTech space, so the opportunity to finally join Fidel API, a financial infrastructure API platform, was ideal for her. Fidel API’s tools enable developers to build programmable experiences at the moment a transaction occurs on any payment card. Specifically, they allow their clients to reimagine user experiences, unlock untapped value within payment events and transform the way merchants interact with their customers.
“As a Financial Partnerships Operations Manager at Fidel API, I oversee our operational relationships with the Card Networks and help to centralize and streamline projects and questions from internal Fidel API teams. This involves understanding the needs/processes of these teams, from Product to Customer Success to Support, so I can help scope and execute varying sized initiatives.” Another focus for Nadine is to monitor the client lifecycle using analytics to introduce process improvements and track their effectiveness. Nadine aims to ensure the company’s operations are running in a way that enables quick resolutions and foundational confidence for strategic initiatives.
Nadine describes the work culture at Fidel API as nurturing and nimble. “During the interview process, it was easy to see how smart and passionate the members of the Fidel API team are. Since joining, I’ve been grateful to also observe how generous everyone is with their time and how happy colleagues are to jump in on the many exciting initiatives underway. The culture lends itself to empowering every individual to ask when they don’t know and bring their ideas to the table.”
Currently, Fidel API helps thousands of developers build innovative experiences connected to users’ payment cards. Fidel API offers two core capabilities: transactions and payments. Using the transactions product, developers can capture real-time payments from a verified and registered payment card. Using the payments product, developers can push money back to a card. These two capabilities enable companies to build a host of experiences, broadly categorized: loyalty and rewards, digital receipts, attribution, insurance claim reimbursements, expense management, lending, and fraud protection.
“My role specifically focuses on the operations of working with Fidel API’s key financial partners that enable all we do. This aims to ensure Fidel API’s processes are as smooth as possible on a day to day basis but also help maintain a strong foundation for longer term strategic initiatives.”
Through her professional journey, an important lesson Nadine has learned and continues to learn is not to take things personally. “Both professionally and personally, I think it is helpful to try to find ways to talk yourself out of thinking most things are done personally to you. The less you focus on that, the more of your time you free up to focus on things that enrich you and less these thoughts drive your actions.”
More on Nadine
Lives: Brooklyn, NYC
Favorite hobby: Making candles (thanks to quarantine)
Favorite part of your day: Taking my time to drink my morning cup of coffee
Favorite show to binge: Succession is back! So refreshing my memory of the last season.
Daily Diary
Tuesday
7:00 am: I normally wake up around this time everyday. I stay in bed for a bit and try to not open my phone for the first 15 minutes that I’m awake.
7:15 am: I make a cup of coffee and listen to a quick news podcast while getting ready.
7:30 am: I check my emails and Slack messenger to see if there is anything that needs urgent action. Most of our team sits in London, so I like to have a bit more time to chat with them, if needed.
8:30 am: I check our project planning Trello board that is shared with all internal Fidel API functions that interface with our financial partners. I find this is the best way to track progress on varying-sized initiatives (from projects to individual questions) that are in motion.
10:00 am: Weekly Strategy Team meeting to stay up to speed on pressing topics and urgent action items for all members of our team.
10:30 am: Review our master client tracker that details where clients are in their lifecycle. This way I can make sure any questions related to our financial partners are addressed promptly.
12:00 pm: Go for a quick walk to get some fresh air. Once I get home, I’ll make a quick lunch.
12:30 pm: Sync with the Implementation team to address any items related to pending clients and new geographies.
1:15 pm: Continue reviewing action items on the Operations Trello board for our financial partners.
3:00 pm: Sync with one of our financial partners on current workstreams updates.
3:30 pm: Shift focus to work on individual tasks as they relate to our financial partners that aren’t connected to other internal Fidel API teams.
5:30 pm: Go through emails/ Slacks for any progress made on pending tasks. Update parties as needed.
6:30 pm: Go outside for walk #2!
7:00 pm: Make (and eat) dinner.
7:45 pm: Catch up with some shows.
11:00 pm: Bedtime :)
Wednesday
7:00 am: Same morning routine as Tuesday- wake up and make coffee.
7:30 am: Check my emails/ Slack to see if there is anything that needs urgent action.
8:30 am: Prepare for meetings (populate agendas, gather updates as needed).
9:30 am: Go through the Operations Trello board and work through any action needed.
11:30 am: Meet with one of our financial partners to discuss the status of action items.
12:00 pm: Go for a quick walk and grab a bite to eat.
12:30 pm: Review the client tracker and action as needed.
2:00 pm: Sync with another one of our financial partners on pending items.
2:30 pm: Go through any individual tasks, respond to any emails that need action, and work on anything lingering from the day I couldn’t get to earlier.
3:30 pm: Sync with a colleague on the enablement status of a client.
5:30 pm: Go through emails/ Slacks for any progress on pending tasks and update other colleagues as needed.
6:30 pm: Go meet a friend for a walk.
7:30 pm: Grab dinner with a friend that lives in the area.
8:30 pm: Watch any episodes that came out today.
11:30 pm: Bedtime.
Reach out to Nadine on LinkedIn.