Oct
8
A reluctant farewell …
and an enthusiastic hello
Readers with nothing better to think about may have been wondering about the last line in my prior post: “Speaking of which, stay tuned for a major announcement from yours truly …”
Wonder no longer; here is the promised announcement. I have accepted a position with Fiserv.
Whether or not you know Fiserv outright, you have likely interacted with them, and at that many a time. They are the thinking and execution behind payments, processing services, risk and compliance, customer and channel management, and business insights and optimization for financial institutions around the world.
I don’t envy the designer who has to fit my title onto a business card. It’s “Managing Director, Marketing Strategy and Innovation.” (We may have to wrap it onto the back of the card.) Officially I will “… guide the holistic marketing of Fiserv payment solutions, with a focus on those that support digital and emerging payments for consumers and small businesses … [and] oversee collaboration opportunities with Fiserv clients who are early adopters of emerging payments technologies and establish partnerships with other emerging technology companies.”
I’m delighted and honored. I cannot imagine a higher professional honor than to be joining Fiserv.
Wonderful as the opportunity is, leaving my position as a Senior Vice President at Zions Bank was by no means easy. I joined Zions Bank 14 years ago as a college intern. Since then, Zions Bank gave me one opportunity after another to learn, grow, and take on new responsibilities. Any value that Fiserv saw in me is thanks to Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson, Executive Vice President Rob Brough, retired EVP George Hofmann — and others too numerous to list — for believing in me in the first place.
My new boss, Digital Payments Group President Rahul Gupta, had kind words for me: “With Matt overseeing the marketing of the broad set of Fiserv digital payments capabilities, we can show our clients how our solutions can work together to enable them to better serve their consumer and small business customers and compete successfully in a fast-changing marketplace.”
(A few colleagues have kidded that working for banks instead of a bank is tantamount to joining “the dark side.” All I can say is, never has a dark side been so illuminated.)
Onward and upward. I’m eager to continue championing innovation in financial services. I look forward to working with many different partners who are already doing great things to shape the industry. Meanwhile, my blog will continue to be a place you can turn for up-to-date, relevant and useful information.