Major global organizations involved in cross-border payments shares insights on transformations and hurdles faced within the sector
Women Trailblazers in Cross-Border Payments Amidst Persistent Challenges
The cross-border payments industry is witnessing a growing presence of female leaders, yet the representation of women in senior roles remains underrepresented. This emerging trend, marked by notable women leaders and increasing efforts to promote inclusion, is shaping the future of the industry.
One such trailblazer is Lena Hackelöer, CEO and founder of Brite Payments. Her innovative account-to-account instant payments across multiple countries have made waves in the European cross-border payments landscape. Hackelöer emphasizes that technical expertise is not a prerequisite for success, advocating instead for broad business knowledge and cross-departmental skills. Her leadership style fosters high performance with collaborative support, nurturing diverse voices and structured mentorship to develop female talent in FinTech and payments.
Digital payment innovations, such as payment gateways and mobile-first digital payment platforms like Stripe, PayPal, M-Pesa, Wave, and Flutterwave, have played a significant role in facilitating the growth of women-led startups globally. These tools have broken down technical barriers, enabling easier access to cross-border commerce, and have advanced financial inclusion for women in underserved regions by providing secure, simple, and accessible payment solutions.
However, despite these advancements, female representation at the executive board level in cross-border payments remains limited. The lack of mention of female cross-border leaders on industry boards like PayTech Women’s 2025 Board underscores this issue.
The persistent challenges women face in reaching leadership positions include the misconception that technical expertise is mandatory for leadership in payments, which can discourage participation. Balancing multiple priorities, particularly motherhood and work demands, requires exceptional multitasking skills. Limited access to structured mentorship and role models within fintech and payments sectors further exacerbates the issue. The complex and historically male-dominated nature of financial systems and payments infrastructure creates barriers to entry and advancement.
Institutional support, such as the Better Than Cash Alliance under the UNDP, has championed digital payment initiatives empowering women and youth through improved financial inclusion worldwide. This support has enabled cross-border digital payments to positively impact women entrepreneurs and consumers globally.
In summary, while female leadership in cross-border payments is growing and supported by digital payment innovations and inclusion initiatives, women continue to confront cultural, educational, and structural challenges that impact their representation in top executive roles. Role models like Lena Hackelöer and scalable technologies help pave the way, but further systemic mentorship, policy support, and cultural change remain needed for broader gender parity in leadership.
- Lena Hackelöer, a trailblazer in the cross-border payments industry, emphasizes that technical expertise is not a prerequisite for success in finance, advocating instead for broad business knowledge and cross-departmental skills.
- Despite the growth and support for female leadership in cross-border payments, women continue to face cultural, educational, and structural challenges that impact their representation in top executive finance roles, requiring further systemic mentorship, policy support, and cultural change for broader gender parity.
