The Pink Pandemic: The Impact of Covid on Women in the Payments Space

Breakout Session Summary from Wnet 2021 Leadership Summit, presented by FIS

By Rachel Elkins, Corporate Communications Analyst I, FIS 

The pandemic has put a spotlight on the women in the workplace. As companies prepare to return to the office, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges women have faced throughout the pandemic and the opportunities to make an impact in their organizations.

Moderator Irene Burns, Customer Success Director, Featurespace, was joined by panelists Kim Bynan, SVP, Prepaid & Government Solutions, FIS; Mandy Killam, Head of North America Commercial, ACI Worldwide; Diana Mehochko Chief Operating Officer for Payment Solutions and VP, Operations, NCR; and Tammy Petro Executive Director, JP Morgan Wholesale Payments Innovation, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in the workplace as the world begins to open again.

The panelists talked about several challenges many have faced throughout the pandemic: the abrupt shift to remote work, burnout, new challenges to create visibility and career mobility in a virtual world and struggling to find balance through it all.

The common themes in tackling all these challenges?

Ask for help, have the courage to take a chance and leverage your networks.

Working from home was a sudden shift in the way we work and interact with our friends and families. With it came new struggles to separate work and home life and it led to the “always on” feeling. Their suggestions? Create and respect boundaries around PTO – and make sure to take it! Everyone needs a break, especially with the added stress of the ongoing pandemic, so don’t feel guilty to ask for your (well earned) time off. Plus, remote work isn’t all bad. Take advantage of the extra time to spend with family and check in with friends remotely or safely in person.

Even though there are things we can do to decrease our stress, burnout has been a reality for many women in the workplace, especially women leaders. When it comes to burnout, the panelists agreed that asking for help is critical. It takes courage to ask for help, and contrary to the popular belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness, it really shows your leaders that you are aware of what you need to get the job done well. Plus, burnout isn’t sustainable for you, for your leaders, or for your company, so have the courage to speak up for yourself and your needs.

On the note of speaking up for yourself, the panelists had advice for cutting through the noise of a virtual world to gain visibility for yourself:

1. Celebrate your wins (and your peers' wins) publicly and show gratitude to your teammates.
2. Leverage your network, mentors and sponsors. Even in a hybrid world, relationships are key!
3. Take advantage of getting into the office when you can – in person connections are invaluable.
4. Have the courage to leave a situation is that is compromising you, your values and your goals.

While we’re still juggling with the realities of hybrid work and face an uncertain future, the panelists of the session demonstrated that not only is professional growth still possible, but it’s even better when it’s shared with a community of women supporting you.