At Payabli, we’re always excited to introduce fresh talent that brings new energy and perspectives to our team. This month, we were thrilled to welcome two exceptional leaders to our family: Hannah Corry, our new Director of Project Management, and Maourice Gonzalez, our new Director of Engineering. Both come with rich backgrounds and a shared passion for innovation in the payments industry. Let’s dive in and get to know them a little better.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?
Hannah: I view education as a lifestyle, not a piece of paper. I’ve spent most of my career learning how to find new ways to approach age-old problems. I cut my teeth on a warehouse floor, which is excellent for the fast feedback it takes to really visualize the flow concepts that inform my project management style so deeply.
Maourice: I began my career in support, eventually making my way through QA, and engineering and eventually leading the entire tech organization as CTO.
Payments and Payabli
Tell us what excites you the most or what you love about the payments industry.
Hannah: I think most people assume that something as fundamental as payments has already been perfected. Payabli takes a fresh look at the industry and creates something that is accessible to the next generation of business owners. That’s something near and dear to my heart.
Maourice: I love everything about payments, building simple solutions that solve complex problems is what drives me. What we do at Payabli is critical to modern society, the more we innovate, the easier it becomes for people to worry about paying and getting paid. This allows people to focus on their business while we quietly keep funds flowing behind the scenes.
What excited you the most about joining Payabli? What made Payabli stand out to you?
Hannah: If you spend more than 30 seconds with a Payabli team member you see the mission and values in action. Creating the type of culture that lives and breathes values is something really special. It is possible to achieve great things, work hard, and still be a people-first org. Payabli is a great example of this.
Maourice: The mission and the people. Payabli is building solutions that make paying and getting paid extremely easy. Our platform lifts a huge burden off software (SaaS) companies and allows them to focus on their core business.
Role and Responsibilities
What will your role at Payabli be, and what are your primary responsibilities?
Hannah: I’m joining Payabli as a Director of Project Management. Project Management has such a bad rep, and a lot of it is for good reason. I am excited to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the team and work through some new ways of working that bring real value to more painful meetings.
Maourice: My role is Director of Engineering, my goals are to continue to build a world-class platform and team with a big focus on operational excellence bolstered by reliability, scalability, and security.
Career Insights & Advice
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone starting in your field?
Hannah: My biggest advice is to deal with your ego first. Having a big ego will get in the way of all the curiosity, reflection, and fast failure you’ll need to be able to learn and serve others. Learn to hear the truth and tell the truth with kindness. The rest will fall into place.
Maourice: You should never assume you know everything. Knowledge, and experience come from the unlikeliest of places. You are the easiest person to fool, so learn to question yourself, don’t be afraid to be wrong, and acknowledge other’s great ideas and contributions.
Lightning Round
Let’s do a quick lightning round! Answer the following in a few words:
Hannah:
- Favorite book? The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.
- Favorite movie or TV show? What We Do in the Shadows.
- Dream travel destination? Any place with hiking and hot springs.
- Favorite cuisine or dish? I’m in love with Israeli cuisine and all the adventurous flavors and bread.
- One thing you can’t live without? My water bottle. I don’t know how people can leave the house without one.
- Favorite hobby or a passion of yours? Making artisan yeasted bread. I’m always looking up new braids or natural colorings that delight my 5-year-old.
Maourice:
- Favorite book? The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
- Favorite movie or TV show? Star Trek Deep Space 9.
- Dream travel destination? Japan and Korea (went earlier this year).
- Favorite cuisine or dish? Bandeja Paisa from Colombia.
- One thing you can’t live without? Being close to the ocean.
- Favorite hobby or a passion of yours? Motorcycles.