FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
DAWOOD
CFO PAYSAFE
We all know the companies , but what about the people behind them ? Dawood explains the importance of staying humble , what he ’ s looking forward to doing after the pandemic , and his proudest achievements from 2020 .
Q . WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO AND WHY ?
» It had to be Stefan Edberg , the Swedish tennis player . Growing up I was an avid tennis player and loved his grace and poise as he played the game ..
Q . WHAT ' S THE BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED ?
» ‘ Always do the right thing , even when no one is looking .’ This will keep you
“ Always do the right thing , even when no one is looking . This will keep you grounded and humble ” grounded and humble . If you stay true to this , I don ’ t think you can go too far wrong .
Q . WHICH ACTIVITY ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING WHEN THE PANDEMIC IS OVER ?
» The answer to this is definitely overseas travel ! We have more than 12 global locations for our teams at Paysafe , and six of these are larger international hub offices – two of which are in Bulgaria and London , where many of my team and colleagues are based . I ’ d really like to visit them as soon as I can .
Q . IS THERE A PERSONAL OR WORK ACHIEVEMENT FROM THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF WHICH YOU ARE PARTICULARLY PROUD ?
» I joined Paysafe in September 2020 , so less than a year ago , but the highlight for me from my time here so far is , without a doubt , leading our successful SPAC and listing on the New York Stock Exchange on March 31 of this year . Being part of the team to start a new and exciting chapter for the business is a real privilege .
Q . WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN FINTECH TODAY ?
» Almost everything ; it ’ s incredible how the industry is using technology to make financial services easier and more
20 August 2021