FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
With her hands full as a CFO and mother-of-two , Rachel McShane , Digital Wallets , Paysafe , talks flexible working , and why fintech has become her career passion
Q . WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO AND WHY ?
» Growing up , the first time I saw a strong female character in a world dominated by my brothers ’ He-man and Star Wars ’ characters was She-Ra – a trailblazer in her own right , paving her own path without any dependency on her male counterparts … in hindsight , she may not have been the ideal feminist superhero , but she was a smart , independent and strong character in a galaxy brimming with male leads , which stood out for me .
Q . WHAT ' S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED ?
» Don ’ t sweat the small stuff ( or , in the wise words of Elsa from Frozen , ‘ Let it go …’). Life ’ s too short ! Oh and ‘ Delegate , delegate , delegate ’… you know who you are !
Q . WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ - AND WHEN ?
» The last was ‘ What we ’ ll build ’ by Oliver Jeffers … but before you dive into your local bookshop , it ’ s a children ’ s book ! The luxury of sitting down to read a novel has been somewhat thwarted by having two under 3 ... However , the last adult book I read ( and will never forget ) was ‘ A Little Life ’ by Hanya Yanagihara – a life-affirming , empowering , heartbreaking story following friendships through adversity . So good , we subconsciously named our second child after its protagonist , Jude .
Q . NAME ONE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY YOU COULDN ’ T LIVE WITHOUT AND TELL US WHY ( EXCLUDING YOUR MOBILE PHONE )?
» Does a Toastie maker count ? ( Triple cheese for me ).
Q . WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP ?
» My life , and career , has been sprinkled with some amazing , inspirational women . One common theme amongst all of them is authenticity - they are the same person at home as they are in the boardroom , perhaps with an ironed shirt , but otherwise
22 June 2022