Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition

Like many of us, following the disruption of the first pandemic wave, I used the summer of 2020 to reassess the situation and prepare for what was coming. I was ready to put the shock behind me and move on into an adjusted future.

Paymentsense was my chosen travel mate for this new journey.

My previous work engagement required me to travel on average two weeks a month all over the world: flights, airports, hotels, offices, bad coffee, dinners, events, conferences, very bad coffee, but, most importantly, people. A lot of people.

For six years.

Outside work, I used to go to about 30 concerts a year and typically run at least a full marathon.

Again, a lot of people.

Coming from that normality, it was pretty difficult to cope with the first wave. But it was a temporary effect, like a punch to the nose. It nearly knocked me out, but I stood up again.

Following a reinvigorating summer, I became Paymentsense’s interim chief risk officer.

Things started well, but it became immediately apparent that, being based in Amsterdam, I would not have been able to travel to London any time soon, despite the initial plan to be there every other week.

So I spent the past ten months in my house, and I honestly was not ready for this.

I was long used to remote working, but it had always been mixed with office and travel.

This monotonous constant never-ending flow of video calls was a different beast to tackle.

I didn’t notice the difference at first, as I was too busy discovering my new company. But as we quickly moved into the winter months, the drag started to show. It’d be dark every single day by the time my eyes were allowed off the screen.

I feel like we had six months of darkness between October and March.

The arrival of spring improved things, but it simply eased the daily dose of misery, while the accumulated massive mountain of misery kept me crushed in my chair and glued to the screen.

If the first wave was like a punch in the face, the second one felt like being in the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. And I was not expecting it!

As I said, the last ten months have been horrible.

I owe it to Paymentsense for carrying me all the way to today.

Despite not actually meeting anyone, I have met so many great people there.

I don’t believe I would have lasted this long in these conditions at another company.

The challenge ahead kept me interested and motivated; the people around me made it possible and worthwhile.

The company had made from the start a conscious effort of investing in and supporting all of us, and I can only be thankful.

This care allowed me and my team members to work better towards the results we were asked for, despite the difficult working conditions we all faced. We managed to pull a risk team out of thin air and deliver support during one of the most impressive sales growths I have ever witnessed at any company I have been at. Kudos to sales.

It has been a bumpy ride for sure, but with everyone’s effort, we made it happen.

Why leave now then?

The simple answer is that I do not want these ten months to happen to me again.

I leave a great team that does not need me as much as they did six months ago, and I am being replaced by a great chief risk officer, who is by far better suited than me to bring the team and Paymentsense through their next chapter together.