Meet TrustPay Team: Interview with Mária Potančoková, Head of Legal & Compliance

Why did you choose TrustPay?

I’d say TrustPay chose me. 😊 It’s probably because my entire studies were focused on financial law and my theses, specifically on anti-money laundering legislation and payment services. The agenda of my current job is quite unusual and unique. To take over the responsibility of compliance with the card schemes’ rules, regulations of the National bank of Slovakia, and other generally binding regulations, was definitely a professional and a personal challenge for me. Still, I’m known to enjoy a good challenge.

What position are you currently working in, and what do you enjoy most about it?

The world of payments is constantly evolving, which means that people in the industry cannot rely on information obtained 2 years ago and still build on it. In payments, it’s essential to keep learning, follow new trends, regulations, and even potential threats, which is exactly what makes the job in TrustPay interesting and naturally attracts young, energetic people.

In TrustPay, the job is not about memorizing and strict daily adherence to fixed processes. On the contrary, we try to automate these as much as possible to create space for the self-fulfillment of our colleagues when dealing with creatively and intellectually demanding tasks.

“The enthusiasm and high work commitment are precisely what I appreciate about working at TrustPay and we, as a company, do not take it for granted.”

What do you value most about your work, and what is the biggest challenge for you at the moment?

TrustPay’s biggest asset, in my opinion, are its employees. Even though we have excellent technology and know-how, it is the people who help the company grow, and they often put their all into their work. The enthusiasm and high work commitment are precisely what I appreciate about working at TrustPay and we, as a company, do not take it for granted. My big thanks go to all my colleagues who are often determined and, in some cases, even during their free time, help solve problems and client requests.

The biggest challenge for the TrustPay team

As many merchants have moved to the online environment due to covid restrictions, TrustPay has grown significantly in the number of processed transactions over the past year. To accommodate the increasing workload, we had to expand the team massively, slowly approaching 100 team members. As we have always been used to a smaller team, the challenge is to adapt to this rapid growth, educate new employees about TrustPay’s processes and products, and share new information efficiently and quickly throughout the team.

What does a typical day look like in your position?

There is no simple answer to this question. On some days, I attend a meeting after meeting. On other days, I’m closed in my office buried in legal paperwork, drafting or reviewing contracts. Sometimes, I spend most of the day with the team, discussing and reviewing new client business models or analyzing new regulations from VISA and MasterCard their impact on our clients.

VISA’s and MasterCard’s extensive scope of various rules and regulations

Not everyone knows that VISA and MasterCard have an extensive scope of various rules and regulations, which their principal member TrustPay has to comply with. These rules also include multiple limitations on specific business models, which we have to consider when onboarding a new client. This is something me and my colleagues from the compliance department handle on a daily basis. 

 Any funny moments from working at TrustPay?

A funny remark about a new colleague comes to mind. The first few days, it was a bit of a challenge for her to understand our internal jargon (which, to be fair, most people struggle with at the beginning). When we asked about her progress in the TrustPay training, she replied: “Well, I don’t know what a CAP is, but I do know one can hit it.” 😊

(Note: CAP is a monthly processing limit per merchant.)