MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT

Riley Paige Macdonald

Head of EMEA, Enterprise Product

Global Payments

Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?

I’d say my biggest inspiration has come from the people I’ve worked with—particularly strong leaders who showed the impact you can have on both outcomes and people. Experiencing both great and less effective leadership really shaped how I think about leading and developing others.

On a more personal level, moving to another country played a big role. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a strong drive to prove myself in a new environment. That experience really reinforced my resilience and motivation to succeed, and it continues to influence how I approach challenges today.

Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?

I’d say my success has largely come from hard work, but also from having the right support at the right moments.

Early on, I put a lot of effort into being present at the office, working hard, and focusing on improving my skill sets. I was fortunate that senior colleagues noticed and backed me with new opportunities and responsibilities. That combination of consistently putting the work in and having people willing to invest in me has really shaped how my career has progressed.

What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?

The driving force behind my career aspirations has always been a desire to lead and develop others. Having experienced both great and poor leadership throughout my career, I became particularly motivated to help build and coach the next generation of payments talent. While it didn’t dictate every decision I made, I consistently looked for opportunities to lead teams, support people’s growth, and drive meaningful outcomes.

If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?

I’d always planned to do an MBA and had the opportunity to pursue one through an apprenticeship programme in 2021. It was a two‑year, part‑time course, and balancing it alongside a full‑time role and personal commitments was challenging at times. That said, it was incredibly valuable to study while working, as it allowed me to see how large organisations apply (or sometimes don’t apply) the theories we were learning in real time.

In hindsight, I think I would have benefited from a one‑year, full‑time programme. While the academic content is often similar across institutions, the real differentiator is the networking opportunity. Studying in Manchester while being based in London made it harder to fully engage in that aspect, and I think I could have gained even more both personally and professionally from a more immersive experience.

What was your most favourite job/role and why?

My favourite role was when I was a Market Delivery Manager responsible for launching new markets for Global Payments. I always like macroeconomics and how firms expanded, so connecting the theories that I studied in university to my job felt very special. Understanding how consumers pay in different countries and the various trends has always interested me and it is very cool (or nerdy, depending on who you ask) to go on holiday and see all the various payments that we discuss at work!

Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?

‘Be the adult in the room’ – meaning that if there is a hard decision to make and there is indecision amongst the stakeholders, be the person to make the decision and trust that your boss will back you up.”