ALBERTO GUERRA

CEO of UniTeller Financial Services

What is your greatest professional accomplishment to date? 

 I don’t know if I can rank my accomplishments and define a single one as my greatest. Most of my accomplishments have been the result of collaborative teamwork through which some of the most innovative ideas have originated. It is in these environments that I have been able to strengthen self-growth and reinforce my values as a leader. Keeping that in mind, pointing out just one, may not be fair. 

 So, here are a few of my achievements that I value the most: 

From graduating from college to building a family, and raising my children into self-reliant, young adults with the education and qualities they need to make a positive impact in the real-world. 

 On a professional note, joining the Banorte Group was what really jumpstarted my career. I was the Head of the International Banking Division at Banorte at the young age of 33 years after which I became a key instrument of Banorte’s expansion into the U.S., and I continue to be truly grateful for the opportunity and trust they placed in me to be able to lead UniTeller to where it stands today.  

What effective strategies, initiatives, or actions have you implemented to achieve success at UniTeller? 

 “Our strategies have evolved over the course of time, but if I were to point out the ones that have facilitated our growth and relevance in the market, it would be the following. 

  –          Identifying the needs of different players in the industry and addressing those needs by developing solutions and a product portfolio that revolves around a customer/partner-focused strategy. 

–          Expansion and diversification are the foundation for sustainable business growth. By growing our ubiquitous network of partners across the globe, we are able to offer a more comprehensive service. 

–          Invest in Technology. The standards for international payments used to be defined by a few key providers. In today’s day and age, customers are the ones that are defining the standards. They expect a seamless and transparent experience from beginning to end. They value real-time payment experiences, reliable payments delivery, and access to preferred payment methods to name a few. Making sure that you provide the most reliable processing platform and ensuring that your product offers a seamless experience for your business partners and end customers is key. 

–          A Solid Compliance. Companies now operate within a technology-reliant environment, which leads them to be more susceptible to cyber security threats, money laundering, data privacy loopholes, and more. For this reason, making sure your compliance is solid plays a crucial role in guiding new business models and financial technologies. It’s critical to ensure that your business and growth always adhere to the regulatory and compliance requirements. 

–          Being responsible with your resources, expenses, budget, and business line profitability and operational KPIs plays an important role in achieving short and long-term goals. 

–          Team and Human Capital matters. Every company is what it is because of its employees. Individuals who make up a company’s workforce are responsible for its success or failure. Build a team of qualified individuals that bring skills and value to the table and do your best to collaborate and work together as a team.” 

How do you define success? What is your take on the ways to achieve long-term success? 

 “It is very hard to define success as a static goal. Your goal should be to aspire to succeed while continuously moving your target and defining what success means for you at any given moment in your journey. Success in life can be whatever you define it to be. I once read that success is not the key to happiness, but it is the other way around, that happiness is essential if you want to achieve success.” 

What is the best decision you’ve ever made? 

 “I never regret my decisions. It’s not healthy for your mind to second guess or regret your decisions, so I always have a positive outlook on the decisions that I make and I truly believe that my decisions are for the best. Negative decisions are based on fear. Positive decisions are based on hope. Whether personal or professional, hope, optimism, and the power of positive thinking are the fundamental elements that drive my decision-making. 

 From deciding my line of study, the college I went to, building a family, to deciding my place of work, these have all been life-altering decisions that originated from the power of positive thinking and that I cherish to date. 

 From a professional perspective, joining the Banorte Group at the start of my career followed by leaving the corporate world of Banorte in Mexico, and accepting the position of a CEO at UniTeller have all been an integral part of my professional journey and have allowed me to grow in ways more than one.” 

Tell us about your future plans. 

 “My future plans are my best-kept secrets,” says Alberto as he lets out a lighthearted laugh. 

 “Talking seriously, I believe that what you do in the present is what guides your future. So, I strive to do my best today to ensure I can aspire to have a promising future. Nevertheless, it’s important to be aware of the fact that achieving success goes much beyond just having dreams and expectations. We need to be persistent with our actions as we make every effort to continuously achieve our objectives. Many of the seeds that we sow today will only provide a return on investment for years to come in the future. 

 As for UniTeller, for now, let’s just say that the future holds some noteworthy projects through which we aim to support our journey of continuous growth. These range from expanding our global footprint and dedicating substantial investments to our platform, technology, and digital capabilities. Technology will be an essential part of UniTeller’s success. It’s what drives innovation. And we make conscious efforts to review and improvise our systems, products, processes, and infrastructure and it is technological advancements that enable them. We believe that with investments in technology we are sure to maintain our stance and competitive edge in the marketplace to remain relevant to our business partners and customers alike.