Payment Expert’s ID Check: Payments Professionals offers insight from industry leaders and experts on how they got their start in the financial industry, from their early years in education, to how they have been able to climb the corporate ladder.
This week, Jarrad Hubble, CEO of cross-border payment firm RTGS.global, reflects on his time as a professional sports player and how ‘making the move, and managing the chaos’ led him to the leading position he finds himself in today.
Where did you go to university and what did you study? What impact did this have on your current journey?
I never completed university. To provide some context, I was a professional Australian Rules Football player until the age of 25. During my time as an athlete, I briefly studied sports management in Perth, but I didn’t finish my degree. Looking back, I believe I gained valuable lessons from the disciplines and experiences of being a professional sportsman, which have helped compensate for cutting short my university education.
Much of my early career naturally revolved around roles in sport and facility management. One of my first positions was with the Australian Institute of Sport, where I was responsible for running one of their stadiums.
Despite the initial challenges, my background in professional sports provided me with a unique perspective and skillset that I have continued to apply in my professional journey to date.
Were you part of any sports clubs or societies at university and has this influenced your educational and professional development?
My experience as a professional sportsman has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on my professional development. There are particular lessons and disciplines from professional sports that I find incredibly valuable within business, such as leadership, responsibility, the highs and lows of winning and losing, and the role you play within a team.
While I was never the star sportsperson, I was always the one who grafted to make sure that the talent within the wider team was able to shine through. That’s something I’ve always taken into business.
I recognise that I will never be the brightest person in the room, but my job as CEO will always be to bring out the best in those who are the real talent. The visionaries sit alongside me, and my job is to facilitate and allow their vision to come into play.
Did you have any jobs outside of the industry before making your start in it and was this experience a motivation to get into the industry you aspired to be in?
I actually fell into the foreign exchange and payments space having worked for a company that sold employee perks to larger companies at the start of my corporate career. It was during a presentation I gave to an FX firm about our product that I caught the attention of the CEO. Instead of purchasing what I was offering, he surprised me by offering me a job at his company.
I was hesitant to accept the position at first since I had no prior knowledge or experience in foreign exchange and payments. It took the CEO six months to convince me to join his team, assuring me that he would teach me everything I needed to know and that my strong presentation skills would be an asset in my new role.
I ended up staying with that company for seven years until it was sold.
What was the first job you had in the industry and are there any lessons from this you still draw on?
The first role I had in the industry was the one I mentioned previously and there are definitely still principles from my first job that I still use to this day.
Just recently, I was talking to my Chairman and explaining the theory of “make the move, manage the chaos.” In business, you often have to make big decisions quickly, and I’ve found that the best approach is to take action and then manage any chaos that ensues afterwards. If you sit there procrastinating and struggling to make a decision, you’ll miss out on opportunities.
I’ve learned to trust my instincts, conduct the necessary research to ensure I’m making the right move, and then execute the decision without hesitation. Afterwards, I’ll manage whatever challenges or consequences arise. This is a lesson I learned in my first job and it has served me well throughout my career.
Who was your biggest role model outside of the payments industry who continues to inspire you in your current career?
I would still consider the CEO who initially brought me into the foreign exchange industry to be the biggest role model in my career. He recognised potential in me that I didn’t even know existed and was adamant about nurturing it. This experience put me in a good place as I learned the core basics of upselling and communication at a young age by working in various small businesses and receiving training.
However, it wasn’t until I moved into the payments industry that I truly learned about leadership and how to scale startups.
The Managing Director of the first payments company I joined, which focused on offering corporate clients an alternative to banks for international payments, was instrumental in my development. Despite my lack of knowledge about foreign exchange and payments when I first started, I quickly adapted and learned thanks to his guidance.
When was your first big break in the payments industry? Why was this such a significant moment for you?
There were a couple of significant moments in my career that I consider my big breaks. The first was when the startup I was working for started to generate profits having taken about a year as a small business to start making money. This was a pivotal moment for me because I realised that I had taken something that didn’t exist in an industry I initially knew nothing about and turned it into a profitable venture. It was a validation of my team’s hard work and my ability to learn and adapt quickly.
The second big break came when the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) approached me through a head-hunter. At this point, I had been in my job for about five to six years and had gone from knowing nothing about foreign exchange and payments to becoming quite knowledgeable, so the fact that a major bank specifically sought me out based on recommendations and the success of the growing business was a huge confidence boost. They wanted me to join them and share insights on how fintechs were thriving and what they were doing well.
This moment was particularly significant because it marked a turning point in my self-perception. Earlier in my career, when I transitioned from professional sports at age 25, I felt I had no valuable skills to offer businesses other than my strong work ethic.
It wasn’t until RBS approached me that I realised my knowledge and experience were valuable assets that people were willing to pay for. This realisation has stayed with me throughout my career, and while there were times when I doubted my abilities. I now know that my expertise, gained through both successes and failures, is sought after in the industry.
Was there a moment you faced in the industry that really challenged you? How did you overcome this?
One of the most challenging moments I faced in the industry was when I realised I needed to leave the banking sector. I had reached a point where I knew my career goals and aspirations were no longer aligned with the company I was moving in, largely due to changes in regulations. It became clear that my role, as it existed, couldn’t continue within the new structure of the bank.
Making the decision to leave was difficult but I knew it was necessary for my professional growth. However, my transition back into the tech space was complicated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, the usual methods of networking and meeting people face-to-face were no longer viable options, which made the process of finding new opportunities more challenging.
It was definitely a moment of uncertainty and self-doubt. Fortunately, as restrictions eased and the world began to open up again, new opportunities presented themselves. I was able to leverage my experience and network to ultimately find my current position.
Lastly, what is some advice you would give to an aspiring person looking to get a start in your respective industry?
For someone looking to get started in the foreign exchange industry, my advice would be simple: whatever you do, do it well. This is a principle I’ve followed throughout my entire career, even when I was doing manual labour jobs just to get by. It’s important to remember that every experience you gain is valuable and contributes to your overall growth.
When you’re in your 20s, focus on setting high standards for yourself and your work. At this stage, you may not have extensive experience, but you can compensate for that with your education and enthusiasm. Use this time to learn how to do everything to the best of your ability, and make excellence a core part of who you are.
In your 30s, concentrate on gathering experience and developing expertise in your chosen field. This is the time to build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills that will serve you well in the future.
As you enter your 40s, you can start capitalising on the combination of your strong work ethic and the valuable experience you’ve accumulated. People will recognise and appreciate your ability to do things well and your depth of knowledge, making you an in-demand professional.
Remember that success rarely happens overnight. Focus on consistently delivering high-quality work, and your reputation will grow.
