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, Holly Coventry, VP of UK Card Acquisition & Open Banking Sales at American Express, has been a leader in netball and now Open Banking payment projects. She details her journey at American Express, from an intern, to leading projects and getting out of her comfort zone.
Where did you go to university and what did you study? What impact did this have on your current journey?
I studied Business at the University of Brighton, which I really enjoyed – as soon as I started, I felt like I’d found my stride. While my degree gave me a strong foundation in the skills I would need for my career, it was my placement year that really gave me a taste for the world of work.
The learning curve is huge, but there’s nothing like getting the chance to put the skills you’ve learnt into practice. That year sparked a curiosity and appetite for learning that’s stayed with me throughout my career – and has been nurtured at Amex.
I’ve consistently been encouraged to explore opportunities to develop new skills, try new courses and programmes, and push myself in new roles. The company is built on a long history of innovation, and it’s never failed to keep me motivated.
Were you part of any sports clubs or societies at university and has this influenced your educational and professional development?
I was Captain of the university netball team – a role which I took seriously and one that taught me lessons I still draw on today. Whilst like most students, I missed a handful of lectures over my time at university, I never once missed a match or practice!
I believe that participation in team sports helps set you up for success in later life. You learn teamwork, adaptability, and resilience – and when things go wrong, you learn how to regroup and bounce back. The skills that I learnt on the court are the same ones I take into the boardroom today.
As Captain, whether we won or lost, it was ultimately my job to keep motivation high and make sure we didn’t lose sight of the end goal – to win! The most effective leaders are those who create the space for each team member to thrive but have an unwavering commitment to collective success. This is an approach I’ve carried with me into every role since.
What was the first job you had in the industry and are there any lessons from this you still draw on?
My first role was as an intern at American Express during my undergraduate placement year. I was fortunate to be offered a permanent position after graduating, and a short-term role turned into an 18-year career.
What’s kept me here is the pace of learning – it was quickly clear to me that payments is an industry where it pays to be inquisitive. There’s always a new puzzle or challenge and even as an intern, I was encouraged to bring an idea to the table and make my voice heard.
Those early lessons – to stay open, to keep asking questions, and to lean into the opportunities right in front of you – have shaped every step of my career since. I remember them to this day, and every time we get a new team member, I strive to make sure to give them the same opportunities I had.
Who was your biggest role model – inside or outside of your industry – who continues to inspire you in your current career?
I think that Claire Connor CBE, former Captain of the England women’s cricket team, is the epitome of what it means to be a good leader.
Connor led a side that hadn’t won the Ashes in 42 years to a historic victory at a time when women’s sport was under pressure. You need resilience to take up space when you’re being pushed down, and Connor raised the team’s profile and helped others succeed by recognising her team’s strengths and reframing weaknesses as opportunities for growth.
Because of her supportive and emotional intelligence, Connor is someone I deeply admire, and the qualities she demonstrated are ones I strive to emulate in my own career.
When was your first big break in the industry? Why was this such a significant moment for you?
The pivotal moment was when I was asked to lead the development of Pay with Bank Transfer – Amex’s Open Banking powered payment platform. Pay with Bank Transfer allows users to pay directly from their bank account quickly with bank-grade security and no set up required, and it’s available to everyone, not just Amex Cardmembers.
I think I was chosen, at least in part, because of how I had previously demonstrated a desire to take on a challenge – I’m never afraid to try something new and bring a fresh perspective to it.
When I was seconded to the project, Open Banking was still in its infancy. I had six months to build the product, secure a launch partner, and prove its potential. It was a typical start-up journey, which may sound surprising for a business as established and well known as American Express. It was a true test of balancing instinct and experience with rigorous planning and execution to ultimately make it a success.
Seeing Pay with Bank Transfer grow into a major UK payment solution used across sectors like travel, utilities, and education has been incredibly rewarding. It proved to me how important tenacity, perseverance, and belief in what you’re building is to success. That experience defined my career and reinforced my love for innovation and challenge.
The project also proved one of my foundational beliefs: success isn’t achieved through talent alone; tenacity is the key ingredient that will make sure you see a task through to the best of your ability.
Was there a moment you faced in the industry that really challenged you? How did you overcome this?
Leading the launch of Pay with Bank Transfer was one of the biggest challenges of my career. Suddenly I found myself sitting across the table from many tenured executives who had far more experience of launching new ventures. At first, it was daunting – I knew payments, but this was unfamiliar unchartered territory.
However, I came to realise that I had the skills that would be necessary for success: the ability to look at a challenge from the customer’s perspective, to create open channels of communication between teams, and to push through obstacles with fresh thinking. It helped me appreciate that you don’t need to know everything on day one.
That shift in mindset, to seeing the unknown as a springboard for progress, was a turning point for me as a leader and has been invaluable in my journey to my current position as Lead for UK Card Acquisition & Open Banking Sales.
What are some of the skills you deem essential to starting in your industry and how have yours developed over the years?
Payments is both fast-moving and highly regulated, so resilience, adaptability, and curiosity are essential. You need to absorb information quickly and stay alert to emerging opportunities.
It can feel like a constant learning curve, but that’s part of the attraction – every challenge or unfamiliar task is a chance to grow. Arguably, the most important attribute is to be collaborative – value your team, they’re the ones who’ll help you to deliver your goals.
I got to hone these skills and put them to work whilst developing Pay with Bank Transfer. I went from being a specialist to leading across every aspect of a new product – from product development and branding to integration, recruitment, and sales. It was a crash course in leadership, communication, and creative problem-solving.
Building something from the ground up showed me how powerful it is to step outside your comfort zone, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work in a business which encourages that. I’ve been given the opportunity to take leaps, which has helped me grow my learning and my career.
Lastly, what is some advice you would give to an aspiring person looking to get a start in your respective industry?
- Say yes. Volunteer for the projects that feel daunting or that no one else wants to take on, because those are the experiences that will stretch you and set you apart from the crowd. It’s these moments where others will take note.
- Collaboration is essential. By surrounding yourself with a varied team that embraces a wide range of skillsets you’ll foster the most productive, creative environment and set the whole group up for success. This sentiment holds true across all areas of your career – seeking out advice and guidance from trusted sources will keep you on the path to achieve your goals.
- Finally, remember that hard work trumps expertise. You should never feel held back by a perceived lack of skillset – if you’re open, resilient, and willing to learn there’s always a route in, it might take some determination to find it, but it’s that grit which will see you through to success.
