Meet the Maker: Abdi Hersi, Sr. Manager, Payments Strategy
Abdi is marking Black History Month by celebrating his culture, community, and the many lessons he has picked up along the way. Find out what he wants everyone to take away from this February.
Our team of Wealthsimplers work collaboratively to build the best possible experience for our clients and then make it even better. Everyone is a maker and an owner. What does that mean? We take ownership of our own work. No one here is a manager that doesn’t contribute to any hands-on work. We question the status quo and when we want to update, change or fix something — we take initiative, involve others and #shipit, then improve it. Get to know the team with our Meet the Maker series.
What attracted you to work at Wealthsimple?
I am really interested in payments innovation and I believe in Wealthsimple’s mission to help everyone achieve financial freedom. I’ve been here for one year now and it still feels like a perfect match.
As a payments strategist, what do you do?
At a high level, I work to develop and implement strategies to optimize the processing and acceptance of payments within our organization. I enjoy my role since it’s a unique mix of strategy, product development, project management and policy. In terms of projects, my main focus has been on real-time payments and open banking.
To help us get to know you better, what project are you most proud of?
I was part of the team that led the effort to secure a direct settlement account with the Bank of Canada of Canada for the upcoming Real Time Rails payment system. We are the first-ever non-bank/credit-union to ever be granted a settlement account at the Bank of Canada. It was one of the highlights of my career and I hope to unlock more ‘firsts’ for Wealthsimple in the future.
Now, let’s talk about Black History Month and the 2023 theme: Black Resistance. Resistance against oppressive systems can happen in countless ways, like through music, politics, education, etc. What does this year’s theme mean to you?
Resistance, to me, is rooted in self-confidence. One of my favourite quotes comes from Toni Morrison; the gist is that, “The function, the very serious function, of racism is distraction.” Hearing that flipped a switch in me. Instead of constantly validating why I belong in certain spaces, I turned my attention to celebrating my community, celebrating all the wins and learning from the losses. There is so much change necessary, but I also want the space to celebrate the journey we are taking as a community (I’m an eternal optimist as you can tell).
What motivates you to create positive change?
I am inspired by my parents, they’ve instilled a sense of empathy in me and my drive to make a positive change is based on their example. My mom worked tirelessly to enrich our lives and my dad was a university professor. His drive to make a difference in his student’s lives is what inspires me to teach, mentor, and seek mentorship where possible.
An important part of resistance is making time to rest and reset. How do you take care of yourself?
My focus is on my family, spending time with them allows me to recharge and reset. I’m fortunate that I have a supportive partner, but as a parent of a 2-year-old, I don’t know if “real” rest will be possible for a few years.
At Wealthsimple we demand diversity and create inclusion. What’s one idea or lesson you’d like folks to take away from this Black History Month?
The Black community isn’t a monolith. Every year I find myself learning something new and my biggest leap in terms of understanding BHM’s importance came from visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture (if you haven’t yet, you should definitely visit!). I’d encourage everyone to foster their curiosity about what this month means as a way to build empathy and learn about our different experiences.
To learn more about how Wealthsimple demands diversity and creates inclusion, read our Culture Manual.
Are you looking to find a sense of community within your workplace? Visit our “Work With Us” page to learn more and view open roles.
Wealthsimple is a new kind of financial company. Invest, trade, save, spend, and even do your taxes in a better, simpler way. “Maker Stories” is an inside look at how we get things done.
