Meet Zeno Capucci, Senior Legal Counsel
Zeno Capucci is Senior Legal Counsel at WorldRemit, having previously advised payments companies on contract negotiations, regulatory advice, and data protection. At WorldRemit, Zeno advises the company and the Executive Team on a diverse array of legal matters ranging from product roll-out to expansion into new markets, contract negotiations, financial regulations, and more. Learn more about his story below.
Tell us about your journey into fintech.
It was an unplanned — but rewarding! — journey. I worked in the Energy & Infrastructure team of a major UK law firm for a number of years (mainly on big project financing or M&A deals) until the recruiter of a big fintech company (currently the largest merchant acquirer worldwide) contacted me in early 2014. At the time, I didn’t know much about the sector, the payments landscape and the (many!) laws, regulations and rules surrounding it. What I knew is that it sounded intriguing, challenging, rapidly evolving and (almost) cool — the latter being a rarity for a legal role…
What brought you to WorldRemit?
After four years in the in-house legal team of a huge B2B payments organisation, the idea of joining a smaller company and getting involved in the ambitious growth and expansion plans was exciting, albeit a bit scary. Ismail’s story, the mission of the company and its truly global culture and footprint also resonated strongly with me: I’ve always been convinced that unless you truly believe in the ultimate purpose of what you do, your time is really better spent doing something else. The impact that a company like WorldRemit has on the lives of millions of people around the world cannot be understated, and is the ultimate reason why every decision that we take is important not just for us, our colleagues and our investors, but primarily for our customers, the people we serve.
What is your role at WorldRemit? Can you tell us about what that entails?
I remember reading interviews or job descriptions saying “no two days here are the same”, and thinking: “yeah, sure!” Since joining WorldRemit, I’ve changed my mind. I’m part of a small Legal & Company Secretary (CoSec) team of very bright, dedicated, enthusiastic professionals, who are also (and most importantly) amazing human beings. We support the business on “all things legal”, whether it’s negotiating a contract with a potential partner or supplier somewhere in the world, scoping the regulatory framework for a new country or product launch, protecting the company and its brand, sorting out our corporate structure and governance, or responding to any other query that has anything to do with “the law”. Ah, and then there’s data protection…
What has been the biggest change moving from a law firm to working in-house?
Being embedded in the business is the main difference. When working in a law firm, you’re mostly a subject matter expert who gets consulted when things go wrong, or get really serious. You are rarely aware of the context and the background, and you’re quickly dropped out of the loop when your specific task is completed. Here, instead, we sit alongside our colleagues in the Product, Marketing, Commercial and Tech teams, and we try as hard as we can to understand their world, speak their language and be available whenever we’re needed. We are often project managers as much as legal experts, trusted advisors as much as regulatory geeks — or, at least, that’s how in-house lawyers should always be seen, I believe. The sense of ownership increases dramatically, especially if you’re part of a small team in a young, fast-growing company.
What do you enjoy about working in a global business?
WorldRemit’s truly global nature is one of the things that I enjoy the most about my job, although I realise it can be a challenge from a business perspective. I learn a lot on a daily basis just by coming across professionals with different cultural backgrounds, who speak different languages and look at things from a different angle each and every time. There is a constant clash between pushing for uniformity and realising that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach: especially when dealing with tens of different regulatory frameworks.
Can you tell us about the highlights and the challenges of working across so many legal jurisdictions?
“I don’t know, because the law there is different” is never an acceptable answer at WorldRemit (or anywhere). It’s our mission to find out, ask questions, get creative — and to do so in a cost-efficient, fast-paced manner. This is in itself the highlight and the challenge: we all learn so much, but we almost never have it easy.
What are your passions outside the office?
I love music (lots of different genres), books and food&wine most and foremost. These are all ways for me to discover different cultures and enrich my views of the world and the people who inhabit it. I love travelling, mostly to sunny places, preferably if there is a beach nearby. I love being outside, and I love spending times with my friends and loved ones. I am very passionate about the law, but a nice glass of Rioja on a terrace will always prevail.
Can you tell us about one of your favourite days on the job at WorldRemit?
Completing the first phase of our GDPR readiness project, which was the first big project I was asked to deliver upon joining WorldRemit, was my first small win last year. Similarly, the relief that I (and, I’m sure, other members of the team) felt when our Series D funding round was completed, in line with the ambitious deadline we had been targeting, is difficult to describe. We haven’t had time to celebrate this mammoth achievement with the rest of the Legal & CoSec team yet, so I’m looking forward to our next team outing as my next potential favourite day at WorldRemit!
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
Given that I’ve always worked in an advisory/support function role, I’ve learnt that people are different, will ask different questions in many different ways, and will expect different types and styles of answers. I’ve learnt to understand and respect this, to try and adjust my output and behaviour to accommodate others, to constantly be open to more changes and improvements, and to never stop learning. Mistakes will happen, but they are part of the journey, and can be the most amazing learning opportunities. I’ve also learnt that “ownership” of a task is what really makes the difference: between a decent piece of work and an excellent one, between a job that pays the bill and one that you truly enjoy.
What is the biggest piece of advice you lend to young people, especially young lawyers, entering tech?
I really struggle to see myself as someone being able to give advice to “young people” (I still see myself as one of them!). Tech can be a complicated, incredibly fast-paced and challenging sector, so I would say: always try to do your job at the best of your abilities, learn from your mistakes (there will be many), help others and be open to their help and, most importantly, have fun! For me, life and career are more about a balanced, enjoyable and enriching journey, than about reaching an ultimate goal — so enjoy the journey!
To learn more about career opportunities at WorldRemit, visit our website.
