Leah Glass, VP of Global Marketing at Convera: “Do what you say you are going to do and do it well”

It pays to listen to good advice, especially if it comes from someone with many years in the payment industry. Leah Glass was Head of Worldwide Marketing for Amazon Pay for four years, before joining leading fintech firm Convera as VP of Global Marketing in 2022.

With a career that spans over 20 years, it’s safe to say that Leah has gained a huge amount of experience across multiple sectors, with a particular emphasis on digital transformation to drive growth and brand differentiation.

Here, she shares many of the lessons she has learned. We were particularly interested in what she considers core values, which we will paraphrase as: deliver on what you promise, prioritise the things that only you can do, and respond to data rather than opinions.

But we suspect Leah would also tell people not merely to read summaries, so urge you to dive into the full interview to hear what she has to say about e-commerce, digital transformation and our old friend AI.

Why Dust or Magic? That stems from a quote by legendary American advertising creative director, William Bernbach: “An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.” (And if you’re wondering where you’ve heard the name, Bernbach was the inspiration behind Don Draper of Mad Men fame.)

Could you please introduce yourself to our audience? What motivated you to pursue a career in marketing, and how did you embark on your journey in this field?

I’m Leah Glass, VP of Global Marketing at Convera – our mission is to provide smart, simple and secure cross-border payments so businesses of all sizes can grow and expand globally with confidence. At Convera, I lead our 40-person marketing and communications organisation to position Convera as a leader in global commercial payments by driving interest, consideration and urgency for our solutions already used by over 30,000 customers across more than 200 countries.

One of the main motivations for pursuing a career in marketing was an enduring interest in the ideas, stories and messages that motivate people to act. B2B marketing is particularly interesting because purchase decisions are high stakes and complex as they can have an organisational-wide impact.

What are your thoughts on the escalating integration of AI in digital marketing and its potential influence on the future of marketing, Martech and social media?

While AI can certainly help streamline marketing operations and customer engagement, at Convera we remain focused on providing human-led expertise. AI has great potential to analyse data and surface insights, but our marketing aims to deliver personalised guidance from experienced professionals.

Our daily market updates, Converge podcast and thought leadership content demonstrate our commitment to sharing nuanced and informed knowledge. We have subject matter experts with years of experience dedicated to advising customers on navigating the complex cross-border payment landscape of regulations, compliance and global growth.

As AI continues advancing, we will explore how it can augment our marketing efforts and customer interactions in a transparent, responsible way. However, at Convera, our differentiator will always be the human experts powering our premium content and hands-on approach.

AI assistants can enhance marketing processes, but they cannot replicate the strategic approach, localised expertise and personalised relationships our marketing team provides. Convera remains committed to human-driven marketing that establishes trusted partnerships.

Recommended reading: Five ways that AI can make CFOs’ lives easier

How do you ready yourself for an AI-driven landscape as a marketing leader? What new skills do you need?

Marketers need to be data-savvy, creative storytellers, able to translate numbers into compelling narratives. This equips us to use AI responsibly and strategically, connecting with customers on a deeper level. We can personalise campaigns, optimise content and predict customer needs, all while ensuring transparency and avoiding dystopian surveillance practices.

This journey demands constant learning and adaptability. We are not just going along for the AI ride, we are in the driver’s seat, mapping our own route, and avoiding roadblocks.

We are being thoughtful in how we incorporate AI across our marketing efforts. The goal is to augment our human marketing professionals, not replace the nuanced expertise they provide.

Could you share some of your most noteworthy accomplishments that you take pride in?

I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished at Convera so far, and it’s been an incredible team effort. Taking a company through a rebrand and building a marketing function from scratch is no easy feat, but we have managed to do it while positioning ourselves as a trusted source of knowledge in our industry. That is what I find most fulfilling.

We launched a brand that reflects our values and vision, and we are connecting with audiences across channels from our website to podcast, blog and social media channels.  As a new brand, we’re focused on building credibility by showcasing our deep expertise in foreign exchange, cross-border payments, and risk management. This is how we build trust and become a source of truth for our customers – and the industry.  And I’m proud to say we’re well on our way to achieving that.

Recommended reading: The biggest challenges faced by Women in Tech today

What core values have played a pivotal role in shaping your approach to marketing and communication?

Over the years I have worked in a range of industries and sought to engage a variety of customer personas and roles – and these values have served me in every use case.

First, fulfil your commitments, do what you say you are going to do and do it well. This keeps me focused and my teams focused so we can have the privilege of saying at the end of the month, quarter or year that “we did what we said we would do, and we did it well”. It is a source of pride for all of us.

Second, prioritise the things that only you can do. So many marketing teams get pulled into activities and tasks that can (and often should) be done by other functions. For example, if you are saying “yes” to building a custom report that is part of the remit of Sales Operations you are saying “no” to something that only you, as a marketer, can do. The same goes for leaders, prioritising the things and decisions that only they can do can help bring clarity when deciding how and what to delegate. If you do choose to do something that can (or should) be done by others make that choice with clarity and intention.

Third, respond to data, and do not react to circumstances and opinions. In business, things are always changing at macro and micro levels and how you respond can be the difference between delivering or not. This is especially true in marketing where a negative press mention or a move by a competitor can seem to require a significant response – and on occasion, this is the case. Often a thoughtful examination will reveal that the situation is less dire than we imagined and measured action vs dramatic reaction is the best way to serve our organisation and customers.

What major hurdles have you encountered as a marketing leader, and how did you surmount them?

A feature of my marketing career has been building marketing organisations and programs from the ground up and as part of that, leading marketing transformations. Convera is my sixth marketing transformation, and the biggest challenge is helping people to navigate change. Change is hard for most people. To successfully lead change, you need to be committed and focused on outcomes while having the patience to enrol people in your vision for the future.   

What piece of advice would you offer to fellow marketing leaders that has been particularly beneficial to you personally? 

My advice is in the context of the type of business and marketing transformations I have spent most of my career engaged in. 

• Resist the temptation of rationalisation, and own the impact of your words and actions. Don’t defend, listen, and seek to understand.
• Have total clarity on the things that will remain the same even if the business evolves and changes. Remember what you’re committed to, focus on the outcomes, not the process.
• You can’t do it by yourself. I have always relied on expert advice and candid feedback from my manager, my peers, my key business partners (e.g., HR and Finance), and my direct reports.