The Mojaloop Foundation has been very fortunate to sign Julie Guetta as our new technical solutions lead.

Julie has worked in the global payments industry since 2013, winning leadership roles with firms like Dovetail, RedCompass Labs, and Partior. She has led the functional implementation of payment systems for several international banks and has helped many other financial services providers achieve roles at the forefront of technical solutions. An active Mojaloop Community member for several years, she was a member of the Mojaloop Technical Governing Board. She was also a finalist in the Women in Payments Rising Star Awards EMEA in 2021 and is a regular speaker at conferences worldwide.

Julie took a few moments from her busy schedule to share her thoughts on the payments industry and the future of Mojaloop with us.

Connect with Julie on LinkedIn >

Tell us about yourself. What has your career been like and how did you become interested in the Mojaloop Foundation and its mission?

I’m a business analyst by trade with over 10 years in payments. My journey into this field began when I moved to London and landed a job in payments. Since then, I have developed a deep passion for it and I can’t imagine working in any other field.

My career has spanned roles with vendors and as a consultant, always focusing on implementing payment systems or defining payments strategy. My consultancy work sparked an interest in financial inclusion. I wanted to use my expertise to do good, not just to enrich banks.

A TED Talk from Kosta Peric got me very interested in financial inclusion. Then at the Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) in 2020, Bill Gates spoke about how his Foundation was delivering a payment system that was completely free. I got very curious given the typically high costs and lucrative nature of such solutions.

At an SFF Green Shoots event, an interview with Paula Hunter, executive director of the Mojaloop Foundation, helped me connect the dots: the Mojaloop Foundation, backed by the Gates Foundation, was creating an payment system to boost financial inclusion. After meeting Paula, I convinced Red Compass Labs, the consultancy I was working with back then, to become a sponsor.

Three years later, I was offered a position with Mojaloop. I accepted immediately — it felt incredibly rewarding after being involved with the Foundation for so long.

Tell us a bit about your new role with the Mojaloop Foundation. What will your main responsibilities be?

As technical solutions lead, I’ll focus on three key areas.

Firstly, being based in Singapore and part of the go-to-market team, one of my primary responsibilities will be identifying opportunities to deploy Mojaloop in South East Asia.

Secondly, as a payment subject matter expert (SME), I’ll functionally oversee any cross border payments projects globally.

Thirdly, I’ll manage the transition from our current code base, vNow, to our new code base, vNext. Like many robust digital products aiming to be future proof, Mojaloop is undergoing a technical refresh, which is a natural and essential process.

Finally, needless to say, I will remain active in Mojaloop’s product workstream!

What are you looking forward to most about your role and what do you hope to accomplish?

As a passionate payments enthusiast, I’m looking forward to supporting the implementation of Mojaloop and witnessing every payment successfully completed, especially cross border payments.

I am also eager to collaborate with diverse stakeholders across various regions and identify potential synergies. By spearheading new features that are widely applicable, we can avoid reinventing the wheel with each new market implementation. This strategy will dramatically accelerate our speed to market and enhance financial inclusion.

The overall mission of the Foundation is to increase financial inclusion. My ultimate mission is to contribute to that, in a few years, I hope we can look back at the number of people who are financially excluded today and proudly say that we have moved the needle, significantly reducing the number of financially excluded individuals.

In your opinion, what have been some of the Foundation’s most significant accomplishments to date, and are there any particular projects or implementations that you find especially exciting?

For me, the Higala implementation is exciting because it’s the first Mojaloop implementation to be live in Asia with the required regulatory approval.

There’s also an upcoming project for the COMESA region that has the potential to be groundbreaking. If we achieve adoption and therefore volume on the platform, it will be the first cross border implementation supporting multiple domestic currencies live beyond the proof of concept stage, making a substantial impact on people’s lives.

What do you consider to be the biggest challenge in digital payments?

Good question. I think for me a significant challenge is increasing the adoption of digital payments and making them available for free. Even though we offer the Mojaloop system at no cost, there are still implementation costs for the hub operator.

The success of digital payments in places such as Brazil and in India is largely due to the payments being free. I’m convinced that free payments will not only help the unbanked, but will help us compete with existing providers who charge high fees. For example, in the remittances market, many expensive companies are used by migrant workers to send money home. Offering a free alternative is a strong incentive for change. However, it’s crucial to shift the mindset that “free” equates to “no revenue.” Free payments can be a powerful strategy to attract customers, who can then be introduced to revenue generating products.

While Mojaloop has built a really efficient clearing system, the user experience on top of the platform is also crucial. These apps need to have a great user experience.

We also need to address financial literacy, helping people understand the benefit of digital payments over cash.

What keeps you excited and motivated to help further the Foundation’s mission? In other words, what gets you out of bed in the morning?

I’m really passionate about anything related to payments and this passion drives me every day! With a background in the financial industry, I’ve had experience in overseeing the implementation and design of payment systems and I am thrilled to see that experience being used for a good purpose.

Working for the Mojaloop Foundation adds a special twist to my passion. It’s not just about doing what I love; it’s about contributing to a greater humanitarian mission. The opportunity to use my skills to enhance financial inclusion and positively impact lives is what gets me out of bed every morning!