WHO’S WHO Who’s who: Jens Bader This month: Chief Commercial Officer, Secure Trading
When did you first get involved with the gaming industry? Early in my payments career, some of our first and most important clients came from the gaming industry. The gaming companies always had specific requirements when it came to online payments and therefore operators were a real driving force behind payment innovation early on. To understand each operators’ specific requirements and to deliver appropriate solutions, a close cooperation and open exchange of information was required which was how I started my career within the gaming industry – coming from the payments supplier angle.
Favourite…
Movie: Lost Highway Music: Foo Fighters Book: Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Pastime: I’m a movie buff, so watching a great movie Item of clothing: Any hoodie Pizza topping: Italian Burrata
What originally attracted you to this sector? The pace, the international environment, and offering a service across many regions based on a common experience. I liked the challenges of the gaming space and the creativeness required to overcome various issues whilst constantly pushing further to find new solutions. I admit I like the work hard/play hard mentality as well when the industry comes together. Many very bright individuals makes for a very fun community.
What were you doing prior to the gaming industry? My career has always been within payments. I’ve never tried anything else and am not even sure I would want to.
What are you responsible for in your current position? I oversee all commercial relationships and activities for Secure Trading, including the ones with our gaming customers. Making sure the company performs according to plan and beyond.
What have been the biggest industry changes you’ve seen in your time? Regulation, Black Friday, Mobile – not necessarily in that order.
What are the biggest positive factors for your sector right now? When talking payments – an increasingly global commerce is both challenging and exciting. It requires you to be open-minded, constantly learning to find new solutions. What’s often referred to as innovation or disruptive technology makes a big difference in my job. Things change much quicker today than 10 years ago, however I really like seeing small companies upsetting large cooperation’s and
APRIL 2015 53 challenging the traditional ways of operation.
And what are the negatives ones – the obstacles to growth? In payments it is fraud and criminal activity. Mind you, we run a cybersecurity outfit, so such activity actually means good business for us, but naturally fraud is a huge issue and an element that creates mistrust within the technology sector.
Looking at your entire career, what do you think was your smartest move? Building and maintaining an international focus in my career straight from the start. It has given me the opportunity to work within almost a dozen different countries so far.
And dumbest one? I turned down an offer a few years ago to be part of something truly amazing that just recently turned into something very lucrative… Don’t ask, please!
Where do you hope you’ll be, professionally, in ten years’ time? Hopefully still in a place and role that I enjoy and can generate value in. Given my previous geographic movements, most likely in a different country again.
If you’d never embarked on this career, what other line of work would you have liked to pursue? I would have liked to become a footballer at some point but was told I am lacking the talent.
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