STEVE PaymentExpert

Driving business expansion across LATAM (Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Colombia) and Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India), focusing on high-risk verticals including FX and iGaming. Partnering closely with FX brokers, iGaming operators, and PSPs to design and scale cross-border payment infrastructures. Leading the structuring and deployment of local payment rails across key markets (PIX, SPEI, Yape, PSE, etc.) Advising clients on: Payment routing architecture & multi-PSP fallback strategies Success rate optimization during peak traffic conditions Settlement frameworks (including D0 where applicable) Risk control, compliance considerations, and operational stability Supporting API / H2H integrations, partnership structuring, and volume-based commercial negotiations Industry Exposure & Global Networking: Attended major fintech and iGaming conferences: → SiGMA Dubai → iFX Expo Dubai → GGC Sri Lanka → Money20/20 Asia (Bangkok) → SiGMA Manila Built strong relationships with industry stakeholders across LATAM & Asia, gaining on-the-ground market insights and deal flow opportunities

At SmartWay English Academy, I started as a high-performing consultant and gradually grew into a role that focused on both results and people development. Within my first few months, I broke the company’s sales record, and by the end of my first year, I became the top individual performer. Over time, I was honored twice with the company’s highest recognition, the MDST award — a milestone that reflected both consistent performance and contribution beyond personal sales. As my role expanded, I moved into team leadership and mentoring, working closely with new consultants, many of whom had no prior sales experience. I helped build more structured sales SOPs to improve consistency and conversion quality across the team, and supported the shift from purely 1-to-1 selling toward more scalable consultation and webinar-based models. The results didn’t just show in numbers. I had the privilege of leading teams, contributing to a stronger performance culture, and earning company-sponsored incentive trips to countries like Korea and Japan (Hokkaido), as well as opportunities to travel overseas with my family through performance achievements. More importantly, this period changed how I see business. I learned that sustainable growth comes from building repeatable systems, developing people, and understanding customer psychology — not just chasing short-term targets. SmartWay is where I built a solid foundation in consultative selling, buyer behavior, team coaching, and turning individual success into processes the whole team can follow. It shaped me from being a strong salesperson into someone who understands how to scale performance at both team and business levels.

Before moving fully into corporate roles, I co-founded and ran a café, which was my first real experience building and operating a business from the ground up. I was involved in almost everything — from shop renovation and setup, to menu planning and making drinks myself. On a daily basis, I managed store operations, coordinated staff shifts, handled suppliers, and made sure service standards were maintained. It was a hands-on environment where every small detail affected customer experience and cash flow. Not long after we opened, COVID hit and the MCO lockdowns began. Foot traffic disappeared almost overnight, and we had to quickly adjust. I shifted focus toward takeaway and delivery, helped reorganize daily operations around that model, and took a much closer look at cost control just to keep the business stable. It was a tough period, but also one that forced me to think more like a business owner than just an operator. Within six months, we managed to bring the café to breakeven. That milestone meant a lot to me because it came from constant adjustments, tight spending, and learning how to make practical decisions under pressure. That experience shaped how I see business today. It taught me responsibility, adaptability, and how operations, people, and numbers are all connected. It was where I first developed the mindset of taking full ownership and understanding that daily execution is what ultimately keeps a business alive.