Meet the team: Erika Fer, Senior Product Manager

Oi, tudo bem? I’m a Senior Product Manager at SumUp's Global Bank Tribe, based in the São Paulo office. After graduating in architecture with a Master's Degree in Japan, where I spent 9 years, I returned to Brazil and fell in love with the dynamic field of product management. I'm amazed by the challenge of creating products that empower entrepreneurs not only in Brazil but all around the world.

What do you do at SumUp?

I work in the intersection between business, technology and user experience. I see a product manager as a conductor of an orchestra. Just like in an orchestra, we have skilled musicians, and the conductor coordinates different professionals so everyone can direct their efforts toward a common goal. My role is to orchestrate our team's collaboration to ensure we achieve results successfully through our products.

I work closely with product designers, engineers, and various business areas like finance, compliance, legal, and operations to improve the user experience, develop robust solutions and optimise outcomes.

What attracted you to join SumUp?

What motivated me the most to join SumUp was the possibility of working with financial solutions. The Brazilian financial market is dynamic, and seeing our products impacting thousands of people globally is gratifying. While I wasn't familiar with the fintech industry, I quickly fell in love with it, and intend to continue deepening my knowledge and expertise. SumUp's tireless commitment to diversity and inclusion was another major draw for me.

What makes SumUp different from other companies you've worked for before?

The difference lies in the company's core values. They're not just buzzwords – at SumUp, we live and breathe Founder's Mentality, Team First, and We Care.

SumUp's dedication to diversity and inclusion is genuinely unique. The company wholeheartedly embraces diversity, with initiatives like providing hormone treatment for trans individuals in Brazil – something I've never encountered elsewhere. Another proof of SumUp's commitment to diversity was our selection for the Stonewall Top Global Employers 2023, a ranking of companies that offer a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to thrive and develop their careers around the globe.

What is it like to work with global teams?

Collaborating with global teams is a highly rewarding experience. Brazil's unique characteristics often lead to the development of products that start here and then expand into other markets. One of these products is "Instant Payouts", which gives merchants access to their hard-earned funds within 1 hour. It was developed here and will reach other countries in the future.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

To launch a new product or feature, we need to collaborate with many teams and ensure that we're creating a valuable product for the user and SumUp's ecosystem and a solution compliant with local regulations. This often involves working closely with various teams. The main lesson I learned from collaborating with global teams to achieve our goals successfully is to start planning well in advance to align our expectations and key results. Clear and assertive communication is equally critical, especially when working with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

We also face the challenge of building scalable and adaptable solutions for different regions when designing our products. This approach allows us to maximise our speed-to-market and reach a wider audience.

How would you describe the Global Bank Tribe culture?

It's similar to SumUp's culture as a whole. Something that stands out is how we're open to collaborating and sharing honest and candid feedback, focusing on delivering the greatest possible value to our merchants.