In the Spotlight: Getting to know Shawn Hughes, your ISV Relationship Manager
Can you share a brief overview of your professional journey that led you to your current role as a Partner Relationship Manager at Nuvei?
I have been in sales and partner management for 20 years, working across industries such as Telecommunications, Cloud Virtualization, and Financial Technology. In 2007, I moved from Manhattan to Denver and transitioned from direct sales to partner/channel sales. Over the past 9 years, I’ve worked in the Fintech space with ISVs, VARs, PSPs, PayFacs, etc., for companies such as WorldPay, TokenEx, and EverCommerce.
What attracted you to join Nuvei, and how do you envision contributing to the company’s success in your role?
I have been keeping an eye on Nuvei for a few years, waiting for the right role to open up. Nuvei has built quite a reputation as a company with a great culture. I plan to bring my experience in the payments space and my work with ISVs to the ISV partnership team.
What excites you the most about your new role at Nuvei?
I’m excited to establish and nurture relationships with key ISVs under the Nuvei umbrella. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know my partners on a personal level and using my resources to help them grow their companies.
What key factors do you think contribute to successful partnerships, and how will you prioritize them in your role?
Several key factors contribute to building a successful partnership: open communication, setting and agreeing on proper expectations and goals, delivering on promises, and aligning on short and long-term goals. I prioritize these factors based on how they contribute to revenue and hitting targets. Essentially, whichever aspect produces the most immediate or significant revenue will get my attention first.
Throughout your career, have there been any mentors or influencers who played a significant role in shaping your professional development? What valuable lessons have you taken from them?
• Yes, there have been several mentors, from my father to a few coaches and managers, who have shaped who I am both personally and professionally.
• Make connecting with people a priority - ask questions and actively listen.
What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities in managing partner relationships in the current business landscape, and how do you plan to navigate them?
• The biggest challenge right now is the lack of a physical office or HQ for some partners, making it harder to have face-to-face interactions for QBRs, etc. To overcome this, I think creatively, such as meeting them at trade shows or getting time on their company kickoff agenda.
• Another challenge is the number of options partners have for processing partners, allowing them to shop around for better rates. The best way to overcome this is to sell the partner on our value adds and personal connection.
Building strong relationships is crucial in your role. What strategies do you believe are essential for developing and maintaining successful long-term partnerships?
• Communicate and collaborate effectively: regularly touch base, resolve issues, share information, and succeed together.
• Identify and agree upon goals: align and come up with mutually agreed upon and achievable goals.
• Win together: maintain a clear understanding of what success looks like and celebrate achievements.
• Think strategically: look at the big picture, understand what’s important to the partner, and find ways to help them grow in those areas.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Professionally, it was “People buy from people they like” – John Trodden (my first sales manager). This completely changed the way I approach sales.
To wrap things up, could you tell us a bit about your life outside of the office, both physically and virtually, and how you maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Life outside of the office is great. Moving to Colorado 17 years ago was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love spending time with my wife and two kids (a 10.5-year-old girl named Brooks and a 2.5-year-old boy named Finnegan). I enjoy all the outdoor activities Colorado offers (snowboarding, hiking, golfing, etc.). I am an avid sports fan and enjoy both playing and watching.
If you could hop into a time machine and visit any era in history for a day, where would you go and why? Is there any particular historical figure you’d want to share a cup of coffee with?
• If I could go back to any time, it would probably be the exploration of the West in the US. I think exploring the unexplored would be amazing, and I can’t imagine what the Rocky Mountains would have looked like while riding west on a horse.
• As for a historical figure, I would love to have sat down with Jim Morrison. I think he was such a talented musician, and hearing how he came up with his lyrics would have been incredible.