Background and Company Overview
In our exclusive interview with Nadine A. Jaafar, the Vice President of Sales at PAPEL GROUP, we delved into the intricacies of her background and the detailed narrative of her company’s journey. We asked, “Explain your background and your Company’s in detail.”
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “Well, I come from an issuance background where I worked for 7 years in a certified personalization bureau in the UAE covering the MENA region. Today, I am the VP Sales of PAPEL Holding a scale up in the issuance and acquiring businesses.”
The UK Times: Give us one word that describes you the best.
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “Passionate”
Goals at EMEA PAPEL GROUP
By choosing this comprehensive approach, our intention was to draw out not just a list of objectives but to unravel the narrative behind these goals. We asked, “What are your goals?”
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “On a personal level my goals are to leave a positive impact in the world. On a pure professional level, I aim to take the PAPEL brand globally and bridge the gap in the payment space leading with our core values that include transparency, security, simplicity and innovation.”
Nadine’s reflection on the biggest strength of PAPEL at present
Posing the deliberate and introspective question, “What do you feel is the biggest strength of ‘PAPEL’ right now?
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “Our single biggest strength right now is our people and the way we work towards a common mission to lead this category. We have hired people from all backgrounds to ensure we have a rich mix of opinions and a fresh approach to problem solving.”
Navigating Success: The Evolutionary Path of Nadine A. Jaafar
We embarked on a compelling exploration of the intricate and multifaceted journey that has shaped her professional trajectory, leading to her current pivotal role as the Vice President of Sales at EMEA PAPEL GROUP. We asked, “What was the path you took to get to where you are today?”
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “I think I got lucky meeting the people who opened so many doors for me along the way and gave me the chance to sit at the table of “the big boys” in the payment space. I was fortunate enough to have great mentors and advocates who supported me throughout. But I am also a bit of an opportunist; in the sense that if I saw an opportunity that can push me forward, I never shy away from it and count me in to do all that I had to do to get it right.”
Nadine A. Jaafar’s career that led to the decision to start “PAPEL”
In our in-depth conversation with Nadine A. Jaafar, we delved into the profound motivations by asking the journey of founding “PAPEL and Why did you start “PAPEL”?
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “I took a wrong turn in my career in 2021 and took a job I didn’t enjoy in an industry I wasn’t born into. Fast forward 2022, I learned that leaving that job, losing the title, & the income were not the end of the world. I had to quickly change the narrative in my head and discover that all the sudden changes were happening “for me” not “to me”. So I fell back into my passion, Payment, PAPEL came calling at the right time where I was 110% convinced that I was born to be a payment girl, and nothing else.”
Empathy, decisiveness, and courage in facing challenges
This question unfolded as a thought-provoking exploration of the transformative challenges encountered during Nadine A. Jaafar’s leadership journey. We asked, “what have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome during the journey of your leadership?”
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “Uncommunicated or miscommunicated expectations. When you don’t lay out the foundation of what you expect from the people around you, everyone falls into chaos and lack of alignment. Politics in the office space is a toxic trait I endured previously and I must say I am terrible at PLAYING POLITICS.”
The UK Times: What are the key values which helped you to overcome the challenges in your path? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership?
Your Answer: Integrity, Resilience, Adaptability, Vision, Empathy, Communication, Decisiveness, and Courage
During a key product launch, we were met with unexpected technical failures, leading to customer dissatisfaction and media criticism:
I had to, first, address the issue head-on, communicating openly with customers about what has gone wrong and what the company is doing to fix it. Integrity and transparency are the guiding principles here. In the wake of this crisis, I brought the team together to work on a solution, showing resilience and vision to not only solve the immediate problems but also improve the product for future releases. This effort demonstrates adaptability as I shifted focus to turn a challenging situation into an opportunity for growth and learning.
During this time, empathy would be crucial, as team members might be disheartened or stressed. I had to recognize, allow, & help navigate these struggles, offer support, and motivate the team toward a shared goal. By decisively executing a strategic recovery plan, taking into account the courage to face the press and public, I had to set a course for the company that could convert a mishap into a memorable comeback story. While implementing the solution, I had no other choice but to be courageous in decision-making, sometimes choosing to delay a launch for further quality assurance, ensuring product reliability, and customer satisfaction in the long term. This approach frustrated stakeholders eager for immediate results but ultimately won trust and respect from customers and team members alike.
Demonstrating integrity, transparency, resilience, and vision
What do you value the most about “PAPEL” vision? This question, strategically posed, aimed to elicit insights into how the company’s vision aligns with Nadine’s own professional values.
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “Everything about PAPEL screams: “Drive, Vision larger than life, global reach, flexibility, agility, speed”…
Building a Strong Brand and Strategies
The UK Times: What are the strategies of “PAPEL” and how do you stand unique from your competitors?
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “PAPEL is targeting niche markets and segments, we are innovating, building a lifestyle payments brand with everything we are launching while using agile methodologies. PAPEL is also building a strong branding with a team of extremely experienced people from all corners of the world. We are also building strategic partnerships across all verticals while keeping an eye on sustainability and circular economy implementations.
Future Changes in PAPEL
Nadine A. Jaafar, we engaged in a comprehensive exploration of the dynamic landscape, peering into the future to understand the anticipated metamorphosis of “PAPEL” over the next two years. We asked, “How do you see “PAPEL” changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?”
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “PAPEL is slowly going global with footprints across Europe, UAE and soon to be disclosed regions. In two years, we should be more profitable, more recognizable, and more present in each household.”
Client Benefits from PAPEL
For knowing an impact of “PAPEL’s” solutions on clients’ experiences and operational efficiencies we asked Nadine A. Jaafar, “what benefits are your clients getting from “PAPEL” in this competitive world?”
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “a lifestyle that is secure, agile, and varied. PAPEL will be your next “Super App” potentially your next “Unicorn”.
Closing Message to Viewers
The UK Times: Would you like to say anything else to our viewers?
Nadine A. Jaafar replied, “Well, be passionate about what you do. Passion will always beat talent. And if you have a dream, don’t let anyone stop you or tell you, you can’t achieve this, or you can’t do that! Keep thriving.”
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