Voice of Experience: Linda Albornoz, Vice President, B2B Payment Solutions, American Express Technologies

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“With the entry of new technologies, and the ability to be accessible 24/7, the challenges of work-life balance exist for everybody, not just women,” began Linda Albornoz, Vice President of B2B Payment Solutions within the American Express Technologies group.

She continued, “The key is for individuals to set priorities and have clear goals. Your own boundaries have to be clear. There will be high stress times that arise when you’re needed more at work, and during those times, you have to monitor stress and create checkpoints.”

“This is also one reason why building great teams is so important. It ensures you don’t have to work 24/7,” she explained.

A Passion for Building Teams

Albornoz started her career at Accenture (Anderson Consulting at the time), and worked in programming, data modeling, quality assurance, and project management. Eventually she was assigned to a large international project in Europe for two years, working with multinational companies and airlines. Seeking a new challenge, she began working on a project with a travel startup – which was then acquired by American Express, and she came along with the deal.

“I was able to translate my early experience to much larger problems,” she said, including Y2K program management, technology integration following company acquisitions, global platform development and product strategy.

Most recently, Albornoz has been working on business to business platform delivery and management, as the lead in business to business payment solutions, platform delivery, application support, and management. She said, “It’s a huge growth area and the company has made a significant investment in it.”

She continued, “It’s very rewarding. I’ve learned a lot.”

Currently, Albornoz is working on bringing two teams together. “I love building cohesive, high impact working teams,” she said. “We’re identifying and using the talents and collective skills across the organization . We’re just at the beginning of our journey together. It’s wonderful to start new journeys to new destinations.”

In fact, her two proudest achievements were focused on strengthening teams to deliver a better product.

She recalled, “Early in my career here I was working on a project that involved heavy travel and had a very aggressive time line. There was a risk around retaining employees. I learned a lot about myself. I had doubts – just like everyone else.”

She continued, “But what I’m most proud of is that not only did we keep every customer, we recruited a number of employees to stay with American Express – even though it meant moving to new locations in different cities. And I still see those employees here at Amex ten years later. I think that’s a sign of success.”

For a second instance, Albornoz remembered, “About three years ago we were working on another acquisition – and that company had issues with customer satisfaction and work life balance issues for the employees. But now, three years later, I see that the team is proud of their accomplishments and proud of the quality of services they’re delivering. We’re in a different place.”

“I love seeing that operation now,” she continued. “With the satisfaction of both the client, the efficiency of the operation and the engagement of employees, I see a great opportunity for continued growth ahead.”

Albornoz is also concerned with attracting new talent to the company. “I’ve been thinking a lot about alternative work environments,” Albornoz said. “And how to attract and retain new and younger talent.”

She continued, “The average age is getting higher in large corporations, and the younger talent is going to the startups and social networks. I’ve been thinking a lot about the culture you build in the workplace, and the strategies to keep younger employees engaged and motivated.”

Albornoz explained that meant agile work methods like bringing business and technology partners together earlier on in the process, and finding was to collaborate not only “in person” but online so they can design the product together.

Advice for Women in Technology

“Don’t just enter a career for the glamour or the money,” Albornoz advised. “Know yourself. Find something you’re passionate about that you love and have an affinity for.”

She continued, “Work for a company you can be proud of and a culture that fits you. Pick a career you want to spend time doing – and the rest will follow.”

As women grow into more senior roles, she advised, “Don’t hold back – jump in! But do it with a plan.” She continued, “Give yourself credit, and take the time to learn, ask questions and leverage your network and your support group.”

She explained, “When I was first starting out, I thought that the opportunities to do more or learn more were acquired solely through my achievements against goals. And it is about that – achieving, or overachieving. But it’s equally about ensuring others have an awareness about your accomplishments, and building your network of supporters.”

“You have to do personal marketing,” she added.

Advise for Virtual Office Workers

Albornoz, who is part of the women’s network at American Express, has been tapped to help start her chapter of the company’s Women in Technology.

Interestingly, Albornoz’ chapter is made up of women who work in virtual offices, away from the corporate campus, which makes the networking component of the group even more important. “I’ve worked in leadership roles from a virtual office for 50% of my 20 year career,” she explained.

“Early in my career, I faced the potential of leaving the company because my husband’s job was moving. Amex was a great early leader in the virtual office environments twelve years ago, and the company helped me set up a virtual office. I wouldn’t be at Amex today without it.”

She advised, “You really have to build your brand to be successful while away from the office. Build your network through calling and setup “check-ins” when you are at a campus – it can be difficult to make time to reach out and have those conversations. There has got to be a conscious effort.”

She continued, “Make sure you spend the time reconnecting and nurturing your network. And it’s essential to have clear goals and clear metrics for monitoring your progress – this is always important, but it’s doubly or triply vital in a virtual environment, not only for yourself, but also or the organization.”

“Monitoring and checkpoints are vital to ensuring you have the focus, and that you can show it at the end of the day,” she explained.

In Her Personal Time

About a year and a half ago, Albornoz moved from a San Francisco virtual office to New York headquarters. “I really enjoy the vibe and the fast pace New York has to offer,” she said.

“My daughter, who’s seven, loves taxis – and window shopping for shoes! She’s definitely building a fashion sense here in New York,” she said with a laugh.

Additionally, Albornoz said she enjoys practicing the piano on the weekends with her daughter. “I found a great teacher, and so did she, so we’re continuing to learn together.”