Overcoming Challenges: Betty Devita on Leadership and Growth in Male-Dominated Fields

Today, on Notable Leaders’ Radio, I speak with Betty Devita, Global C-Suite Leader, Board Director, and Fintech Advisor. She shares her upbringing as a first-generation American with immigrant parents from Italy and Poland, the risks and rewards of moving internationally for her career, and how her career has positively influenced her children, teaching them about gender equality, cultural diversity, and the importance of being open-minded and adaptable.

 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

• The power of mentorship and cultural adaptation is crucial for integrating and thriving in new environments.
  
  

• Stepping into a leadership role requires significant personal growth and adaptation, leading to a profound transformation.
  
  

• “Filling your agenda doesn’t mean that you’re going to be full. That’s more about quality than quantity.” And accepting that it's not an always must do constant battle for the most busy, it doesn't matter.

• Successful leaders understand the evolving definition of success and the importance of balancing professional achievements with personal well-being and family life.

 

Guest Bio:

With over 35 years of experience in the global consumer financial services and payments industry, Betty DeVita is a seasoned banker and payments expert, fintech advisor and leader with a passion for digital transformation and open banking to drive growth, innovation, and strategic partnerships. 

As a member of the Board and Chief Business Officer at FinConecta, DeVita leverages her expertise in strategy, value creation, partnerships, and scaling to match and integrate financial institutions and fintechs worldwide through a single platform, enabling faster and more efficient delivery of digital solutions for customers. 

Before joining FinConecta, she served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Digital Payments and Labs at MasterCard, where she was responsible for commercializing innovative products and platforms in the areas of order ahead payments, IoT commerce, and moving beyond payments to drive brand loyalty. 

Prior to that, she was the President of MasterCard Canada, overseeing all aspects of the enterprise, driving growth and expansion and held various senior leadership positions at Citi in Latin America, the U.S., and Asia, culminating as the Chair and CEO of Citibank Canada. 

She served on the Exec Council of the Canadian Bankers Association and in 2014 was inducted into the Women’s Executive Network Hall of Fame as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women. 

Throughout her career, she has been recognized as a global C-suite leader, board director, and fintech influencer, and have served on multiple boards and advisory councils in the private and public sectors, including Molson Coors, Popular, Home Capital Group, and NACD New York Chapter, serving on Audit, Talent/Compensation, and Technology Committees. 

DeVita holds a Bachelor of Science from St. John's University, a CEO Certificate from Wharton-KMA, and an Institute of Corporate Directors certification from the University of Toronto and is a passionate advocate and proponent of women’s leadership and development and connector of people and ideas.

• Email: [e-mail]

• Website: https://betdevsolutions.com/
  
  

Belinda’s Bio:

Belinda is a sought-after Leadership Advisor, Coach, Consultant and Keynote speaker and a leading authority in guiding global executives, professionals and small business owners to become today’s highly respected leaders. As the Founder of BelindaPruyne.com, Belinda works with such organizations as IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, BBDO, The BAM Connection, Hilton, Leidos, Yale School of Medicine, Landis, and the Discovery Channel. Most recently, she redesigned two global internal advertising agencies for Cella, a leader in creative staffing and consulting. She is a founding C-suite and executive management coach for Chief, the fastest-growing executive women's network. Since 2020, Belinda has delivered more than 72 interviews with top-level executives and business leaders who share their inner journey to success; letting you know the truth of what it took to achieve their success in her Notable Leaders Radio podcast.

She gained a wealth of expertise in the client services industry as Executive Vice President, Global Director of Creative Management at Grey Advertising, managing 500 people around the globe. With over 20+ years of leadership development experience, she brings industry-wide recognition to the executives and companies she works with. Whether a startup, turnaround, acquisition, or global corporation, executives and companies continue to turn to Pruyne for strategic and impactful solutions in a rapidly shifting economy and marketplace.

Website: Belindapruyne.com

Email Address: [e-mail]

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