As Wallester’s White-Label platform scales, the partnerships it supports become more complex. Ensuring every client – from a fast-moving startup to a large enterprise – succeeds requires a nuanced and dedicated approach. And this is where Natalia Suurtee-Pavlova, our new Head of Client Success for White-Label, comes in.
Natalia’s path to Wallester wasn’t immediate. It was a decision made over two years, observing the company’s growth from afar. Her extensive experience, including formative periods at Skype and, more recently, as COO at core banking provider Advapay, gave her a clear vision for building and empowering teams. She understands that for a complex B2B product, success isn’t just about technology. Building strong, transparent, and human relationships is just as important.
We sat down with Natalia to discuss her philosophy, why she believes mistakes are necessary, and how “people needing people” will define the future of client success in fintech.
Interviewer: You’ve recently joined Wallester, but this wasn’t a quick decision. What was your journey to joining the company and this specific role?
Natalia: It really took me two years to make the decision! I first met Sergey Astafjev, our CEO, and some of the team at Money 20/20 a couple of years ago. From that moment, I started following the company and its news.
I’m not one who actually changes companies quite often. I prefer to choose a company and grow internally, looking for new opportunities. So, typically, it’s a tough decision for me to change. But considering all the information about Wallester’s leading position in fintech, I saw the company was growing. That meant I could actually be part of this growth and help shape its future. I already had this experience while working at Skype, and it was really great.
Finally, the position itself aligned with the experience I have, but at the same time, it provides me the opportunity to learn. Before, I was rather in technology; with this position, I’m rather in business. So I have a real opportunity to learn something new here.
Interviewer: And what are your first impressions of the team, the culture, and the product?
Natalia: I would say great impressions, a great vibe. We just moved to the new office, and it’s a really amazing building in the center of Tallinn. I think it will be one of the brands of the city in the future. So I really love being here.
When it comes to the White-Label product, I already knew a little bit about it from my previous experience. Now I have the opportunity to work more on the product, to make a change and help it grow, and I really find it an amazing opportunity.
Interviewer: “Customer Success” can mean different things. In the specific context of Wallester’s White-Label platform, how would you define it?
Natalia: The way I see it, customer success is about creating win-win situations for both Wallester and the partner. It’s about building stronger relationships where each partner will grow.
Interviewer: Given that goal, what are your first priorities as you build out the Client Success team?
My first priority is to strengthen the team. We’re still in the early stages, and I believe that long-term success doesn’t come from relying solely on senior individuals. For the future, I really want my team not to have any bottlenecks and to be strong. In short, to be a team where knowledge is shared and where everybody feels confident.
Natalia
At the same time, I want each person to know that I’m here for them. So for me, it’s about empowering my team members to take ownership and not be afraid of any mistakes. I personally believe that mistakes need to happen, because we learn something from every mistake that we make.
Interviewer: You’ve led global teams before. How would you describe your overall leadership philosophy?
Natalia: As I previously mentioned, I think it’s very important to empower the team and, at the same time, to provide them the feeling that you’re right there for them if they have any problems. I want to create a team where people will feel trusted, where they will feel safe, and where they know that they’ve got my back.
Interviewer: White-Label serves a wide range of clients, from small startups to large enterprises. How do you ensure every partner gets the right support?
Natalia: With my personal experience, I see that each partner deserves support regardless of their size. Whether you are a small startup or already a large enterprise, I’m for the idea that we will help each partner and we will help them grow.
Of course, it’s a little bit of a different kind of support. For small companies or startups, we provide more guidance and resources to help them grow.For larger partners, we offer more advanced solutions. Every partner is valued, and every partner gets the attention they deserve. It’s not the that support or responses will be slower for some.
Interviewer: In your experience, what do clients value most in these long-term provider relationships?
Natalia: I would say they value trust and clarity. This is really very important. This helps them to rely on us. We need to be transparent about what we are doing and what we are promising. And if we promised something, then we need to be open about how we are progressing with that promise. Being clear and honest isn’t just good practice, it’s the foundation of strong, lasting relationships.
Interviewer: The payments industry is changing so quickly. How do you see the future of client success evolving, especially with the rise of AI and automation?
Natalia: Client Success will evolve along two powerful, parallel paths.
On the one hand, we will use technology more and more. We will have more automation, more AI, more analytics, and different smart tools that will help us to understand the customer better and maybe anticipate potential issues before they arise.
On the other hand, I really believe that people need people. In spite of all these technology tools, people will need more of a personal touch. That’s true even today. Partners, they want to be understood. They want to be trusted and supported — not by any machine, but by real people who care.
These two trends will be happening in parallel—and that’s actually great. Our partners don’t want to be just a ticket in a system. They want to be real partners, and we’re here to support them as such.
Interviewer: For our last question, let’s touch on something outside the office, though it might connect back. We heard that you’re a big tennis fan. What lessons from the sport do you find yourself applying to your work?
Natalia: I do play tennis, and this is part of my life. Tennis teaches me to focus. Nowadays, with all this multitasking, it’s easy to get distracted. With tennis, you are just out there. You are alone, and you need to focus.
Secondly, it teaches you to have a plan, but also to be ready to change your strategy if needed. That flexibility really helps at work. It also teaches you how to bounce back. When you lose, you still need to come back and play again, which teaches us a lot about managing the wins and losses we experience in business.
