Meet Christian Van Lindt: a FinTech veteran fostering ISV growth at Nuvei
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 began my FinTech career with Mercury Payment Systems almost 14 years ago. I have held various Channel Manager, Partner Manager and Business Development roles throughout my journey with Mercury, Vantiv, Worldpay, and FIS, working mostly with ISVs and VARs. I look forward to leveraging my past experiences and making a positive impact with the ISV team.
What attracted you to join Nuvei, and how do you envision contributing to the company’s success in your role?
I was attracted to Nuvei’s global partner-centric business model, and the positive reputation Nuvei has in the payments space. I also heard about the great workplace environment from ex-colleagues who currently work here. I’m here to grow and support ISV partnerships, and I’m looking forward to identifying strategic growth opportunities with a proactive approach.
What excites you the most about your new role at Nuvei?
I feel we are building something together – combining the Paya and Till teams with Nuvei is a strategic move and will be a disruptor in the payments space. I’m meeting a lot of colleagues with diverse payments experience – it’s great! As well, the option for partners to have access to various APM’s in different regions other than North America will only continue to grow, and I look forward to being a part of that expansion and explore new verticals.
What key factors do you think contribute to successful partnerships, and how will you prioritize them in your role?
• Honest, open, and regular communication – I’m a huge proponent of cadence calls with partners. It keeps the dialogue fresh, and you can always uncover an opportunity of some sort just by speaking with them and asking the right questions. It builds the relationship.
• Listen to your partner - work with them to help them achieve their business goals with Nuvei and try to understand their business as a whole – ex; what are their challenges, who are their competitors in their space? I can then tailor my approach to their needs with Nuvei’s tech stack, products, and services.
• Professional follow up - even when I do not have the answers right away, partners just need to know they are being heard.
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?
I have had many, and one of the most important lessons I have learned is you cannot worry about circumstances that are out of your control. You can only control what’s between your ears. Stay focused, be consistent, and be professional.
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?
One of the biggest challenges is staying ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of payments. However, by doing so, we can then identify new opportunities on the horizon for our partners which can be mutually beneficial.
Building strong relationships is crucial in your role. What strategies do you believe are essential for developing and maintaining successful long-term partnerships?
• Effective and consistent communication is crucial. Holding each other accountable and taking ownership.
• Being aligned with your partner’s goals through cadence calls, business reviews, and face-to-face meetings.
• Addressing their concerns in a prompt manner. Empathy is huge.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Follow your heart
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?
I moved to Durango, CO from NYC (my hometown) 24 years ago – best decision I ever made! My wife and I are the proud parents of two sons. In my spare time you can find me trail running, hiking, backpacking –anything outdoors related. We also love to travel and garden, where we grow lots of fruits and veggies.
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?
As an amateur artist, take me back to spend a day with the painter Johannes Vermeer His use of light and shadow are just wonderful to behold – how did he do it? I could watch and learn!