Beatrice Sava is a Consultant at EDC’s London office. She initially joined EDC as a Business Analyst in 2020 after one year of experience in the marketing sector. Beatrice holds a double MSc in Business Management from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Koç University Istanbul and HEC Paris, as well as a double BA in Business Management and Marketing.

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1. Why did you join EDC? What attracted you to the company and the Payments Consulting industry?

Upon finalising my Master’s, I did a marketing-focused internship for a big company. However, I soon realised that I would prefer a more strategic and client-focused role, where I can truly feel that I am making an impact. Moreover, the big company structure did not fully suit me, as I was lacking deeper networking with my colleagues and seeing whole processes end-to-end, rather than in silos. As I was finalising my internship, I saw the position at EDC being advertised by one of its employees, which coincidentally finished the same Master’s programme as me. I knew at that time that I was looking for a strategy consulting role, in a smaller firm. After I had a chat with him to find out more, EDC looked like an exciting prospect for me and something that would suit my career ambitions.

I did not know much about payments at the time, but as I was researching more about it, it looked like an exciting industry, as it is something that many companies have to deal with at some point. I was therefore excited at the prospect of working with a wide range of clients from different industries.

2. What were your expectations when you first joined, and how right (or wrong) were you?

Before I joined, I was expecting to work in a diverse, multicultural team and be exposed to a variety of clients and project work right from the start. I was also expecting a very steep learning curve as I would be progressing in my role. In one of my interviews, I was told that the company has an “open doors” policy, meaning that anyone can approach senior members of the team directly to ask questions. This was very exciting for me and after almost two years in the company, I can happily say that my initial expectations were met and that every day is a new opportunity to learn more and further develop my relationship with peers.

3. What is your current role? What do you do?

My role as a consultant is to listen to the needs of my clients and actively work together with other Consultants, Managers, Principals and Directors to provide tailored solutions. In practice, this involves a variety of tasks, from primary and secondary research to market sizing, data analysis and benchmarking. I also have the flexibility to manage my own time and tasks, which is something I truly appreciate in our company culture.

To give an example, one of my recent projects involved assessing the feasibility of a retailer centralising its payments acceptance in the APAC region. As part of this project, we interviewed several stakeholders within the company to learn more about pain points and ensure all members were aligned in the perceived need for a centralised acceptance platform. We also looked into payment trends, best practices from other retailers, as well as the current feasibility of payment providers to satisfy the needs of the client. As APAC is a large and diverse region, payment methods preferred by customers, as well as local requirements and regulations must be taken into account, which also brings complexity to the project.

4. What are your hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?

Outside of work, my main passion is Latin dancing, with a focus on bachata and salsa. This has been a great way to meet a friendly community of people and attend some of the greatest events and dancing festivals around the world. I am also an avid gym-goer and like to stay active as much as possible. Besides that, I really enjoy travelling and exploring different countries. Due to my studies and previous work experience, I had the privilege of living in nine different countries, which contributed a lot to the person I am today.

5. What are your personal objectives/goals for the next year(s)?

My goal is to travel the world and get to experience new places, new cultures, and new cuisines while meeting a wide range of people and making great friends in the process.

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