“Our software is at the heart of what has made electronic payments a reality in our world today, whether that’s getting cash out of an ATM like in the past, or facilitating debit and credit card payments, ACH payments or wire transfers,” says Debbie Guerra, chief product officer at ACI. “We are embedded in the largest financial institutions, the largest merchants and the largest billers. Looking ahead, it’s not going to slow down, and it’s real-time payments that will drive changes in the payments space.”
If ever there was a person qualified to run a global product operation in a multinational company that builds the financial infrastructure undergirding the world’s economies, it’s Debbie.
Debbie was among the first women to graduate from the United States Military Academy West Point, and she spent five years as an active duty officer working in human intelligence in Central America, eventually achieving the rank of captain. After departing the military, Debbie came back to the United States to work in management consulting. She has made a civilian career leading global teams at influential companies in São Paulo, Brazil, and Atlanta, Georgia, in the U.S.
Debbie has built merchant-acquiring businesses, expanded American companies into South Asia and managed billion-dollar contracts that helped jumpstart the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration (TSA). Plus, she speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
So, what did ACI see in Debbie? All of the above.
“I have global business experience, I speak multiple languages, I have deep payments experience in a variety of areas, as well as experience within ACI. I understand consulting, I understand product management, product marketing, general management, P&L management, and, though I’m not a techie, I’ve been sufficiently technical. I’m able to act decisively on good opportunities.”
Debbie is one of those rare professionals with exceptional experience and remarkable confidence – a reflection of the excellence that is sought at ACI.
“ACI is part of what has evolved into a very rich, complex, and changing space,” says Debbie. “Payments fundamentally create value, and the payment experience is part of the consumer experience, whether you’re a banking customer or a merchant customer, or you’re paying a bill.”
Debbie was drawn into ACI by what she describes as a “very persistent” recruiter. At first, the idea of a transaction processing company didn’t appeal to her, but once she understood the expansive scope of the business and where it’s headed, she was in.
“I was looking for a senior leadership role where I could have an impact, a culture that was very collaborative, a business that was global and an environment where I could work with people I enjoy, that I respect. I want to be proud of the company I’m a part of, and I also want to have fun,” says Debbie.
Debbie joined ACI in 2019 to lead the company’s merchant-acquiring segment, which has really bloomed over the last decade. As chief product officer, she still leads that charge – albeit from a higher perspective – and recently revitalized and repositioned the value propositions for omni-commerce and security commerce.
“It’s been very rewarding to see all that hard work and the new innovations that we’ve brought to the table,” Debbie says. “For example, in 2022, we had more than 25 new logo wins, and 18 or 19 of those were in omni-commerce and security commerce.”
This requires a tremendous amount of work, but in her words, “it’s been a lot of fun.” It starts with thought leadership, which grows into demand generation and develops a qualified pipeline. According to Debbie, “to see those opportunities turn into executed contracts has been really rewarding.”
As for what’s next, it’s all about accelerating real-time payments.
“Looking ahead to the next five to seven years and what’s bubbling in the international markets, whether central infrastructure in Malaysia or with UPI in India or Pex in Brazil, real-time payments is going to drive more changes in the payments space,” she says.
What keeps Debbie at ACI are the products and the people.
“One of the things I think is great about ACI is that we’re a product-led company. We’ve got high-performing software solutions, we’ve got a good reputation in the market, but also, our size and our collaboration model allow someone to come in to engage with others to make an impact.”
Among her favorite moments at ACI, she names traveling to France and the U.K. to work on projects with her colleagues.
“I love going out with our team. When we’re prepping for a customer meeting, we all get together, let off a little steam, have a meal together, tell stories and really learn about the different backgrounds and what each individual brings.”
In large global companies, it’s easy to get lost, never really understanding the effects of one’s contributions, but Debbie believes this hasn’t been the case at ACI.
“I think that the combination of an engaged workforce and a positive culture, where we value collaboration and we really try to ensure that folks can make an impact and that we’re focused on clear and achievable goals, make ACI a great place to work,” she says.
Want to make possibilities happen? Join ACI. Check out our careers page.
