Mistakes, Momentum, and Making Space
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In the world of payments and fintech, Ugnė Buracienė stands at the helm of one of Europe's most dynamic players - London based payabl., where she leads as Group CEO. But her journey to the top of the sector hasn't been about perfection. In fact, quite the opposite.
"My advice to women starting in the industry has always been not to be afraid to make mistakes," she says. "There is often a preconception that you must be perfect the minute you enter the workplace, especially for women in a traditionally male dominated landscape like payments. Yet, making mistakes is the best way to learn!"
It's a message she wishes more women could internalise before launching into the world of tech entrepreneurship. Confidence, she believes, comes not from avoiding missteps, but from embracing them. "I wish more women had the confidence to try new things, even if they go wrong, so they can improve and do better next time – this is the best way to understand your industry and continue to grow as a professional individual."
These lessons didn't just shape her career - they inform the way she leads. Buracienė doesn't pretend to have all the answers or impose control from above. "One of the biggest assumptions with being a leader in tech is that you're seen as a micromanager," she says. "There's certainly some truth in it, as my background on the tech side of payments means I've always loved getting hands on and working alongside my team to solve problems."
But leadership, she's learned, is as much about space as it is about guidance. "I have come to appreciate the value of stepping back and letting people work independently, even if that means they make mistakes. This doesn't mean taking a fully hands-off approach but instead it's about striking the right balance between being a supportive leader and giving your team autonomy and trust."
This philosophy is paying off. "Some of my proudest moments are seeing colleagues who started in junior roles within the company learn, grow and go on to lead teams of their own – people are a company's most valuable asset."
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the makeup of payabl.'s own leadership team. Diversity isn't an initiative - it's embedded in the company's DNA. "At payabl. we are committed to creating a truly diverse working environment that goes beyond just a hiring exercise," she explains. "There are so many advantages to diverse hiring like avoiding groupthink and bringing a range of experiences that it is shocking that the tech sector is still so male dominated."
So she took action: "I have worked hard in my role as CEO to create a culture where someone from any background can thrive and this has resulted in our leadership team being 50/50 women and men. We always want to go further and I'm committed to creating more opportunities for the next generation of women in tech wherever I can." That sense of momentum - moving from learning to leading, from risk-taking to structural change - also defines how payabl. is scaling. In a sector driven by constant innovation, agility is everything. "One of the best parts of working in the fintech sector is the rapid pace of change the industry goes through, and with payments that's no exception," she says. "The way we buy and sell things has changed immensely with the rise of things like digital wallets on our phone and services like Buy Now Pay Later."
To meet the pace of transformation, payabl. has grown beyond its original borders. "Expanding our offices across Europe was a crucial decision that, while daunting in many ways, has helped us to keep pace in such a fast-moving sector and meet the ever-growing demand for innovative payments services," Buracienė explains. "We now have offices in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Cyprus and have our sights set on expanding out of Europe as the payments landscape takes on rapid developments across the globe."
For Buracienė, each phase of growth - from new markets to internal talent development - is built on the same foundational principle: learn fast, lead boldly, and always bring others with you.
"Whether you are starting your own business in tech or working for someone else, there are always going to be moments where something goes wrong," she reflects. "This is natural and can be incredibly useful if you are able to learn and use the experience to improve in the future."
That attitude has shaped not just her leadership, but a workplace culture where taking risks is encouraged, where diverse perspectives are essential, and where the next generation - particularly women in tech - are given real chances to thrive.
In an industry that often demands perfection, Buracienė is a clear voice for progress through imperfection. And in her world of fast-moving transactions and real-time innovation, it turns out that patience, perspective, and people-first thinking might just be the most radical currencies of all.
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