CTO Straight Talk - Issue 1 - 61

Western Union is on a new mission. We
believe our global retail network and deep
understanding of what it takes to move money
nearly anywhere in the world-combined with
a singular focus on the customer-provide a
great foundation for digital transformation.
And we are harnessing the best available
technology for the task so that we can better
understand our customers and their needs.
The truth is that Western Union has always
been an innovator, in technologies such as
microwave data transmission, automated
switching and networks, communication
satellites, and more. Today, technologies are
evolving faster than ever, and so are we.

modern, but the adoption of credit cards is
limited. People prefer direct credit or debit,
even for online transactions. As we modernize
our payment systems to meet those kinds of
local needs, we see an immediate uptick in
customer satisfaction scores.
Our core strength is in cross-border money
transfer. Nobody in the industry can match
our scale, size, and the complexity of the
cross-border elements we deliver. Today,
our focus is on enhancing and modernizing
our methods to meet current demands, and
the biggest part of that is introducing more
digital capabilities, whether on the web or
through mobile devices, and making it easier

Corporate evolution is not a single strategy
or set of rules. Nor is it about technology for
technology's sake. It's a way of doing business
for and meeting customers' needs.

When I worked for companies such as
Symantec, I had to explain to my mother what
the company is and what it does. By contrast,
when I took the CTO position at Western
Union, she immediately recognized the name
and was sure I was doing the right thing.
That's just one example of Western Union's
global reach and brand value.
In 2013, we completed 242 million
consumer-to-consumer transactions, moving
$82 billion of principal, and we completed 459
million business payments. The company has
a passion to make a difference in the lives of the
tens of millions of consumers and businesses
we touch. And we know our markets very
well. The Netherlands, for example, is very

for customers to transact. That is the journey
we are on. It is web, mobility, and global
payments, without forgetting the strength
of our existing retail network. We want to
drive that omnichannel capability and stitch
everything together more seamlessly without
losing our existing strengths.

Taking Advantage of Data Analytics
Although we don't often look at it this way, our
customers represent a global social circle that
is comparable in many ways to the leading
social networks.
We have an opportunity to unlock the
potential of the global scale of our business
CTO Straight Talk - Issue 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CTO Straight Talk - Issue 1
