Sammi Wu, epay Australia > The Empathetic CFO

There are many words to describe a Chief Financial Officer. ‘Good with numbers’, ‘compliant’, ‘a trusted adviser’. These descriptions are certainly true of Sammi Wu, CFO of digital and payment solutions provider, epay Australia.

Another word, however, and one she prides herself on, is ‘empathetic’. “I believe in putting people first and being approachable,” says Wu, who joined the epay finance team as a financial controller nine years ago.

“A lot of empathy comes down to listening. And in certain stages, it might come into sharing personal experiences, sharing your feelings, your vulnerabilities even. Let them know you are on the same page or you have experienced something similar. I think that’s the basis of leadership.”

With years of international accounting and finance experience on her resume, Wu has been helping transform epay from a digital product distributor to a payment-service provider with new revenue streams such as gift cards, closed loop cards, alternative payment transactions, eCommerce, B2B and corporate incentives.

epay, a wholly-owned business segment of US company Euronet Worldwide, listed on the NASDAQ, runs in 39 countries. In Australia, it connects hundreds of brands to more than 23,000 retailers. Wu manages the finance teams in Australia and China and reports to a US board.

“If I have to split my days into technical and people-facing, when I first started at epay, it was more like 80% on the technical side and 20% on the people management,” she says. “Now it’s completely flipped. I probably only spend 20% on the technical side, which to be honest, I want to reduce to zero.”

The Future is AI & People

Part of doing that comes down to using artificial intelligence and process automation. But it’s also about trusting staff and feeling comfortable in delegating tasks.

“I promote my staff in my teams to accelerate into their next level of career. You really need to pass on the tasks and the jobs that used to be completed by myself or higher management, onto the people you trust and structure the team in a way that allows room for improvement,” she explains.

“For example, I have someone I’ve been coaching from the very early stages of his career. He was an accounts payable officer when he first worked with me 10 or 13 years ago at another company. He was promoted from AP to assistant accountant, to financial accountant, to business partner, and now I want to promote him to a finance manager.

“I feel the way that you can help people and, to be honest, ultimately help yourself, is to trust someone enough to be able to dedicate more complicated tasks and jobs to them. That person learns and you benefit yourself by freeing up your time to learn something more important for your own career development. That’s a goal as a leader.”

Work-life Balance

Working for a global company means Wu does have to work long hours sometimes – including early mornings and late finishes. And she will occasionally have holidays interrupted by a call or meeting. For most leaders, it’s a pretty standard way of working these days. Wu says it works both ways.

“Companies are becoming more in tune with the fact that people need time with their family and are trying to give them more balance. At the same time, they do expect so much from staff – the key staff. It’s all about that trust,” she says. “If they know you do a good job and you’re going above and beyond to complete your job, they will give you the same thing in return.”

About a year ago, Wu read Robin Sharma’s The 5am Club. “It actually changed my life.

I learned things and reflected on myself and now I wake up around 6am and do some journaling and a little bit of exercise within that first 20 minutes. I can really feel I have more energy and my sleep quality has improved as well.”

She also values regular WhatsApp communication with a like-minded group of CFOs who exchange ideas and challenges. They meet up in person once or twice a year to socialise and network. “We’re not going to leak out any information that is not supposed to be shared outside of the group,” she says. “I find it really valuable.”

Big Plans for 2025

With new products ready to launch into market, 2025 is set to be a big year for epay. Wu relishes the challenges ahead. She joined the business with a structured plan for her tenure but says she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“I am constantly challenged in this current role,” she says. “As long as the culture is still the same, the people around us are still sharing the same values and the same culture, I would probably never think of leaving.”

In the next five years Wu sees the finance team evolving to become recognised business partners. “Critical service from finance will become reporting, forecasting, controlling, business partnering and customer service, both internal and external,” she predicts.

“Along with this trend, the CFO becomes a guide (supported by data/reporting), gatekeeper (compliance/control driven), a partner to business leaders (problem solving, department collaboration), and a bridge to the group board and a resource to fast-track growth.

“All epay staff are critical for the success of epay,” she adds. Again, it comes back to treating staff with empathy. “Put them on the same level of communication as you, guide, coach and mentor their career path. Show your vulnerability as a human. Have honest conversations. Listen to their needs.”

Sammi’s top advice for CFOs in 2025 >

Don’t be afraid to try new things

“New technology means constant learning. Keep up the continuous improvement of processes and procedures. Keep trying new things – AI, automation – try it out. The cost benefit is there.”

Don’t be afraid of other staff wanting your job

“Some people have a fear of their role being threatened. I really feel there’s no need to think that way. If you’re confident enough, if you keep improving yourself to be better, you shouldn’t have that fear that you’ll be losing opportunities. If you have a group of smart people around you, it’s only going to add to your reputation and to your team performance.”

Speak up

“Speak up, offer opinions and ask questions, show involvement in the discussion. Put yourself forward proactively. Women naturally have a culture barrier they have to overcome. We are brought up to be a good staff member, excellent mum, a caring wife. Women need to lean in more to opportunities. Raise your hand if you think you’re the best person for a project, ask for more work, ask for more responsibilities. If you sit there, you’re never going to show your full capabilities. Lay it straight on the table.”