Spotlight Series: A Conversation with Lori Crew
In the PayNearMe Spotlight Series, we shine a light on the people that make our company thrive. This month, we’re excited to introduce Lori Crew, Senior Director of Data—a collaborative leader with a deep love for learning, a passion for music and a knack for building high-performing teams.
Career journey & growth at PayNearMe
Q: How long have you been with PayNearMe?
Lori Crew: I joined the company four years ago, during the pandemic. I joined as a Senior Data Engineer and was promoted two months later to Director of Data.
Q: Can you tell us about your career journey and what led you to PayNearMe?
LC: I began my career as a backend software engineer focused primarily on billing systems. I’ve worked for universities, utility companies, ISPs, healthcare analytics and online banking.
The way that I joined PayNearMe is an interesting story. I was part of the Data Engineering team for an online bank that closed due to an acquisition. The CEO sent his employee list to other CEOs in the fintech industry to assist us with job placement. That list included PayNearMe’s CEO. He had a member of his team reach out to me and the rest is history!
Q: Have you always wanted to pursue a career in Data?
LC: Yes. My Dad was an early adopter of new technology and that sparked my interest in technology.
When I was in college, I didn’t really know what I wanted to major in, but my mom said, “Hey, you love math. Why don’t you try a programming class?” I took one computer science programming class and it was like, “Okay, I found my love.” So I should really give my mom the credit for finding my career. It was her idea that pushed me in that direction.
Q: How has PayNearMe helped you in your career development?
LC: From a soft skills standpoint, I’ve grown my management and negotiation skills. Our Looker contract is complex and I usually dive in to assist the team during the renewal process.
I’ve also been given more opportunities for public speaking, so I am developing that skill. As a manager, I’ve been given opportunities to identify, train and develop new talent.
Advice for future fintech leaders
Q: Do you have any advice to share with those who are just getting into the fintech industry who might want to join a company like PayNearMe?
LC: My biggest piece of advice is to maintain a growth mindset. Embrace every opportunity to learn—from mistakes, new challenges and especially from the people around you. Whether someone is junior to you, a peer or a senior leader, there’s always something valuable you can take away from each interaction. If you stay curious and committed to learning, you’ll thrive in a fast-moving industry like fintech.
Life at PayNearMe
Q: What are some of your favorite things about working at PayNearMe?
LC: One of my favorite things about working at PayNearMe is the people. The team is full of sharp, talented individuals who are not only great at what they do but also incredibly collaborative and supportive. There’s a real spirit of teamwork here, and I appreciate the variety of perspectives and skills everyone brings to the table.
Q: PayNearMe’s Core Values are Together, Do the Right Thing, Results-Driven, Transparent, Flexible and Respectful. Which one most resonates with you and why?
LC: “Together” resonates with me most because it’s all about teamwork—collaborating, sharing ideas, giving and receiving feedback, and collectively raising the quality of our work. As a manager, I also place a high value on having a growth mindset. I look for that quality in every team member I hire. Mistakes are inevitable, but how someone responds to them makes all the difference. The best teammates are the ones who take accountability, communicate transparently and focus on learning and improving. That mindset builds trust—and that’s what makes strong teams work together effectively.
Inside the role: Life as a Director of Data
Q: Let’s shift the focus to your role. What does a day in the life of a Director of Data look like?
LC: No two days are exactly the same, but my role is all about alignment, support, and accountability. I spend a lot of time syncing with product and engineering teams to ensure our priorities are clear and our plans are coordinated. I check in regularly with my team—through daily huddles, weekly retros, and one-on-ones—to remove roadblocks and keep projects moving forward.
A good day means we’re celebrating a successful delivery in Slack. A tougher day might involve jumping into an incident to troubleshoot and restore service quickly. I also spend time reviewing project and OKR progress, flagging risks, and working with security to make sure our data is safe. Ultimately, I’m here to make sure our data infrastructure runs smoothly and that my team feels supported and empowered to do great work.
Q: Let’s talk about remote work. How are you able to stay connected with your team virtually?
LC: Staying connected in a remote environment takes intention, and we’ve built strong habits and rituals to make it work. We rely on Slack for constant communication—team channels, project-specific threads and even a few just-for-fun spaces. Zoom is our go-to for everything from daily huddles and one-on-ones to backlog grooming and lunch-and-learns. We also use tools like JIRA to track progress and stay aligned on priorities.
Beyond the tools, it’s really about being present for one another. I check in with my team often—not just about work, but about how they’re doing. We celebrate wins together, talk openly about challenges and reflect on what we want to improve. Whether we’re shipping a project or responding to a tough incident, we lean on each other. That sense of trust and connection is what makes remote teamwork feel seamless—and meaningful.
Q: What are three things you have to have on your desk each day for a productive workday?
LC: My water bottle, a notepad and pen.
Passions beyond the job
Q: So what about you—what kinds of activities or hobbies are you interested in outside of work?
LC: Music is my joy—it’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In high school, I was in every musical group I could join: choir, band, piano lessons, even bell choir. If it involved music, I was there. Singing, especially, is something that grounds me. I’m happiest when I can belt out a song that’s in my range and really feel it.
In 2019, I discovered BTS, and that moment opened up an entirely new world for me. Their music inspired me not only creatively, but also personally—I decided to start learning Korean so I could understand the lyrics and connect more deeply with the music. What started as a pandemic project has now become a five-year journey of joyful language learning.
My favorite way to study is through songs. I’ll hear a track in a K-drama or find something new in my playlist, and then I’ll break it down—line by line, word by word—until I understand it. I learn the lyrics, teach myself to sing it, and make sure I know what I’m saying. Any unfamiliar words go into my Anki deck (a digital vocabulary tool). These days, I usually know most of the words in a song, but I still find that one new word and build from there.
It’s all rooted in joy and curiosity. It makes the learning feel effortless.
Q: If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
LC: If I could do another job for just one day, I’d love to be a singer-songwriter. That was actually my dream back in high school. I’ve always loved music, but I never craved the spotlight—I didn’t need to be center stage to be happy. It was always about the music itself, the creativity, the expression. So for a day, I’d love to immerse myself in that world—writing, composing, maybe even performing from the background. Just creating something beautiful and meaningful through music.
Q: Any fun facts you’d like to share with us?
LC: Fun fact? I’m a true California girl—born and raised! I grew up in Riverside, so I’ll always have a little bit of that SoCal sunshine in me.
