FinTech Female Fridays: Meet Hannah Wolfberg, Director of Payment Partnerships at Melio Payments

Hannah joined Melio in 2020 as part of the Payment Operations team, where she spent nearly five years optimizing and scaling payment processes, ultimately leading the department for two of those years. Those early years gave her a deep, practical understanding of how payments truly move, not just how they appear on the surface. In late 2024, she transitioned to Melio’s Payment Strategy and Partnerships team, expanding her role from operational execution to strategic influence. Today, she oversees relationships with financial institution partners while working closely with product teams to drive Melio’s broader payments roadmap. Her career path reflects a clear philosophy: learn the system deeply, earn credibility through impact, and then help shape what comes next.

Powering Small Businesses Through Choice and Flexibility

Melio is a B2B bill pay platform built to help small businesses pay and get paid in the ways that work best for them. At the heart of the company’s mission is choice, empowering businesses to use their preferred payment method, whether that’s a credit card or ACH, while ensuring vendors receive funds seamlessly through more than six payout options. This flexibility gives SMBs greater control over their cash flow, a critical advantage in today’s economic environment.

In late 2025, Melio entered a new chapter when it was acquired by Xero, a global small business platform, in a deal valued at up to $3 billion. Melio’s culture remains vibrant, collaborative, and fast-paced, fueled by teams that move quickly and think boldly. The company continues to innovate to expand its offerings and reach more businesses across the U.S., resulting in a platform and a workplace built for momentum.

Leaning Into the Technical

Hannah challenges herself by committing to “get smarter” before advocating for new products or partnerships. That means listening to founders on podcasts, engaging with peers across the industry, and connecting directly with companies building similar solutions. She believes the strongest fintech products are born from a deep understanding of their mechanics, not just their end-user outcomes. While diving into the technical side of payments can feel uncomfortable, especially when you’re not an engineer she sees that discomfort as a growth signal. Asking thoughtful, technical questions leads to stronger collaboration and more meaningful innovation. For other women in fintech, her path is a powerful reminder that curiosity and courage can be just as important as credentials.

Why Payment Speed Is the Future

This year, Hannah is particularly excited about innovations in payment speed. Cash flow is essential for small businesses, and technologies like Fast ACH and RTP are transforming how quickly funds can be accessed and moved. What energizes her most is the creativity fintechs are bringing to these rails to solve real-world challenges. Faster payments aren’t just a convenience, they’re a catalyst for growth. As these technologies continue to evolve, they will unlock new possibilities for businesses nationwide. It’s an exciting moment to be in fintech, and Hannah is helping ensure the industry builds with intention.

More About Hannah

Where you currently live: The West Village 

Family at home: With my fiancé 

Hometown: Boston, MA 

Favorite fintech media: I really like Fintech Brainfood for longer form content, pymnts.com for latest news, and lately I've been listening to the Tokenized podcast and Fintech Takes on Spotify. I am also a huge fan of Harvard Business Review for articles on leadership, brand building, etc.

What is one piece of advice someone told you that resonated with you that you can give to other women in FinTech?

You don’t need decades of experience to make an impact in fintech; what matters most is curiosity and a willingness to learn. Staying curious keeps you adaptable, confident, and ready to take on challenges outside your comfort zone. 

Do you have any productivity hacks? 

I’m a huge fan of Evernote. I use it to take notes on every meeting, collect articles, and tag content so I can easily search and revisit decisions. For dense reads, I use Speechify (Gwyneth Paltrow narrates my news!), which makes it easier to absorb information on the go. 

I’m most motivated by impact—whether that’s seeing a project come to life internally or watching users engage with a new product we’ve launched. Work-life balance is always evolving, but Melio really encourages it. I’ve found I do my best work when I have focused, uninterrupted time, and I make it a priority to take PTO and recharge. Balance gives me perspective, it helps me know which challenges are worth pushing on, and which hills aren’t worth dying on. 

Daily Diary 

6:00 AM: I start my day with a walk—it looks a little different every morning. Sometimes I’m outside listening to a podcast or chatting with my fiancé; other days, I’ll read emails on the treadmill if it’s a busy week, or unwind with a few Bravo reruns on my walk pad. 

7-8:00 AM: I head to the office and kick off the day with calls to my teammates in Tel Aviv, taking advantage of the time difference to align on projects early. 

11:00 AM: I catch up on emails that have come in throughout the morning and organize my to-do list for the rest of the day. 

12:30 PM: Lunch with colleagues. When time allows, I make a point to step away from my desk and eat with friends. It’s a great reset and helps break up the day. 

1:00 PM: The afternoon is filled with partner meetings in the U.S. and internal syncs with our New York team. On lighter call days, I use this time to focus on longer-term strategy and partnership initiatives. 

4:00 PM: I block off time to clear my inbox and read up on fintech news or emerging products that catch my interest. Staying close to what’s happening in the space keeps my perspective fresh. 

5:00 PM: Quick workout at the office gym 

6:00 PM: I head back upstairs to wrap up my day, close any open threads, and then walk home—my favorite way to wind down and reflect before the evening.