What we do
Utilizing an experienced lens, we help corporate and public sector clients evaluate, construct, and commercialize their business-to-consumer disbursement programs. Our objective is to quickly deliver measurable results that fundamentally change the trajectory of the organization.
SERVICES
ABOUT US
Politely Persistent is owned by Ross Freedman; a 15-year veteran of, and a leader in the payments’ industry. Ross has held senior roles in marketplace leading organizations that offer best-in-class products. His core responsibilities have focused on sales and business development, while he has regularly collaborated with other functional areas including product, technology, marketing, legal, compliance, finance, and pricing. His expertise is centered around compensation, promotion, and disbursement solutions.
Politely Persistent offers our clients a deep
understanding of critical areas of payments
that include:
Program management
We will design, deliver, and optimize payout programs. Additionally, we understand the many elements that make up the payment card value chain.
Digitization of consumer payouts
We provide comprehensive insights into the many payout modality options designed to streamline business to consumer disbursements.
Competitive landscape assessment
We are familiar with the organizations and personnel that compete in the B to C payment’s marketplace.
Capability & gap analysis
We offer our clients a comparison of actual performance versus desired performance associated with the programs that they sponsor.
Pricing
We understand the complex economic modeling associated with diverse payout solutions.
Regulatory/legal /compliance
We offer our clients the appropriate guidance required to navigate through an ever-changing, intricate, regulatory landscape.
Financial institutions & card networks
We have relationships with key personnel associated with both the issuing banks as well as the associations.
Direct & channel sales strategies
We provide a perspective of the many organizations that utilize payments as a component of a holistic client solution.
Program implementation & integration
We know how to stand up a multifaceted, intricate consumer disbursement program.
recommendationS
"I have had the great fortune to know Ross for over seven years. We’ve been doing business with him at Citi since he started in 2010. Ross took the time to understand our business, deliver a solution that works best for us and continues to ensure the ongoing success of our partnership. What’s more is that Ross takes the time to invest in the relationships that drive his business. Whenever we meet with Ross, it’s like meeting with family. We trust him and we know our business is in good hands"
Nick Balestino
Director Business Development
"Ross is the consummate professional! I have worked with Ross for almost 3.5 years now in my role as Americas Cannel Strategy Manager and he has guided us very effectively. Ross possess stellar leadership and communication skills and is able to have the foresight required to effectively launch initiatives and manage critical timelines. Ross would be an excellent addition to any management team."
Rosann Genovese
HP Channel Marketing Loyalty Strategy Manager
"Besides be a positive and upbeat guy Ross is a pleasure to work with. Ross is one of the hardest working salespeople I've known. I highly recommend Ross and hope to have the opportunity to work with him in the future."
Chris Williams
VP NA Sales and Client Success
"Several years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Ross at a payments industry event and was immediately impressed with his professionalism and ethical approach. A year after meeting him, I hired him into a Business Development role where he took immediate control, solidified great relationships, facilitated new partners, and grew the business significantly. Ross is one of the best Sales and Business development professionals I have worked with in my 25-year career in Sales leadership."
Tim Wall
CRO
"Ross embraced the objective of the new Relationship Management program that I was implementing and collaborated with me to maximize the relationships that Citi had with key clients/vendors, across the enterprise. Ross possesses expansive sales expertise, is strategic in his approach, is an innovative thinker with very strong communications/presentation skills. Ross is excellent at designing solutions that target the customer requirements."
Diane Vollmer
Integrated Account Team Lead
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Ross as a business partner over the past several years. One of the attributes I appreciate most about Ross is his dedication to integrity. Ross will not " just tell you what you want to hear". He will make sure he and his team can execute to your expectations and to his commitments. Ross will make sure he's making you look great all around."
Mindy Keith
Senior Director Customer Support
"Ross has been a great vendor partner, who makes things happen. He always communicates well, and sees things through completion. He understood our business needs despite having limited experience in our space. He was able to appropriately assign resources while providing oversight to ensure a successful implementation."
Steve Pellito
SVP of Sales
"Ross is exceptional on three levels: building the relationship, designing the strategy to solve the problem at hand, and driving to execution. With those three skill sets, he is a formidable professional in our space with skills that translate well into any endeavor. I find Ross to be of the highest character, and a very trustworthy and excellent partner to work with."
Mark Lockwood
Senior Director
"I have known Ross for several years and have always enjoyed working with him. Ross is responsible, reliable and a great partner. We worked together designing a new reward system for Blood Banks using Gift Cards and a point system for blood donors. Ross was a great partner to work with in this initiative. His creativity and "can do" attitude helped us made this project a success for many of our Blood Banking clients we work with."
Alejandro Vargas
CEO
"Not only do I recommend Ross Freedman, but I am confident that you would hold the key advantage given the opportunity to work with him. Ross and I managed (and closed) multiple new logo license and services deals over those many years, as well as nurtured strong relationships with our existing client base. In each situation I always walked away a little wiser from our experience. I would like to say that Ross learned something from me as well, but I might not know that to be true. His clarity of vision, enthusiasm and professionalism are something to be envied. I would be honored to be a reference for Ross, in any environment, and sincerely hope an opportunity to work together may cross our paths again."
Matt Turner
CEO
"I highly recommend Ross Freedman as a leader in your sales management team. I recently worked for Mr. Freedman as the Director of Business Solutions focusing on driving sales and revenue for our prepaid payroll card products. I appreciate Mr. Freedman’s dedication to the team, passion and leadership to drive sales and provide outstanding service to our clients. His openness and frankness are refreshing which contributes to a thorough and effective management style. He inspired me to take on a new role as a sales manager, and I was successful because he led by example, provided me with the necessary tools, and was a great motivator. Mr. Freedman is a proven sales leader and will be an outstanding asset to a company that wants to develop skills in its sales team, drive sales, and inspire its employees to do their best."
John Nail
Director of Gift
"Ross Freedman is an extraordinary talent with a proven track record in sales execution, sales process and sales strategy. His sophisticated, consultative approach to enterprise sales opportunities produce differentiating client solutions that provide revenue driven results for all constituents. Ross is an admired leader among his direct reports and peers."
Sarah Grotta
Director Debit Advisory Service
"I know firsthand that Ross Freedman is a highly effective sales leader. He leads with a determination and passion that is contagious. Ross has a natural gift for bringing out the very best performance in each person on his team. Ross can always be counted on to be upfront and honest. As a result, he quickly earns the respect of his prospects, clients, colleagues, and team members. Regardless of his title, Ross makes time to also be an individual revenue contributor. He leads by example in using innovative prospecting techniques to build his personal book of business. Ross is truly the kind of sales leader for whom his teammates want to "knock the ball out of the park". I would always welcome any opportunity to be on Ross Freedman's team."
Kelsey Anderson
Partner & EVP
"Ross is a top-flight sales executive with the level of commitment, passion, and client focus that is required to build and manage an outstanding sales organization. His enthusiasm and energy is contagious -- he is truly an asset to Springbok and to the prepaid industry."
Steve Karp
Chief Product Officer
"As the Chief Executive Officer of GenuOne Corporation, one of my primary objectives in 2007 was to reduce the overall cost of running my business. Skyrocketing healthcare costs was of primary concern and was not being addressed by the brokerage team I had in place. Ross approached our senior leadership team with a detailed plan to maintain appropriate coverages, while significantly reducing our cash outlay. A few months after we hired Ross and his team at William Gallagher Associates, GenuOne was able to realize a 20% decrease in overall benefits expenditures, while maintaining the same rich benefits needed to retain our employees. Ross followed through and executed on the strategy he set forth in his selling process. Ross was diligent in addressing the individual concerns of my leadership team and showed true sales professionalism in his approach to my business."
Jeffrey Unger
CEO
"I worked with Ross for about 1 1/2 years while he was at William Gallegher Associates. He was responsible for introducing his organization to ours and securing our business. Frankly, we had intended to go to a national provider, but Ross presented such a compelling case we went with WGA. After the sale, he continued to act as our Account Executive. I'm not how he managed to stay so close to our account, given he was focused on new sales, but whenever I called him I felt as though Ross would drop everything else for us. Having managed institutional client management organizations myself, he sets the gold standard of customer service and sales."
Joe LoDato
CPO
"Ross is a sales professional that is extremely hard working, focused, and truly cares about his customers/clients. He develops trusting relationship with all that work with him. This allows him to be successful in all areas of sales. It was a pleasure working with Ross and knowing that we could always count on him to be a top producer."
Cheryl Smith
VP of Sales
"In the position of Sales Director/Eastern North America at Pivotal Corporation, Ross and I worked closely together on many enterprise sales initiatives. As a National Sales Executive, Ross was diligent with his prospecting efforts, pipeline development and sales execution. He is a strategic thinker who understands the enterprise sales process, while demonstrating the ability to run an efficient and predictable client engagement."
Len Finkle
CEO
"Ross is the consummate sales professional. Ross and I worked on a significant national program, under incredibly tight time constraints, that required multiple solutions and process development. His stewardship from the supplier-side directly correlated to the program’s success. He is one of the most professional individuals I’ve ever worked with and would highly recommend Ross for his leadership, attention to detail and customer-centric approach."
Bob O’Keefe
CMO
"Ross is an exceptional human being! There are very few people in life as driven as Ross. He understands all the important aspects of sales and sales execution and I have never seen someone as tenacious at prospecting that Ross. Ross continues to define success both personally and professionally. I am proud to call Ross a friend and I expect him to be the CEO of a major corporation someday!"
Jason Rushforth
CRO
"Ross is a professional with deep experience in the card and payment industries. If your team is looking for someone with high integrity and deep industry knowledge, Ross is your man."
John Segner
CFO
"I’ve worked with Ross for several years and Ross has always responded to our needs with earnestness. He is responsive and willing to adjust his schedule to help in any way he can. He truly understands our needs and is creative in finding solutions to exceed our client’s needs. Ross has been a great partner to me and our organization for many years."
Erik Sorensen
COO
"Ross is one of the hardest working sales/business development professionals I've had the pleasure of working with. I partnered with Ross as he prospected new payment flows, during which time he demonstrated tenacity and creativity. With prospects, Ross strikes a balance of persistent, but never pushy. He earns the trust of his customers quickly through his extensive experience and knowledge of payments and keeps that trust over time by being a true customer advocate. One of my favorite things about Ross: he is a life-long learner. Even though he has worked in payments and financial services for years, he is continuously learning (and, sharing his knowledge generously with others)."
Tracy Monson
SVP Product
"I've had the great opportunity to work with Ross for over 20 years. He is a diligent, hard worker with tremendous knowledge in the payment’s world. On numerous occasions it has been his reputation that has been instrumental in supplying the trust needed for our clients and us to maintain a business relationship during troubled times. Ross is ethical and a key business partner who can assist in navigating through a changing fintech space."
Richard Blabolil
CEO
"Ross was outstanding in managing and overseeing the sales & implementation processes. He is a true expert in the Payments and Prepaid spaces and brought several options to the table that improved our overall solution. His commitment to our mutual success was greatly appreciated. If you want to feel valued as a customer, I couldn't recommend anyone better than Ross."
Bethany Buscher
Senior Director Client Delivery
"Competitiveness, Integrity, Discipline, Intellect and Loyalty... quite unfortunate to so rarely find such a combination of skill and desire in a professional so very focused on perfection of the craft, and capable of achieving it. Many among us owe much to Ross, as a result of his unwavering commitment to connecting people who can benefit from each other’s expertise. That this translates to exponential growth for those businesses he chooses to promote, should not be a surprise. He is one of few able to consistently "win" without disadvantaging others, building long-standing relationships and sustainable business, regardless of the inherent challenge of the steepest climbs. Success is not a question, but a byproduct of shared pursuits... I’m thankful to have had such an opportunity and encourage others to seek it out"
Doug Haines
Vice President of Sales, Account Management and Partner Management
"Ross is experienced and knowledgeable in the payments industry. As a partner he is willing to find new ways of working to get to a win win for his clients and his company. He puts great care into his client relationships and in staying on top of industry trends. I value the progress we have made together!"
Tressa Angell
President
"I have worked with Ross for the past 6 plus years. Ross has been excellent in the manner he services his clients. He is very insightful and knowledgeable in the payment space and is a true partner in the manner he conducts business. I have found Ross to be extremely responsive to my Company requirements, honest, communicative, accountable, and loyal. He conducts himself. and represents his company, in the highest manner. Ross also takes the extra steps and makes sure our organization understands and is made aware of the latest industry trends. He is a true professional!"
Eric Rubino
CEO
"Ross and I worked on developing a new refund card campaign for the DIRECTV business. He clearly explained the benefit / drawbacks of the different strategies so we could properly implement the most effective customer offer that significantly lowered our operating expenses. Throughout the whole implementation / execution process, Ross was our primary lead that ensured all teams were in sync. He has the client's interest on target and collaborates well with various work teams on both sides. It's great working with Ross."
Kent Mader
COO
"Ross has been instrumental in facilitating the creation of an alliance that has and will continue to produce significant value for both of our organizations. Ross ensures that our teams are properly aligned, which has resulted in a best-of-breed solution. He quickly developed a keen understanding of our business, as well as the complexities of the sector. As our organization works on transforming the insurance marketplace, we continue to rely on Ross and his team to help our clients advance their business."
Robert Chase
CEO
"I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with Ross for twelve years, through the various incarnations of our business. As an implementor and sales engineer for much of that time, I had a firsthand view of Ross in action. He is, without a doubt, one of the most qualified sales professionals in the payments industry, with a proven track record of delivering significant wins that lead to long-term client relationships and durable revenue streams, including several of the largest deals in company history. In addition to his individual contributions, Ross is an excellent team member who makes those around him better; he is generous with his time and always willing to share his extensive expertise with colleagues at all levels."
Greg Keenan
CTO
"Tenacious and self-driven are two terms that couldn't be more appropriate for Ross. He’s guaranteed outwork everyone around him. In addition, he has established incredible relationships and great trust with his clients by creating tremendous value for them, ultimately resulting in significant growth for the business. Ross invests heavily in making himself, the company, and others around him all stronger. He keeps a tight pulse on the industry and emerging technologies - always looking at new opportunities as well as potential threats. I have enjoyed getting to know Ross on both a professional and personal level and it's clear that nothing that Ross does is done with just one foot in -- whether it's work, fishing, hunting or with his boys."
Ross McFerrin
Vice President of Sales
"I worked with Ross in the payments space for many years, and his passion and drive for his customers was always front and center. He truly cares about building meaningful professional relationships and finding proper solutions and pathways to success for all involved. His approach is thoroughly consultative, he advocates for his people, and he stands by his word. Ross would be an amazing addition to an equally driven and passionate team that thrives on results!"
Kelly Facemyer Ostwald
Director Client Experience and Education
"Ross Freedman is a successful "hunter" in the financial services industry, finding and closing deals that are good for the client and good for his company. More than that, Ross is a person with integrity and passion, building relationships on honesty and transparency. Ross will be an asset to any company."
Linda Loof
SVP Payments
"For well over a decade, Ross and I worked together to generate profitable revenue for our organization. Ross offers a unique and diverse skill set that includes possessing deep industry knowledge, unmatched sales acumen, and a genuine caring about client outcomes. His tremendous success can be attributed to being focused on understanding the business requirements of his clients, while managing his partners within the company. Ross’ track record, attitude and his passion make him hands down the best sales professional I have ever worked with in my fifteen (15) years within the payment card industry"
Alan Geiger
Director Relationship Management
"I have worked with Ross for many years in the payments and prepaid card space. Ross is fantastic at seeking to understand a client's business and working towards solutions. He is a straight shooter and will always try to get to a "win-win". Ross simply delivers on what he says he would."
Thomas Chiang
Global Payments, and Strategy Manager
"Ross is a fantastic business partner, who is always available to share his sales and payment solutions expertise or collaborate to resolve a challenge. He is charismatic and his passion for people is infectious. Over the past 7 years, I have had the pleasure of partnering with Ross on many deals and appreciate his win-win approach in bringing value to clients. As a leader, he has developed a first-class team and is always willing to roll up his sleeves to get it done. I look forward to working with him whenever I can."
Christine Styles
Director of Sale Enablement
"Ross was my primary contact, business strategist and thought partner at Wirecard. We worked together to deliver new and compelling solutions for clients that delivered forward-thinking user experiences while constantly aiming to reduce friction at every touch point. Ross has always been a proponent of building solutions collaboratively by listening to the needs of his clients, advocating on their behalf, and building solutions on a foundation of proven technology. Additionally, Ross has always been a champion for out of the box thinking and supportive of opportunities that deliver newness to market. Thanks to Ross, our team executed on the needs of clients with a broad understanding of market dynamics and differentiated solutions. that added value at each launch."
Jennifer Hunter
Senior Director of Product Development
"I highly recommend Ross because he recognizes new and strategic opportunities to build top line revenue. He seeks out the right partners, brings together the cross functional teams, mentors his staff and drives opportunities towards closure and ultimately profitability. I have had the pleasure of working with Ross in his role at Citi and developing these opportunities. He is resourceful, fair and a real strategic partner.""
Tom Crowder
General Manger Payment Solutions
"Ross is a consummate professional. Personable, courteous, smart, and capable - I had the pleasure to meet him and work with him on a project between our companies last year. As a salesman, he didn't just win our business; he stayed active and engaged with us during our project implementation and beyond. I trust him and would gladly recommend him in any business endeavor."