From bond trading to incentives marketing – an unexpected journey with Marina Hodges, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Blackhawk Network

We’re delighted to welcome Blackhawk Network as our Gold Sponsor for WiiN’s upcoming Austin event on July 15.

Ahead of the event, we caught up with Marina Hodges, Senior Director of Product Marketing, to learn about her fascinating career journey, her views on mentorship and female empowerment, and why she believes in the power of networks like Women in Incentives Network,

Q: You’ve had a very varied career, from bond trading to incentives marketing. What was the journey like as a woman?

Marina:
The journey was interesting. When I graduated college, my first job was as a bond trader, of all things. Finance was a man’s world when I started in the 80s and 90s. There were almost no women bond traders. But I learned to get a thick skin. I’ve never been harassed or treated inappropriately, though standards were different back then – we would roll our eyes and move on.

I quickly noticed that women often underestimate themselves. While men will apply for jobs even if they’re not fully qualified. I just always said, “I can do that.” Watching men be confident made me think, “I can be like that too.”

Now I'm Senior Director of Product Marketing. We make sure the story gets out – watching the competition, helping sales tell the story, and working on our digital strategy and website. It’s the gamut of demand gen marketing for the incentives business.

BHN is a really interesting business. Through a single global platform, businesses of all kinds can tap into the world’s largest network of branded payment solutions. BHN helps businesses grow revenue, increase loyalty, motivate and reward their teams, disburse funds and engage consumers. Branded payment solutions include the issuance and distribution of gift cards, eGifts, corporate payouts and rewards, along with the technology to deliver these products in seamless, integrated ways. BHN’s network spans the globe with more than 400,000 consumer touchpoints.

It’s a huge role!

When I joined, I’d been in financial roles most of my career. They brought me in to build out part of the commerce side and said the job would report through marketing. I said, “Marketing? I’m not a marketing person,” I had to build a good team quickly. I have superstars who know things I don’t. I firmly believe in hiring talented individuals and allowing them to do excellent work. I’ve always been willing to say, “I don’t know that, but I can find people who do.” That’s freeing – it allows people to do their best work.

Q: How does Blackhawk Network support the advancement of women?

BHN has a long history of championing the advancement of women not only within our organization, but across the industry as well. We have proudly sponsored Women in Payments,  supported PayTech Women (formerly the Women’s Network of Electronic Transactions) and BHN and its executives are frequently recognized for their work to advance women in the industry.

Women can be found in every tier of leadership within BHN, beginning with our CEO & President, Talbott Roche; Chief People Officer, Suzanne Kinner; and SVP, Global Operations & Transformation, Cara Renfroe.

BHN has also created Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which are voluntary, employee-led groups whose aim is to support our inclusive workplace aligned with our mission. Currently, our employees are mobilizing several ERGs across the enterprise, including WE LEAD, a group created specifically for and in support of women.

Q: How did you make your way into the incentives industry?

Marina: It was just the puzzle pieces connecting – the power of network. I often tell my mentees that I don’t remember applying for most of the jobs on my LinkedIn profile; they came from conversations and people pulling me through!

For example, SBC (now AT&T) needed someone for investor relations, and I got that connection through an MBA classmate. That job led me deeper into analysis, and then a big retailer asked if I could create algorithms for pharmacy pricing.

Again, a connection said, 'Hey, we’re looking for someone with your background.’ At a conference, I met someone from Walmart who needed what I was doing, and it happened. That took me into financial services, cards, and payments. Later, I met Talbott, our CEO, at events, and when she needed someone, she called.

If you’d asked me 10–15 years ago about the incentives business, I would have said, “No, that doesn’t make sense for me.” But this is where I was supposed to be – I just didn’t know it. I had to take the journey to get here.

Q: It sounds like networking has played a huge role in your career journey. What’s your approach to building those connections?

Marina:
Yes, absolutely. That’s the power of WiiN too – networking. One day, one of these ladies will say, “I’m thinking about doing this,” and I’ll say, “I happen to know these people are looking for that,” or vice versa. The power of network cannot be underestimated.

Often, we only network heavily when we need a job, but my network was there even when I wasn’t actively looking. It’s important to have a network that’s meaningful.

Q: Are you mentoring through WiiN as well?

Marina:
Yes, I am. We’ve had a couple of meetings, and it’s very exciting. I’ve mentored throughout my career, and it’s also enjoyable to learn from different mentees. My current mentee is challenging me because she’s trying to do something I haven’t done before. So I draw on experiences that are adjacent, and that’s been rewarding.

Q: Who have been some of your mentors throughout your career?

Marina:
I’ve had mentors I’ve sought out and others that developed naturally. For example, our CEO Talbott Roche was one– I met her years ago at an outside event and thought, “Wow, she’s impressive.” I sent her a note afterwards, and years later we reconnected at a conference. She became someone I trusted and spoke to regularly.

Another mentor hired me in a past role. Even after we no longer worked together, I respected her so much that I asked to continue sharing and talking. Mentors have been very important for me.

Q: For those looking to find a mentor, what advice would you give?

Marina:
It helps when people know why you want that relationship. Give people a reason to understand why that connection is worthy of their time and investment. For example, say, “You spoke at this conference on a topic that was very interesting to me, and I’d like to learn more.” Most mentors want to invest in their mentees, not just have a conversation. Reach out meaningfully.

Q: What advice would you give to women at the start of their careers today?
Don’t box yourself in. You probably have skills you don’t know about yet – they come out when you need them. I didn’t lead teams early in my career, but later realised I was good at building and leading teams with skills beyond my own.

Ask yourself, “Do I have 80–90% of what I need to get to the next step?” If yes, you’ll build the rest. And don’t fixate on a single track. Instead of asking, “Where do I want to be in five years?” ask, “What kind of things might I like to be doing in five years?” It’s a broader, healthier question.

Q: You seem to always be learning and evolving. How do you keep your knowledge fresh?

Marina:
Absolutely – I love courses, conferences, podcasts. I also love biographies, especially of people still alive, like Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. I have also been immersing myself in AI lately. At Blackhawk, AI is everywhere – marketing, sales, HR, finance – helping us analyse data and understand customers better. It reminds me of when mobile was emerging, and it’s a very exciting time.

Q: Are there any events you’re looking forward to this year?

Marina:

I’ll be speaking at the Incentive Marketing Association in July, leading a panel on Gen Z. It’s fascinating – for the first time, we have four generations in the workplace, and Gen Z is so different. They grew up with technology and welcome new things naturally. That will be a great event.

BHN’s sponsorship of the WiiN event at IMA Summit is also our chance to take advantage of the coming together of the important work done by WiiN and the commitment we have to the Incentives industry.  Having these two important focus areas come together in one place is serendipitous and not a chance we wanted to let slip past.

Q: Finally, what does being part of Women in Incentives mean to you?

Marina:
It’s always eye-opening. Someone always brings an idea I hadn’t thought of. The women in WiiN are sharers – there’s trust, openness, and willingness to help each other without competition. Sometimes it’s structured coffee chats or panels, other times it’s just meeting and greeting, but it all builds community.


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Interview by Elaine Keep - https://elainekeep.com/