Insights from Kevin Reilly, Director of Strategic Partners, Corpay (Based on ETMA Tech Talk Podcast interview)
In a world where enterprise finance teams are drowning in invoices, vendor onboarding complexity, ACH fraud, and disconnected payment systems, the need for modernization has never been clearer. As companies scale—through acquisitions, global expansion, or technology layer-cake growth—managing payments becomes not just difficult, but mission-critical.
In this episode of the ETMA Tech Talk podcast, Corpay’s Kevin Reilly offers insights on the trends and influences that are reshaping corporate payments today. This includes virtual cards, AI-driven fraud, the rise of orchestration layers, and behavior inside organizations that determine whether automation succeeds or stalls.
Trust Is the New Currency in Corporate Payments
Trust has always been central to payment systems—but today it’s under unprecedented pressure. Fraudsters are leveraging AI bots, deepfakes, and automated social engineering to redirect ACH payments and exploit vulnerabilities. Kevin describes this moment as “a bit of the wild west,” with attackers using increasingly sophisticated tools to impersonate vendors and compromise bank information.
Yet there is a bright spot:
Virtual cards remain the safest payment method in the world.
Unlike checks or ACH, virtual cards:
- Are single-use
- Have pre-set limits
- Expire instantly
- Generate traceable, automated data for reconciliation
The fraud rate is so low “it almost doesn’t even register,” Kevin notes, highlighting why many enterprises are shifting away from checks and ACH toward card-based automation.
This shift not only increases security—it can also transform Accounts Payable from a cost center into a profit center by generating rebates and unlocking new data-driven insights.
The Real Disruptor Isn’t Technology—It’s Too Many Systems
While technology often gets blamed for payment chaos, Kevin clarifies that the biggest issue isn’t the tools. It’s the sheer number of disconnected systems that accumulate as companies grow.
Today, most organizations operate with:
- Multiple ERPs and finance organizations
- Separate card programs
- A mix of homegrown and “bolt-on” invoice tools
- Legacy processes passed from team to team
This creates hidden friction: inconsistent data, poor visibility, manual work, and ultimately lost control of expenditures.
Corpay’s answer is a horizontal orchestration layer—a platform that sits above the ERP and unifies card issuance, payments, controls, and reporting across the enterprise. This approach “future-proofs the technology” and eliminates the inefficiencies caused by fragmented systems.
AI: The Double-Edged Sword Shaping the Next Decade
AI is everywhere in the corporate payments world from onboarding to fraud detection and productivity.
The upside:
- Faster approval cycles
- Automated workflows
- Smarter fraud prevention using predictive models
- Accelerated product development—“10 years of innovation coming in 24 months”
The downside:
- Fraudsters using AI to create fake voices, spoofed emails, and fraudulent bank instructions
- Increased attack speed and sophistication
- Overreliance on “slick UIs” without considering the operational people behind payments
Kevin stresses that technology alone is never enough. Payment operations still require skilled humans to:
- Manage exceptions
- Validate vendors
- Resolve payment issues
- Drive card adoption
- Execute high-touch AP workflows
Without the people, he warns, even the best automation strategy will crumble.
Cross-Border Meets Domestic: A Unified Future
Corpay’s evolution is accelerating, especially in integrating its U.S./Canada payment business with its powerful cross-border capabilities.
This unification will:
- Simplify money movement across 120 countries
- Enhance support for global vendors and suppliers
- Strengthen FinTech platforms and ERPs that rely on Corpay’s rails
- Fill long-standing gaps in industries like Telecom Expense Management (TEM) and enterprise bill pay
Kevin calls this “the next leap in bill pay,” and the Corpay team is actively building purpose-built solutions for TEMs and enterprise expense management firms.
Culture: The Hidden Barrier to Automation
Automation is not just a technology problem—it is a behavioral adoption problem.
Many companies have the tools for automation but fail to use them consistently. Why?
- Legacy habits
- Decentralized finance orgs
- Resistance to change
- Siloed teams
- Unclear ownership
As Kevin notes, “Automation + controls = efficiency”—but only if employees are aligned and willing to adopt new processes.
The firms that win are those that pair modern tools with:
- Clear accountability
- Strong communication
- Training
- Leadership support
- Ongoing reinforcement
Tough Times Create Tough Leaders
Beyond payments, Kevin shares a personal insight that resonates deeply:
“Tough times make tough people, and tough people can help people.”
In a world filled with anxiety about AI, automation, and economic pressures, he urges leaders to look for opportunity rather than fear.
His own journey—from growing up with modest means, to entering banking, to helping transform global payment infrastructure—illustrates the power of resilience and grounded optimism.
Why This Conversation Matters for Enterprise Finance Leaders
This episode offers a blueprint for navigating the future of payments—one that blends:
- Security
- Trust
- AI
- Operational excellence
- Cultural alignment
- Leadership mindset
Whether you lead finance, tech, operations, or a TEM/UEM/MMS platform, you’ll walk away with strategic and tactical insights you can apply immediately.
About Kevin Reilly
As Director of Corpay’s Strategic Partners Group, Kevin Reilly drives strategic initiatives that enable Corpay’s partners to deliver best-in-class Bill Pay experiences to their customers. Over the past 13 years, Kevin has built a career at the intersection of financial technology and partnerships, helping organizations across industries — from telecom and AP to digital banking and automation — unlock new revenue streams through smarter payment solutions.
Join the Conversation
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Corpay Podcast, where we untangle the complexities of corporate payments with insights that promise to challenge and inspire. Whether you tune in on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or iHeart, we guarantee a session that is not only informative but also engaging and thought-provoking.
- Learn more: www.corpay.com
- Connect with Kevin Reilly: www.linkedin.com/paymentswithkevin
