Susan E. Salter’s professional journey is a vivid tapestry woven from over three decades of leadership in retail banking, compliance, and risk management. Her career reflects an unwavering commitment to helping organizations thrive through resilient operational strategies, regulatory foresight, and people-centric leadership. With a distinctive blend of executive presence, coaching expertise, and a passion for advocacy, Susan has become a trusted advisor to financial institutions and a transformational coach to emerging leaders. Her work is a living testament to her belief that sustainable success is born from clarity, compliance, and compassion.
Susan began her ascent in the financial sector with MBNA America Bank, where she spent seven formative years as an Operational Compliance Risk Manager. There, she was responsible for overseeing risk functions across a $21 billion institution, supporting critical functions such as fraud, credit acquisition, and marketing. She gained recognition for her impeccable audit track record—maintaining a 100% success rate across regulatory reviews—and her exceptional ability to foster trust with operational teams. Her early career was marked by deep dives into process analysis, control evaluation, and a hands-on approach that empowered teams while minimizing institutional risk.
At Merrill Lynch, Susan broadened her managerial purview, leading over 65 client service professionals while navigating the complexities of vendor management and offshore coordination. She refined her leadership acumen through dynamic oversight of budgets, call center productivity, and service excellence. Her tenure there underscored her ability to maintain high client satisfaction while operationalizing cost-effective solutions across geographically distributed teams. Susan’s ability to harmonize internal expectations with external client needs became a hallmark of her leadership style.
Her strategic influence continued at Bank of America, where she led the Consumer Compliance Testing Team within Global Compliance Risk. Susan designed and implemented testing methodologies that assessed regulatory compliance across a vast landscape of services—including online banking, mobile transactions, and fraud prevention. She built a robust team from the ground up and drove initiatives that aligned business practices with evolving regulatory standards. Her leadership during this era positioned her as a go-to expert in compliance testing and regulatory issue remediation.
Susan’s career took a globally strategic turn when she joined PayPal. As Senior Compliance Manager, she helmed compliance functions across North America and international regions, including Canada and LATAM. She developed and implemented comprehensive consumer protection programs and ensured compliance for high-profile entities like Venmo and Braintree. Susan’s leadership helped translate complex regulatory obligations into clear, executable strategies that served both innovation and integrity. She was also a key figure in PayPal’s global regulatory engagement, overseeing transactional testing in international jurisdictions including Ireland, Luxembourg, and France.
At Barclays Bank, Susan served as Senior Director and Head of Risk and Operational Rigour for US Cards and Partnerships. As a member of the Executive Leadership Council, she led the internal control program for the Retail Banking Organization, overseeing testing, audit compliance, and strategic alignment with regulatory expectations. Her cross-functional impact supported both legacy banking systems and new partnership initiatives. This role marked a pinnacle in Susan’s financial career, where her influence extended from day-to-day compliance to long-range strategic planning.
Driven by a mission to empower others through clarity and transformation, Susan transitioned into executive coaching and consulting. Founding Life, Styled By Susan and Salter Consulting, she has supported women leaders and corporate executives with tools for inside-out transformation. Combining life coaching, leadership development, and personal branding, she guides her clients to discover authenticity, build confidence, and pursue purpose. Her coaching model is not transactional but transformational—designed to unlock human potential through thought work, self-awareness, and emotional resilience.
Susan’s work is deeply personal. Inspired by her son’s journey as a pediatric cancer survivor, she became an active advocate for community health and wellness. She serves on the Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society in Greater Philadelphia and has held leadership roles with Eagles Fly for Leukemia and the Junior League of Wilmington. These affiliations are not symbolic—they represent her belief in the power of service, empathy, and giving back to communities in need. Her values are rooted in family, advocacy, and the drive to make institutional and interpersonal systems stronger.
Internationally aware, Susan has worked across borders and cultures, managing regulatory expectations and operational standards from Europe to North America. Her work with offshore and third-party vendor oversight has made her an expert in cross-cultural compliance and communication. Whether it’s leading audits in London or building strategic partnerships in Canada, Susan brings an inclusive, nuanced approach to global business strategy.
Today, Susan is not just a risk and compliance expert—she is a changemaker. Her voice resonates in boardrooms, coaching sessions, and community meetings alike. She leads by example, teaches by experience, and listens with the intent to empower. Organizations that engage her—whether as a board member, executive advisor, or personal coach—benefit from her unique combination of regulatory depth, operational excellence, and human insight.
Character:
Susan leads with integrity, consistency, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Her values-driven approach ensures that every initiative she undertakes is grounded in ethical standards and a deep sense of responsibility to others.
Knowledge:
Her mastery of compliance, risk management, and regulatory testing reflects decades of industry-specific experience and continuous learning. From complex banking systems to nuanced global standards, Susan’s knowledge base is both wide-ranging and deep.
Strategic:
Susan’s career is marked by a visionary capacity to align operations with long-term objectives while mitigating institutional risk. Her strategic thinking has transformed teams, processes, and programs across organizations of all sizes.
Communication:
As both a coach and executive leader, Susan excels in articulating complex issues with clarity and empathy. She fosters trust and understanding through thoughtful dialogue, whether speaking to a boardroom, a client, or a community.
