Xinru Huang influences how shoppers pay at the register

“What can physicists do? ” is an interview series that profiles physicists who opted for careers outside of academia.

What was your research area in graduate school?

Glass transitions in polymers.

What were you looking for in a career?

I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I came to the US from China because my father, a physics professor at Nanjing University, told me that a professor needs overseas experience. But I saw that professors do research that few people are interested in; they have to fight for funding; they have difficulty balancing work and family life. I saw the dark side of being a professor and didn’t want it.

I wanted to solve real-world problems.

How did you get into the payments industry?

I joined a consulting club—I walked in because of free pizza, but I got interested. I was at Porsche Consulting for two years. I worked on projects in the food, cruise, and software industries, among others. Consulting turned out to be the perfect job for people who don’t know what they want to do.

I learned about different industries, and I built up a network. I wanted a career with strong opportunities for growth, and I became interested in staying close to how money moves. That eventually led me to the payments industry. I’ve been at Fiserv since January 2024. We build apps that allow consumers to pay through direct transfers from their bank accounts. The merchants are our clients.

How do you spend your time?

I translate business strategy into product strategy, meet with merchants to solidify product requirements, and break down work streams for my team to execute.

What do you like about your job?

Having impact. I help consumers be more responsible about using their bank accounts instead of credit cards, while helping merchants save on credit card processing fees.

How do you use your physics?

In physics, you learn how to work with incomplete information, question assumptions, develop hypotheses, and keep moving forward. That mindset has been incredibly valuable in business and strategy, where the problems are often just as ambiguous.

What new skills have you needed?

Empathy. Compassion. You have to be likable to develop a career.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I teach college physics as an adjunct. The students are often people who want to elevate their careers by going into health care. It’s challenging and rewarding. And it keeps me connected to the field.