Zafar’s Journey Towards Bridging the Gap Between Legacy Systems and Cutting-Edge Solutions
Meet Zafar, our Technology and Engineering team’s Senior Architect operating from our Austin Engineering Hub. His role at Western Union is to build scalable, secure systems that power global financial services-ensuring seamless cross-border transactions for millions of our customers. Discover more about his journey through his story below.
How it all started
Working as one of our Senior Architect in Austin, Texas, Zafar started his journey at Western Union when he was influenced by his spouse’s experience with the company. Along with that, what really attracted him to join Western Union was the available opportunity to solve complex, meaningful problems at the intersection of fintech and inclusion. The company’s legacy of connecting people worldwide, combined with its ambitious digital transformation makes it a perfect place for game changers like Zafar to innovate while creating impact.
How his role played a part in enabling transformation for our customers
Technology is at the heart of Western Union’s evolution – whether it’s modernizing its infrastructure, enhancing digital experiences or leveraging AI to improve security and speed. As an architect Zafar plays a key role in bridging the gap between legacy systems and cutting edge solutions, ensuring that he and his team members deliver reliability today while building for the future.
“Western Union’s mission isn’t just aspirational-it’s operational. In my role, I’m constantly reminded that the systems we build aren’t abstract; they’re lifelines for families, small businesses and communities. Whether it’s enabling a migrant worker to send money home or helping a rural entrepreneur access digital payment, our technology removes barriers. That’s why I prioritize solutions that are inclusive by design-like optimizing for low-bandwidth environments or ensuring compliance with diverse regulations. Connecting to the mission keeps our work grounded in purpose: we’re not just moving money; we’re moving lives forward.”
What excites him the most is being given work that democratizes financial access. An example of which would be designing APIs that enable Western Union’s partners to embed their services or even optimizing platforms for underserved regions. Both of which align perfectly to the company’s mission of making financial services accessible to those underserved by traditional banking.
For Zafar, every technical decision made ultimately empowers someone, somewhere to move money with trust and ease.
