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At the Leadership Summit, you'll be inspired by leading keynote speakers in five exceptional general sessions who will empower you to achieve personal success, influence and professional fulfillment.
Throughout the two-day Leadership Summit, you will dive deeper into industry insights with speakers across 24 breakout sessions, categorized into six main topics and four tracks: RISE: Leading the Future of Payments, THRIVE: Innovation, Growth & Resilience, Building Influence & Partnerships and IMPACT: Purpose-Driven Leadership.
Stacey Abrams is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur and Political Leader. She served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives and was the first black woman to become gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history. Abrams has launched multiple nonprofit organizations devoted to democracy protection, voting rights and effective public policy. She has also co-founded successful companies, including a financial services firm, an energy and infrastructure consulting firm and the media company, Sage Works Productions, Inc.
Cameron Bready, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Global Payments, is an experienced global business leader with over 30 years in top leadership roles at public companies. Most recently, he served as president and chief operating officer for Global Payments, overseeing worldwide merchant solutions businesses across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America, as well as global operations, risk management, product and real estate. From 2014 to 2019, he was the company’s Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to joining Global Payments, Cameron was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for ITC Holdings Corp., a publicly traded electric transmission utility, where he led accounting, finance, treasury and related functions, along with corporate development initiatives. He joined ITC Holdings in 2009 after serving as Vice President of Finance at Northeast Utilities and Senior Vice President at Mirant Corporation.
Recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as a “Most Admired CEO,” Cameron has also been named one of “America’s Best CFOs” multiple times by Institutional Investor, “CFO of the Year” by Crain’s Detroit Business and “CFO of the Year” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. He serves on the boards of Crawford & Company®, the Electronic Transactions Association, Pace Academy, the Woodruff Arts Center and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Cameron holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.
Jodie Kelley is the Chief Executive Officer for the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the global trade association representing more than 500 payments technology companies. ETA members make commerce possible by annually processing $7 trillion in payments across North America and a staggering $21 trillion globally.
Jodie brings over 25 years of experience managing and providing strategic guidance to large organizations. Prior to joining ETA, Jodie was at Business Software Alliance (BSA) where she had extensive responsibility for strategic, operational, legal and financial issues. As BSA’s senior vice president and general counsel, she oversaw the primary revenue generating activities for the organization, managed programs that supported the software industry in more than 30 countries and was a spokesperson for BSA and the business software industry in front of a wide variety of audiences.
Previously, Jodie served for six years as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise that helps provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the U.S. housing and mortgage markets. She was responsible for litigation management and advised the CEO, Board of Directors and business units on a wide range of issues. Before joining Fannie Mae, Jodie was a partner at Jenner & Block in Washington, D.C., where she managed teams of attorneys and paralegals and represented clients in litigation and before regulatory agencies.
Pamela Joseph has over 30 years of experience in the electronic payments industry. She has held executive positions as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Operation and President of several large US payment companies and overseen business lines that included consumer credit and debit card issuing, corporate card issuing, prepaid and fleet card programs, as well as state EBT programs. Pamela has also overseen large global merchant acquiring businesses.
Pamela is currently an Operating Partner with Advent International and CEO for Xplor Technologies, a global vertical SAAS provider in Everyday Life Verticals. Xplor Technologies also operates a proprietary global payment processing platform.
Prior to joining TSYS, she served as a Vice Chair of US Bancorp’s payment services division, representing over $5B in revenue for the bank. Ms Joseph held responsibility for all electronic payment product lines including consumer credit and debit cards, corporate and small business cards and prepaid cards. Additionally, US Bank provided EBT programs for many states in the US. Ms Joseph was also chair of Elavon, a global merchant acquiring business. Ms Joseph joined US Bancorp in 2001 through the acquisition of Elavon.
Before joining Elavon she served with Visa International as Director of all new market development and acceptance. She currently serves as a public company board director for Paychex, and Adyen, and is Chair of the Board of Transunion.
Ms. Joseph earned a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Illinois.
Lali Shaffer is a Director in the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta where she leads the Payments Forum, a team of subject matter experts providing analysis and outreach to the Federal Reserve System and the financial services industry. Her expertise spans banking, financial technology, payment networks and settlement systems, policy and regulation. She is a frequent speaker and author for the Fed and serves as co-chair of the Fed’s Innovation Roundtable network, which covers emerging topics such as payments, quantum computing, generative AI and digital identity.
Shaffer also manages a cross-functional team advancing payments accessibility as part of the Atlanta Fed’s economic mobility priority, collaborating with fintechs, financial institutions, industry partners and regulators.
Previously, she was a lead financial specialist in the Fed’s Supervision and Regulation Division, where she analyzed banking and economic trends, assessed emerging risks and led the Risk Council, which oversees risk identification and mitigation for financial institutions. Before joining the Fed, she was an assistant vice president in the Treasury Group at the Federal Home Loan Bank, managing the balance sheet and capital market risk.
She holds a finance degree from the University of Alabama and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Jessica J. Washington is an Assistant Vice President of the Research Division within the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. In this role, Jessica is a recognized payments and fintech thought leader through her collaboration with industry participants, such as financial institutions, fintechs, regulators, law enforcement, the legal community and others in the Federal Reserve System.
Jessica and her team conduct evidence-based research shared through regular convening and presentations to payments and fintech industry stakeholders. In addition, she currently serves as advisor on ePay Resources Board of Directors and recently served on the Florida State Alumni Association Board of Directors.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University. Post-graduation, Jessica attended Harvard School of Business’s Leadership for Senior Executives, obtained her Accredited ACH Professional Certification, Six Sigma Green Belt and Prosci Change Management Certification.
Gillian serves as the Vice President of Strategy & Insights at [solidcore], the rapidly growing boutique fitness brand known for its signature 50-minute high-intensity, low-impact resistance based workout, with over 150 studio locations nationwide. In this role, she leads strategy, consumer insights, pricing, product innovation and data analytics – driving initiatives that enhance client experience and maximize lifetime value.
Before joining [solidcore], Gillian spent over a decade in strategy consulting, including seven years at McKinsey & Company, where she advised leading consumer and retail organizations to develop growth strategies and transform them into measurable business impact. Gillian earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. She enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband, two young children and her beloved dog, Mara.
Erin Barbeau began her career in fintech as a summer intern at FIS in 2014. After a two-year side quest in PR and marketing at Harley-Davidson, she returned to FIS and has since taken on roles across finance, risk, banking operations, strategy and transformation. Today, Erin is the Senior Director of Sales Performance and Enablement, where her focus is on keeping FIS’ sales teams energized, informed and winning.
A proud Wisconsinite, Erin went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study business and videography, dreaming of becoming a sports broadcaster! Erin’s love of learning never faded as she recently returned to school to major in Business Strategy & Leadership, earning her MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2024.
Erin’s professional passions include solving problems with great teammates, lifting up women in fintech and living by the motto: “Work hard, be kind to people and have a little fun.” That spirit has earned her some very special honors, like the Women’s Bond Club Rising Star (2024), ETA’s 40 Under 40 and Young Payments Professional awards (2023) and PayTech Women’s Emerging Trendsetter (2021).
Nick joined First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) in 1990 as a management trainee. He spent 14 years working in the bank’s credit card acquiring unit, serving as president from 1999 to 2004. Since 2004, he has served in various corporate risk management roles, becoming chief risk officer in 2012 and is a member of the FNBO Board of Directors.
As chief risk officer, Nick is responsible for the management of the risk management infrastructure of the organization, with specific accountability for enterprise risk management, legal, regulatory compliance, financial crimes and enterprise fraud, loan review and government relations, including relationships with regulatory agencies. Nick has been active in the banking industry, having served as a board member of the Electronic Transactions Association for many years and as its president from 2008 to 2009. Additionally, he has presented on several industry panels focused on risk management. He is currently working with the Mid-Size Banks of America (MBCA), a trade and lobbying organization. Nick is active in the community, having served as a chair of the Nebraska Public Media Commission and Foundation and has previously held leadership and board roles for Humanities Nebraska, Fontenelle Nature Association and the Greater Omaha Chamber. He currently serves on the board of the Nebraska Bankers Association, amongst other organizations.
Nick was born in England and attended Malvern College, Hull University, The College of Law-Chester and Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to moving to the United States in 1987, he was an attorney with a large commercial firm in Birmingham, England.
Rickey Bevington is an Emmy award-winning Journalist, President of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta and executive in residence at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business. Georgia Trend named her among its “Georgia 500: The State’s Most Influential Leaders” of 2023. She is a graduate of numerous international fellowship programs including the International Women’s Forum, French American Foundation, German Marshall Fund, U.S. Department of State and Middle East Travel Seminar.
Prior to joining the Council, Bevington spent two decades as a decorated television and radio correspondent and anchor. Named 2019’s "Best On-Air Personality" by the Georgia Association of Broadcasters, Bevington was the longtime Atlanta-based host of NPR’s news magazine “All Things Considered” on Georgia Public Broadcasting. She has moderated dozens of live television political debates and interviewed icons as diverse as politicians Jimmy Carter and Stacey Abrams, recording artists Dolly Parton and T.I., authors Salman Rushdie and Karin Slaughter, and business luminaries including S. Truett Cathy (Chick-fil-A®) and Arthur Blank (Home Depot).
Bevington is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She serves as chair of the Agnes Scott College Board of Visitors and was on Mayor Andre Dickens’ Women of Atlanta Advisory Council. She graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College of Columbia University with a degree in Comparative Literature.
Gail Burgos was the Senior Diversity Officer of TSYS, a Global Payment company and Senior Vice President, Diversity Equity Inclusion, at 1st Sentry. Upon retiring after 25 years with TSYS, Gail started her own consulting company as the CEO of Burgos Consulting Group, Inc.
Prior to retirement, Gail led Global Payments’ efforts to continue to build its inclusion and diversity efforts across the company. She previously served as the senior advisor to the chief information officer, supporting all business lines and aspects of the information technology business at legacy TSYS.
Gail received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbus State University, a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University and a doctorate in Organizational Theory and Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Gail is the former Chief Executive Officer of Girls Inc of Columbus, responsible for after school and summer programming for girls ages 6-18.
She also served on the board for the Greater Columbus chapter of "Partners in Education" and Hope Harbor, a battered women’s shelter in Columbus Georgia, as well as on the board of PayTech Women, the premier professional organization for women in payments. She is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Melissa Burnette is a transformative leader in fintech, currently serving as Director of Product Adoption, Channels and Vendor Management at FIS – Chex Systems, Inc. With over two decades of diverse experience spanning education, government,entrepreneurship and financial services, Melissa has built a career at the intersection of innovation and leadership.
Her experience crosses roles and trades – from launching a small business to leading enterprise-scale initiatives – demonstrates how strategic thinking, curiosity and resilience can transcend technical boundaries and fuel sustainable growth. Melissa’s ability to translate complex technologies into inclusive strategies has made her a trusted voice in the industry, bridging the gap between technical and non-technical teams.
Melissa earned a B.S. in Art Marketing from University of North Georgia and holds multiple certifications including Pragmatic Marketing, Project Management, Six Sigma, Agile SAFe and Chief of Staff. She is also a dedicated executive mentor for military veterans in transition through Camp Southern Ground and American Corporate Partners. Melissa is the recipient of the U.S. Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, among other honors underscoring her commitment to service, excellence and impact.
Kymberly Cantrell is the Vice President of the U.S. Merchant Acquisition and Supplier Enablement group in the Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS) organization at American Express. GMNS manages the relationships with the millions of merchants around the world that accept American Express. Kymberly is responsible for a nationwide field sales and supplier enablement organization of 170 colleagues charged with ensuring welcomed acceptance of American Express Cards across the country through selling differentiated value to merchants.
Mahima Caprihan is a versatile business leader with over 18 years of experience in product management, analytics and business development within the payments and financial services industry. She currently serves as Business Development Lead at Mastercard, advising a major financial institution on growth-driven strategies to deliver seamless customer experiences through both existing and emerging payment technologies.
Previously, Mahima led the transformation of Mastercard’s global open banking network services, driving the commercialization of open banking solutions and launching innovative payment experiences to accelerate digital payment adoption. She also spearheaded prepaid card product strategy at Mastercard and optimized Citi’s credit card portfolio. Mahima holds a patent for “Smart Data Batching Data Management” and has received multiple recognitions, including the Consumer Excellence Award and Mastercard Way Awards, for delivering exceptional project outcomes.
An active advocate for leadership and inclusion, Mahima volunteers with several internal and external organizations including Mastercard’s internal ERGs, Women Leadership Network SteerCo, NAM New Innovation Olympics (panelist), PayTech Women (corporate champion) and Women in Payments mentor-mentee program (mentor).
Melissa Desjardins is a Director within Protiviti’s Technology Consulting group. A results-oriented business and IT leader, Melissa has extensive experience in application innovation and modernization, global team leadership and delivery of IT services. Currently, Melissa serves as a leader on Protiviti’s C-Suite Solutions team, bringing IT solutions and advisory services to C-level executives, with a focus on the banking and financial services industry. She has been recognized for her collaborative leadership style and ability to bring diverse groups of stakeholders together to achieve program objectives.
Before joining Protiviti, Melissa held various leadership positions at CGI, a global IT consulting firm, where she served as the account executive for several of CGI’s large global banking clients and also helped launch the CGI Women’s Forum in the NYC metro region.
Melissa holds a Master of Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in management from Binghamton University.
She is a recent recipient of a Women Leaders in Consulting award from Consulting Magazine and has spoken at numerous conferences and events, including the PayTech Women Leadership Summit and the Women in Payments U.S. Symposium. Melissa is based out of Protiviti’s New York City office.
As chief human resources officer at NCR Voyix, Jane Elliott leads the development and execution of the company’s global people strategy, aligning talent initiatives with business growth objectives. Her focus is on cultivating a high-performance culture through impactful people programs that drive organizational effectiveness and employee engagement.
Jane joined NCR in July 2023, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the financial technology sector. Since 2016, she has held the top HR leadership role at three publicly traded companies – Global Payments, Deluxe and Verint – where she played a pivotal role in transforming HR functions to support strategic business goals.
Her career began in accounting, finance, investor relations and corporate strategy where she held leadership roles for more than two decades in multinational organizations. In 2016, Jane transitioned into human resources, leveraging her deep business acumen to align people strategies with enterprise priorities and drive meaningful change.
Jane is deeply committed to community and industry engagement. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), her alma mater, and holds board positions with Junior Achievement of Georgia, Cool Girls and Fintech Atlanta.
Originally from western New York, Jane earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She resides in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with her husband.
Diane Faro, Chief Executive Officer of Savify, is a recognized leader in the financial services and payments industry with more than 40 years of executive experience. She has held top leadership roles at some of the industry’s most influential companies, including JetPay Corp., where she drove nationwide expansion and led the company through its successful acquisition by NCR Corporation. Earlier in her career, she served as President, Global Merchant Services at First Data, and as CEO of Chase Merchant Services, where she scaled one of the largest merchant acquiring businesses in the world.
Beyond her executive accomplishments, Diane has shaped the broader industry through leadership and advocacy. A past president of the Electronic Transactions Association and co-founder of PayTech Women. She has also served on advisory boards for Visa and MasterCard. Her lasting influence has been recognized with honors such as induction into the ETA Hall of Fame and the ETA Distinguished Payments Professional Award, underscoring her enduring impact on the future of payments and commerce.
Stephanie Giunta is a strategic, innovative marketer responsible for executing Acertitude’s communications, digital marketing strategy and branding efforts. As Marketing Director, she connects leaders with Acertitude’s brand, services and expertise, believing that relationships, authenticity and trust are at the cornerstone of everything the firm does. Her expertise lies in communicating information in a way that is strategic, impactful and relevant, while fostering a servant leadership mindset.
Stephanie brings 13 years of marketing experience across content development, digital, brand, strategy, PR and demand generation to her role at Acertitude. Prior to joining the firm, she worked at Fortune 500 companies, boutique agencies and global fintech firms, developing multi-platform integrated marketing communications programs and building strategic content plans. She earned her MBA in marketing from Stony Brook University and remains active in her alma mater’s career mentorship programs.
A proud mother of two girls. Stephanie is also the creative behind the “CMO: Chief Mothering Officer” newsletter, advocating for mothers striving to climb the corporate ladder while raising their families. Follow her journey on Instagram and TikTok at @cmostephaniegiunta.
Cynthia Knowles is a Certified Leadership and Executive Coach and a recognized CliftonStrengths champion, bringing over 35 years of experience from the payments industry.
She recently served as Vice President and Head of Business Administration for FIS, a role where she played a pivotal part in overseeing and executing enterprise programs and managing communication and market integration activities across the Office of the President. Her extensive industry background covers sales, marketing, thought leadership, diversity and inclusion initiatives and sales training, starting with Telecredit Service Corporation, which led to roles at Equifax and Certegy Inc., before becoming part of FIS.
Cynthia dedicated time as a member of the Board of Directors for PayTech Women until 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green State University where she was captain of the Women’s Varsity Field Hockey Team.
Residing in Bradenton, Florida, Cynthia is an active outdoor enthusiast who enjoys skiing, fishing and pickleball, and she dedicates her time to local community organizations and fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Donate Life America.
As Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer for TSYS, a Global Payments company, Kelley is an experienced senior executive in payments and financial services. He is known for his ability to meet financial targets, enhance operating efficiencies and execute strategic visions. His leadership style is a blend of openness and drive, with a strong focus on relationships and outcomes.
Prior to his current role, Kelley founded Future of Payments LLC in Austin, Texas, in July 2023. This venture provided advisory services to global entities in the payments and financial services industries. Before this, Kelley served his original tenure at Total System Services, Inc., (TSYS) where he held several key senior executive positions, including president of TSYS International Issuer Solutions. He went on to become president of Netspend, which he led and divested from GPN in mid-2023.
Earlier in his career, Kelley served as chief executive officer of Clear Money Limited in London, where he led the UK’s premier independent EBPP (electronic bill presentment and payment) service. His tenure at GE Capital as senior vice president of Global Cards was marked by innovative strategies in card-based consumer lending across more than 30 countries. His earlier career began with Visa USA/International, where he held various senior roles in both the U.S. and Europe, and he also held a variety of roles at Simpson Paper Company, TRW, Inc. and General Dynamics following undergraduate studies in accounting and an MBA in finance/international business.
Kelley’s expertise has also been recognized through his service on the boards of numerous companies and joint ventures worldwide. Notably, he has held board positions at M&S Money, Prepaid International Forum (PIF), Clear Money Ltd., and Dione plc, as well as board seats on partnership boards such as China Union Pay Data, GPNet and Money2Pay. Kelley currently serves in a board executive committee role in the Austin Technology Council, and he participates in seed-funding investments through the well-known incubator, Capital Factory.
With 16 years of experience at JPMorgan Chase, Margie has held various roles in Business Development, Relationship Management and currently focus on delivering strategic consumer marketing opportunities and selling customer insights for payments clients and prospects. She is passionate about Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion initiatives, demonstrated through her long-standing membership in PayTech Women, where she serves as a Corporate Champion and has served on the President's Advisory Council.
Margie was selected as a Cohort Participant for the Rise Up Academy for Money20/20 and currently serves as Board Co-Chair for Women on The Move, supporting and elevating women throughout their career journeys. Her experience includes facilitating panels for Women on the Move's Signature Event, hosting a fireside chat at the PayTech Women Summit in 2024 and participating in a panel discussion at Fintech Meetup in 2025.
She resides in Indianapolis with her husband, Jose, and enjoys teaching fitness, cheering for the Indiana Pacers, Fever and Colts and attending the Indy 500. Margie also loves cooking, reading and spending time with family and friends, including her five children.
Currently an Advisor at True-Wind Capital, Christine Lee is former Chief Executive Officer, Board Chair and Advisor for MarketTime, a B2B PE-owned SaaS company where she successfully consolidated two companies and implemented a payfac to unlock $5B of payments.
Chris was Chief Executive Officer of BillingTree and the turnaround catalyst for the PE-backed investment that led to the successful sale to Repay (RPAY).
Chris utilizes her well-rounded payments experience, which spans over three decades covering a myriad of positions in the sector, working for such leading companies as Mastercard International, National Processing Company, Bank of America and Worldpay. She was president of the U.S. Division of Moneris, a joint venture of RBC and BMO-Harris Bank, where she grew the business for an exit to Worldpay/FIS.
As an active contributor in the payments world, Chris also served over a decade on the board for Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), including as president, as well as chairing numerous ETA Committees. Additionally, Chris has dedicated many years of service to PayTech Woman, having served on the Board of Directors for over 15 years.
A midwest native, Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from St. Louis University. She has won numerous awards and been honored often in her illustrious career, including Most Influential Woman in Payments award.
Tama Looney is Vice President of Strategic Programs at Global Payments, where she leads enterprise-wide initiatives that drive growth, transformation and customer impact across the Fortune 500 organization. In this role, Tama oversees the centralized global research and insights function, customer and partner programs as well as strategic initiatives that align cross-functional teams to deliver value worldwide. With over 20 years of experience in technology, payments and strategy, Tama is known for building high-performing teams and translating complex insights into business outcomes.
Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Tama is a passionate change leader dedicated to helping others realize their full potential. As Co-chair of the Global Payments Women’s Network, she has expanded the network globally, launched local chapters, and championed initiatives that empower women through mentorship, leadership development and advocacy.
Outhay Lovan, pronounced O-tie, is the Chief Strategy Officer at VizyPay. She is dedicated to scaling and growing the organization through strategic initiatives. Outhay is passionate about people strategy, a modern approach to human resources. With over 15 years of experience in HR, she aims to grow and disrupt the traditional human resources cycle with a more people-focused and strategic approach, aligning individuals to organizational goals. Her mission statement: Inspire influencers to ignite empathy.
As a results-driven professional with extensive experience in company strategy and human capital management, Outhay is skilled in strategic planning, talent acquisition and employee development to drive organizational success and foster a high-performance culture within a forward-thinking organization. She has a proven ability to align HR initiatives with business outcomes, enhance workforce engagement and implement innovative solutions to optimize operational efficiency.
Bijay Alex Mathew is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in driving revenue growth and leading high-performing technology sales teams. As the Chief Revenue Officer at Art of Mentoring, Bijay plays a pivotal role in scaling transformative mentoring solutions that empower organizations to develop, engage, attract and retain their talent.
Bijay serves as the Austin Executive Chapter Head for Pavilion, where he engages with the community of GTM executives and supports professional growth through networking and mentorship.
Cleve Mesidor is Executive Director of the Blockchain Foundation. Previously, she was a Policy Advisor to the Blockchain Association and a mayoral appointee to the D.C. Innovation and Tech Inclusion Council. A Washington insider, she served in the Obama administration and as a Senior Staffer in Congress.
A web3 expert working in crypto for more than 8 years, Cleve has been profiled in NPR's Morning Edition, Bloomberg, POLITICO, CNBC, ABC, PBS, New York Times, Washington Post and TIME. She was also featured in the PBS Documentary, “CRYPTO DECODED,” as well as the Coinbase documentary, “COIN: A Founder's Story.” Cleve is a respected industry leader and regularly headlines national tech conferences, including Money20/20, SXSW, CES and others. On the global stage, she has spoken at Web3 and DeFi forums in Abu Dhabi, Toronto, Amsterdam, Bahamas and Barbados.
Cleve is a Forbes contributor and part of Money20/20's RiseUp network. She was recognized as a "2024 Inspiring Fintech Female" by NYC Fintech Women. She also co-hosts the annual Blockchain Braintrust Retreat on Martha's Vineyard each August.
Cleve is author of “THE CLEVOLUTION: My Quest for Justice in Politics & Crypto.” She earned a Master of Arts degree from Howard University and started her career in broadcasting at CNN's Washington bureau.
With over 20 years of experience in the payments industry, Mayra brings a deep commitment to excellence, creativity and results-driven leadership. Her career has been built on a foundation of operational expertise and a passion for driving growth through strategic onboarding, development and enablement of sales agents. At CardConnect, she leads initiatives focused on upselling, cross-selling and direct selling to unlock new business opportunities and foster long-term success.
Mayra’s journey has been one of organic growth, evolving from hands-on operational roles to strategic leadership. Prior to her current position, she spent nine years as a software development project manager, bridging the gap between operations and IT to deliver proprietary back-office solutions and commercialize innovative products and services.
Beyond her professional role, Mayra is deeply passionate about community, cultural advocacy and creating spaces where diverse voices are heard and celebrated. Since 2019, she has proudly served as one of the Georgia Chapter Leads for Juntos, their Hispanic and Latino Employee Resource Group.
Mayra also serves as co-chair for the PayTech Women Latino Inclusion Group where she helps champion representation, mentorship and empowerment for Latinas in the fintech space.
Greg Myers is the Founder and Host of the Leaders in Payments Podcast, one of the most respected shows in the payments and fintech industry. What started in December 2019 as an idea tested with 10 CEOs quickly turned into a platform that today features more than 425 episodes and continues to grow.
Greg’s payments career spans more than two decades, including leadership roles as vice president of marketing at both Chase Paymentech and First Data. He has also consulted for a range of organizations in the payments ecosystem, from payment facilitators to fraud prevention and mobile payments companies. Greg holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Auburn University, and his educational foundation, combined with deep industry experience, give him a unique ability to uncover the stories and insights that matter most to executives and innovators. He firmly believes that every leader has a story worth sharing and that podcasting is one of the most powerful platforms to give those stories a voice.
May Ngeow is a Vice President in Visa’s North America Product organization, serving as the Head of Client strategy & Solutions. In this role, May is responsible for defining and driving the product market strategy for North America. She does so by engaging with clients on their strategies and needs, keeping a pulse on the ever-evolving market needs and trends, then crafting and spearheading an executable strategy to ensure that Visa’s products and solutions meet the needs of their diverse North American clients.
May’s teams are also responsible for bringing relevant Visa products and capabilities to the dynamic U.S. market by developing go-to-market strategy, commercialization and pre-sale execution for Visa product initiatives. She brings global leadership experience in both strategy and delivery excellence to ultimately help clients accelerate their payment journeys, drive growth and form a deeper relationship with Visa.
May has extensive experience in the payments space as a thought leader. Prior to joining Visa, May was a Managing Director at Accenture, leading cards and digital & emerging payments in Accenture’s payments practice. During her time there, she advised players across the payments landscape, from fintechs to Fortune 100s, on priority initiatives such as payments and digital transformations, technology modernization and innovation.
Jonathan O’Connor is the Chief Third-Party Payments Officer at Synovus, overseeing merchant services, ISO sponsorship and banking-as-a-service (Maast). With over 20 years in financial services, he’s held leadership roles at Elavon, First Data, Deluxe and Trust Payments.
As Synovus’ first Chief Third-Party Payments Officer, he’s driven innovation and growth across embedded finance. Jonathan actively supports industry advancement through FinTech Atlanta and the American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC), and he serves as vice chair of FinTech Atlanta. His leadership blends strategic vision, product innovation and a commitment to community impact.
Darren Parslow leads Visa Commercial Solutions, a global team that brings to life innovative products and solutions to Visa’s clients and partners who support businesses of all sizes – from SMBs to large multi-national corporations and governments around the world.
Prior to Visa, Parslow served as senior engagement manager for Financial Institutions Consulting (FIC), a management consulting practice focused on developing strategies for financial institutions in the commercial banking, finance and card payments business segments. Prior to FIC, he was at Citibank in commercial business banking management.
Parslow received his degrees in multinational management from the Wharton School of Business and in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his family live in New York City.
Linda S. Perry is a retired banking and payments industry expert. She is a Co-Founder and Board Director of PayTech Women, a non-profit organization whose mission is to create leadership development, mentoring and networking opportunities for thousands of women across the payments industry.
Linda retired in April 2009 after 17 years at Visa, Inc. For most of her career at Visa, she served as Senior Vice President and Head of Acquirer and Processor Sales for the U.S.
Before joining Visa, Linda was a vice president at Citibank and held several vice president positions at Michigan National Bank. Linda served as a member of the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) Board of Directors for 13 years. In 2019, she was inducted into the ETA Hall of Fame.
In 2013, 2014 and 2015, Linda was named one of the 20 Most Influential Women in Payments by PaymentsSource. She also created and managed two successful global acquiring conferences in London in 2013 and 2015 with partner Global Vision Group. In 2010, Linda was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Midwest Acquirers Association.
Valissa Pierrelouis is a former fintech executive turned leadership coach, speaker, trainer and founder of Standout Career Guide. She helps mid-career women and inclusive leaders amplify their leadership profile and readiness to step into senior and C-suite roles without burnout.
With more than 20 years of leadership experience in fintech and financial services, Valissa has led service, operations and sales teams across corporate and startup environments. She brings a unique blend of strategic insight and real-world expertise to her coaching and training programs, powered by the Standout Executive Framework™.
She is a Maxwell Leadership™ Certified Coach, Speaker and Trainer and her insights have been featured in publications, podcasts and events nationwide.
Bailey Reutzel is a long-time Finance and Tech Journalist with a focus on cryptocurrency and AI. Her work has appeared in CNBC, The Atlantic, The Economist, CoinDesk, Decrypt, and many more. She has worked with some of the biggest tech companies on content strategy and creation.
Today, she works as an event programmer building out stories for the stage. She is the Senior Director of Content and Strategy for the Live Media department at American Banker.
In her free time, she writes fiction, watches sci-fi and talks to her plants.
Gretchen is an entrepreneurial-minded product leader with deep experience designing and launching global financial and non-financial products across fintech, payments, e-commerce, cybersecurity, identity & trust. Her career spans product development, business growth and technology consulting, with a proven track record of building innovative solutions that drive impact at scale.
She is currently part of the payments strategy team at TD Bank, shaping the future of money movement through faster payments, agentic AI, embedded finance and next-generation payment experiences. Passionate about innovation, Gretchen is dedicated to delivering seamless, secure and future-ready solutions that empower both businesses and consumers, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the evolving payments landscape.
Erin Saxby serves as Vice President of Technology Data Services at First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), bringing three decades of financial services and technology expertise to her role. A passionate data advocate, Erin champions the transformative power of data to drive better decisions, uncover strategic insights and enable intelligent automation.
Her career focuses on harnessing data's potential to fuel innovation and enhance customer experiences. She promotes responsible AI integration within banking, emphasizing practical applications that deliver measurable business value while maintaining the human element in financial services.
Sunil leads the Embedded Finance and Digital Assets business with true horizontal accountability across the banking, merchant acquiring and issuing businesses at Fiserv.
His focus is on leveraging Fiserv’s capabilities to serve a wide range of clients, including financial institutions, brands, software platforms, and fintechs. With a team dedicated to innovation, Sunil aims to deliver integrated financial solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients and their customers globally.
With more than 25 years of leadership and professional experience, Claudia has held a range of positions in marketing, business development and client management across the payments, consumer packaged goods and oil sectors.
Over the past six years, she has excelled in senior leadership roles, focusing on strategic client management, business planning and cultivating partnerships within the payments industry. At Capital One, Claudia leads initiatives designed to strengthen collaboration with Discover Network's key payment partners, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives to deliver measurable outcomes.
Claudia’s career highlights her dedication to executive leadership and client relations, supported by robust expertise in strategic planning and problem-solving. She is committed to supporting Capital One’s growth through collaborative strategies and customized client solutions that promote market innovation and empower high-performing teams.
Previously, Claudia played an integral role in building multinational partnerships and launching significant initiatives that advanced mobile payments and facilitated global acceptance expansion. Her tenure at Discover was preceded by various strategic, marketing and business development positions at BP and Castrol Motor Oil.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Claudia was raised alongside her sister and two brothers. She earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Claudia enjoys international travel, ceramics, photography and spending quality time with her husband, Erik, and their dogs.
Stacia Smith is a distinguished payments professional with a 30-year tenure specializing in building strategic partnerships and generating revenue as an individual contributor. Throughout her career, Stacia has worked for some of the most respected organizations in the industry. She currently serves as a Development Executive for Verifone, Inc.
Since 2005, Stacia has played essential roles in the ongoing growth and vibrancy of PayTech Women, having co-led the first Chicago Local Chapter, served on the board of directors and on staff as Head of Strategic Partnerships.
A passionate advocate for professional development, Stacia holds two coaching certificates – including one from the International Coaching Federation – and is recognized for her dedication to empowering others through mentorship and coaching.
Outside of work, her passions include gardening, yoga & fitness and fostering dogs.
Stacey Tappin joined Visa in 2018 and is currently Vice President, leading Visa’s Global Acquirer Processor team. Her team of account executives manage several of Visa’s largest global enabler accounts. Before joining Visa, Stacey was a member of Apriva’s executive team as senior vice president of sales & marketing, overseeing sales, account management, marketing and business development teams.
Previously, Stacey held the position of Vice President of Sales at TSYS, now Global Payments, where she was responsible for acquiring and processing revenue growth. She began her career at Mastercard, holding various roles for over ten years in the global technology and operations division across North America and Europe. Her extensive 30+ years’ experience in the payments industry has equipped her with a deep understanding of the global landscape and a proven record of driving revenue growth.
Stacey earned a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications from Lindenwood University and has completed leadership courses through INSEAD, Human Factors and Owl Sight Intentions. She currently serves on the board of directors for PayTech Women (formerly Wnet) and serves on ETA’s Payment Sales and Strategy committee. Stacey served four years as board vice president for Desert Mountain Gridiron, a nonprofit organization supporting high school athletic programs. She resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, and pursues interests including travel, golf, skiing and spending time with her husband, son and rescue dog.
Accomplished payments executive with a track-record for delivering sustainable revenue growth and high-quality client experience. Known for building high-performance teams and working cross-functionally to deliver on high-impact and complex strategic initiatives. Expertise across product, sales, marketing and operations spanning Payments, Banking and Brokerage sectors. Specialties include product strategy, customer segmentation, client experience and digital, integrating new acquisitions into existing business models, sales enablement and performance management, go-to-market and strategic pricing. Reputation for getting things done and working collaboratively across the organization.
Mary leads Revenue Operations Commercialization and Client Experience within the Fiserv Merchant Solutions Segment. She has responsibility for bringing new products to market including strategy, pricing, delivery, sales enablement, and client experience for all client segments within this multibillion-dollar business. She joined Fiserv as part of the First Data acquisition in 2019. Mary has spent the past 30+ years in Financial Services focusing on creating products and solutions to help clients simplify their financial lives and prosper.
Prior to this role, Mary served as Market Executive for Wealth Management Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where she led a sales team of bankers who specialized in delivering credit and banking solutions to investment clients as part of a goals based financial plan. She also ran Integrated Solutions and Cards, and had responsibility for product delivery, communications, service strategy and the Card business within Merrill Lynch’s Wealth Management Banking product team.
Prior to joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch in 2010, Mary headed Product Management for the Retail Banking Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. At Smith Barney, she led the product strategy, design, implementation, marketing and P&L management for the Smith Barney banking business with focus developing customized, premium banking solutions for the company’s affluent segment. Mary has been a strong advocate for women and diversity throughout her career, and an active member of women’s leadership groups leading and creating mentoring programs. She is a Past President of PayTech Women and an active member of the Fiserv Women’s Impact Network (WIN). She has served on the Board of Directors at the Village Community School, a private school in New York City. In March 2022 she was named on the list of Most Influential Women in Payments by American Banker.
She attended Tufts University where she double majored in Psychology and Community Health and has a culinary arts degree from the New York Restaurant School. She lives in NYC with her husband Dan and near their two grown children Genevieve and Harris. Interests include giving back in her local community where she volunteers regularly at the Village Temple Soup Kitchen, reading, cooking and exercising.
Christina has been in the business-to-business (B2B) payments industry for most of her career. She is passionate about helping corporate clients and FIS partners remove friction within procure-to-pay and order-to-cash processes. She currently leads a high performing go-to-market team on a mission to turn finance from a cost center into a growth partner.
Prior to joining FIS, Christina held senior executive roles at some of the most well-known brands in payments and fintech. Her experience includes product management, strategy, strategic partnerships, business development, sales, marketing and corporate development.
Christina earned her Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Troy University and her Master of Business Administration from Auburn University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, cooking and traveling. To really wind down, she enjoys yoga and reading.
Rebecca Walden is a payments marketing pro, driving go-to-market strategy for fintechs, ISVs, ISOs, financial institutions and SMBs.
Before Corvia, Rebecca led enterprise-wide marketing for First American by Deluxe. She also serves on the President’s Advisory Council for PayTech Women and is the co-chair for its 2025 Leadership Summit.
A breast cancer survivor, Rebecca is a fierce advocate about early detection. Her blog, at rebeccacwalden.com, is a global go-to resource for the newly diagnosed and their caregivers.
Patty Watson is an accomplished technology executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience in financial services, payments and global enterprises. She most recently served as executive vice president, Chief Information and Technology Officer at NCR Atleos Corporation, following her role as Chief Information Officer at NCR Corporation. Prior to that, Patty was President of Cloud Collaboration at Intrado Corporation and served as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Total System Services (TSYS) from 2015 until its acquisition by Global Payments in 2019. Earlier in her career, she held senior technology leadership roles at The Brink’s Company and Bank of America, after serving 10 years in the United States Air Force.
Patty currently serves on the Board of Directors of Southwest Airlines Co. and Rockwell Automation, where she contributes expertise in technology strategy, cybersecurity and digital transformation. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics from St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dayton.
Margaret Weichert is a seasoned payments executive with 30 years in the payment industry at companies including First Data, Bank of America and The Clearing House. She’s also worked as a consultant for a broad range of payment clients, including banks, fintechs, retailers, entertainment and insurance companies. As a longtime industry innovator and entrepreneur, Margaret has been awarded 15 U.S. patents for payments innovations related to credit and debit cards, ACH payments, wallets and cash management. Margaret has always found payments interesting, even before “it was trendy.”
Erica Woods joined Stripe in November 2022 to lead state and local public policy. Woods is responsible for all aspects of company, state and regulatory government affairs strategy, including evaluating risks and opportunities, setting short- and long-term priorities and using diverse tactics such as direct lobbying, thought leadership and external partnerships to advance company goals.
Prior to Stripe, Woods was the Director of Government Relations for Dutchie from 2021-2022, where she managed both federal and state legislative priorities and new market strategy. Woods was also the Head of State Public Policy at Facebook from 2018-2021, where she helped craft policy positions on a range of matters including data privacy, geolocation and biometrics.
Woods also specialized in attorneys general outreach and engagement. From 2015-2018, Woods served as Counsel for the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security in Washington, D.C., where she focused her practice on overseeing the Department of Homeland Security. During her time with the committee, Woods investigated numerous Secret Service security breaches and personnel matters, helped evaluate department budget requests and drafted legislation designed to support acquisition reform within the department.
From 2014-2015, Woods served the Obama Administration as a Political Appointee at the Department of Homeland Security as an Oversight Attorney. There, Woods drafted responses to congressional oversight requests and prepared department officials for testimony before congressional committees.
Woods began her legal career at Bryan Cave LLP where she practiced bankruptcy litigation, banking and real estate. Woods is originally from Memphis, TN. She completed her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University and law studies at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.
