John Adams

Business-to-business payments have long been stuck in the past, with a heavy emphasis on paper checks. The need for modernization has attracted a flurry of technology developers.

The prepaid card issuer's senior vice president of partner services and delivery, one of this year's Most Influential Women in Payments Next honorees, has had to address the impact of multiple global crises on the underbanked.

The very upstarts that gave the prepaid card issuer a run for its money in recent years are seeing their valuations fall and their belts tighten. At the same time, Green Dot CEO Dan Henry expects that it can help consumers manage their cash flow amid economic stress.

The payments company has agreed to acquire EVO Payments for $4 billion and sell off the consumer-focused portions of its Netspend unit as part of an industrywide emphasis on automated business-to-business payments.

The payment processor is an early user of Apple's smartphone payments capability, which provides a DIY option for retail workers, but doesn't necessarily cover all merchants in all use cases.

Dee Hock, who recently passed away, was CEO of the card brand from 1970 to 1984. He championed a mix of competition and collaboration among financial institutions to foster innovation, an idea that is still used in technology development.

A potential Senate bill could pressure interchange fees, while the broader economy faces a downturn. Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach contends the firm is prepared for both.

American Banker's second annual Most Influential Women in Payments, Next recognizes women under 40 who have demonstrated a strong talent for leadership and an expertise in their respective fields.

The card brand has not seen "any evidence" of consumers reducing spending major categories or markets, the card network's chairman and chief executive said.

Pagaya, which drew attention for wild swings in its stock price last week, says uncertainty is part of what makes its product compelling.