Career moves

Chesapeake Bank & Trust in Chestertown, Md., has named former community bank chief executive Ray Tarrach to its board. Tarrach had been president and CEO of Chestertown Bank, which was renamed Mercantile Eastern Shore Bank in 2004.

When Armine-Klein joined the company in May 2014, First Data held a 45% rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, which is used to benchmark corporate policies and practices regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. Today, First Data holds a score of 100%.

Daif describes her job as a race against industry disruptors who ostensibly offer faster, more convenient alternatives at lower costs.

Ericksen is one of the "EMV people," part of the card network-driven push to get the entire globe dipping instead of swiping.

Ann Cairns, president of international markets for MasterCard, helps guide initiatives such as financial inclusion and other international initiatives. The rapid uptake of payments technology is challenging MasterCard to create an attractive experience that goes beyond payments.

In addition to battling crime, bankers face a more competitive market filled with well-funded bank alternatives, putting Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Stephanie Wolf on the spot to play offense and defense for one of the world's largest financial institutions.

McNamara has been recognized in prior years as one of PaymentsSource's Most Influential Women in Payments, partly on the influence of her organization, Citi Retail Services, which accounts for a huge portion of Citi's overall business.

There's a cultural shift that's necessary for some companies, Manus said, noting that for many organizations, past success is the biggest threat to a healthy future.

'Fast' may not be the first word that comes to mind when describing her four-year journey to win over the country's largest banks, but for Jan Estep, it's a testament to the perseverance and negotiating prowess necessary to achieve a breakthrough in payments efficiency.

Still uncertain about EMV? You've got good company in MagTek's CEO and chairman, Annmarie "Mimi" Hart.

Fintech companies work in much faster cycles than the traditional payments industry is used to, and these newcomers aren't afraid to pivot. Discover's partnerships have taught it how to stay "nimble," Offereins said, while still allowing it to focus on enabling commerce in a seamless and secure way.

In 2016, most incumbents in the payments industry will probably spend some time defending their businesses and rethinking their strategies, says Reetika Grewal, who has been leading payments strategy at Silicon Valley Bank for the last three years.

"I realized that if you want more, you have to constantly look for new tasks and new areas to be involved and learn new skills, all while making yourself a little uncomfortable in the process," Elliott said.

In the past year, Verifone's European market share has grown more than 10 percentage points, and Felix declares it her proudest moment in a career that spans 26 years.

"If we stay the course, I’m optimistic that we’ll put an end to the era of mass data breaches at merchants," Richey predicts. However, she has been in the payments industry for 22 years and does not approach her job with blinders.

As the payments industry advances at a lightning-fast speed, Stephanie Ferris plans on enjoying that ride — as long as it benefits Vantiv's customers.

Patty Watson admits she stays awake at night with thoughts of what, to TSYS and its clients, would be a true nightmare — a data breach. But that fear keeps Watson focused on the task at hand of assuring such threats can be thwarted.

Work-life balance has taken a new meaning for Synchrony Financial's Carol Juel since her company began its spinoff from GE over a year ago.

As ACI Worldwide's executive vice president of application development, addressing the real-time payments challenge falls squarely on her shoulders.

Kazazean’s ability to drive collaboration across diverse teams will be a critical asset as she faces Walmart's ambitious shift to omnichannel commerce this year.