Career moves

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.

Living up to the word "enterprise" in her job description is serious business, but for Colleen Taylor, head of treasury management and enterprise payments at Capital One, success also means staying true to herself and finding joy in work.

For Kristy Cook, group manager of bankcard strategic projects at Target Corp., there couldn't be a more better time to lead the payments team at one of the nation's most forward-thinking retailers.

Being a working mom who "at times has a tough time balancing it all," Hund-Mejean sees firsthand how MasterCard’s breakthroughs to connect shopping and payments via household appliances could make life easier for busy people.

Arriving at PayPal six months ago to head its credit operations, Kathleen Pierce-Gilmore felt an immediate and refreshing change in the atmosphere, compared with the stuffier air at her previous financial services jobs.

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.