Carla Balakgie has stepped down as CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association to take the same title at the National Automatic Merchandising Association.
Pam Furneaux, ETA chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO, according to an Oct. 5 ETA announcement.
Balakgie joined the ETA in May 2003 and took on the job of establishing the group’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and putting together the association’s first full-time staff, Richard Pylant, chairman of Strategic Payment Systems Inc. and president of the ETA board, said in the announcement.
During Balakgie’s tenure, the ETA formed a government-relations team; created educational events, such as the Strategic Leadership Forum; and developed the certified payments professional credential, the announcement said.
“Thanks to her stewardship, ETA and its members are well positioned to face the future of the ever-evolving payments business,” Pylant said
