The payments industry is changing fast. From the launch of Apple Pay to the march toward EMV, merchants, card networks, banks and consumers are rethinking their assumptions and expectations and this years honorees are not only navigating change, they are leading it.
The 20 women we honor this year have advanced the pace of innovation, challenged competitors and fueled the creativity and ambitions of their colleagues. They represent diverse businesses, including retail banks, card networks, retailers and acquirers. They also represent a deep and varied range of experience, as each has followed a unique path to her current role.
The trends they follow are shifting drastically. Last year, many honorees focused on mobile payments and wearables. This year, security dominated the conversation, as many are implementing new protections against a seemingly never-ending onslaught of data breaches. Many are also modernizing the payment experience by collaborating with new allies or experimenting with new technology.
In alphabetical order, here are PaymentsSource's 2015 Most Influential Women in Payments. Click each name to view a profile of the honoree, or
Ann Cairns , President, International Markets, MasterCard
Virginia Curnal , Chief of Staff, Bank of America Merchant Services
Janet O. Estep , President and CEO, NACHA
Kimberly Fitzsimmons , U.S. Market President, Chase Merchant Services
Reetika Grewal , Head of Payments Strategy and Solutions, Silicon Valley Bank
Pamela Joseph , Vice Chair of Payment Services, US Bancorp
Kara Kazazean , Director of Credit and Debit, Finance, Walmart
Juliette Kennel , Head of Market Infrastructures, Swift
Carey Kolaja , Vice President, Global Product Solutions, PayPal
Christine Larsen , EVP and Chief Operations Officer, First Data
Linda Mantia , EVP, Digital, Payments & Cards, RBC
Leslie McNamara , Managing Director, Partnership Management, Citi Retail Services
Jennifer Miles , President of Americas, Verifone
Rathi Murthy , SVP and CIO, Enterprise Growth, American Express
Diane Offereins , EVP, President of Payment Services, Discover Financial Services
Linda Perry , Linda S. Perry Consulting
Ellen Richey , Chief Enterprise Risk Officer, Visa
Debra Rossi , EVP, Wells Fargo; CEO, Wells Fargo Merchant Services
Valerie Soranno Keating , CEO, Barclaycard
Colleen Taylor , EVP, Head of Treasury Management & Enterprise Payments, Capital One Bank
