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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.

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.

There have never been so many foundational changes at once in this industry, Murray said. It’s imperative that everyone in it stay on their toes and be “prepared to change direction at any moment.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

This year's honorees, selected by the editors of PaymentsSource, are responsible for businesses and innovations as diverse as the payments industry itself. They are technologists, entrepreneurs, leaders and influencers throughout the worlds of banking and payments.

For the first time in its nearly 60-year history, Visa is inviting third-party software developers onto its network with the goal of advancing digital commerce.

Seamless, a Swedish maker of mobile payments software, has partnered with Xpress Money for international money transfers.

U.S. merchants are still reluctant to embrace 3D Secure technology to protect card-not-present transactions, even though it has vastly improved from the initial tedious version that irritated consumers more than a decade ago.

Payments startup Coin Inc. has weathered challenges since its splashy crowd-funded launch in 2013, and now it’s got a new one: A lawsuit claiming the all-in-one payment card product didn’t live up to its initial promises.