"Women have not reached the most senior levels as much as they should. This isn't specific to our industry; it's prevalent across the corporate world. It's difficult to pinpoint why – rather, it's likely a host of reasons."

"In a world that requires balance, you should not expect 100% of people or companies or constituents to be 100% pleased and happy."

"Whether you are a male or female, the most important thing is to always look at creating opportunities for yourself. You cannot wait for someone to think of you."

"At SVB, we consider disruption our friend. Disruptive innovation in payments has historically been more incremental compared to other sectors. But this sector is evolving…and fast."

"The time that we're in right now very much resembles, to me, the time that the Internet was exploding … there's so much going on."

"Today, payments companies are all around us.Retailers have come together to create a mobile payments company … and regional debit networks are expanding capabilities to support a wider variety of transactions to attempt to compete with traditional credit networks."

"The number of women that apply to join payments companies is still much lower than the number of men, and ... when you start your career and can't see anyone that looks or thinks like you at the top, this is not inspiring."

"[Our] efforts have helped eBay to more than double the number of women in leadership roles, as well as increase the share of leadership positions held by women in the last three years."

"Many of our clients are women, too, and there's a significant opportunity for females to change the face of this business. I took a hell of a risk when I left the security of a banking job to come to First Data…and I couldn't be happier."

"Payments and digital are highly interconnected and both are rapidly evolving growth areas."

"The differentiating factors in ensuring women get the roles — and recognition — they deserve are the ability to drive change, think innovatively and build consensus. These, combined with the so-called 'soft' skills commonly associated with women, create a clear roadmap for the future of our industry and will allow women to leave a legacy of inspiration."

"Without a doubt, EMV, security and mobility are going to dominate the payments space this year."

"We often believe in our ability to excel and succeed in senior leadership positions, but without the action to break through this barrier."

"The emphasis currently on mobile technology is around security and how it changes the in-store, and now, online, shopping experience. It is impacting everything from how a card member finds the best price to how they are paying for the purchase at the point of sale."

"One boss mentored me and told me to go out and learn everything I could about my job and all the other jobs I managed and those jobs of my peers. It was good advice as I did this throughout my career and no one could question my knowledge."

"An industry that some may have considered to be synonymous with conservative, slow-moving tactics is embracing the innovations of the digital age."

"It's important that we do not allow the dynamic nature of the industry to overwhelm participants and merchants."

"Instead of focusing on barriers that stand in the path of a rising star, I want to concentrate on steps that women can take to propel themselves to the next rung in their payments career."

The 20 women we honor this year have advanced the pace of innovation, challenged competitors and fueled the creativity and ambitions of their colleagues.

It's safe to the EMV adoption will be successful, but it is still going to take some time – and might never achieve 100% ubiquity in the U.S.