Women in Payments

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.

Offereins says her primary focus at Discover is developing initiatives for growth while navigating the rigorous financial, legislative, and regulatory landscape of the banking and payments industries.