ETA's Amy Zirkle leads with confidence, industrywide support

As payments industry professionals worldwide gear up for Transact 19, to be held April 30 to May 2, 2019, at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center, support is pouring in for the Electronic Transactions Association's interim CEO, Amy Zirkle. She took over the reins of the leading payments industry trade association on Feb. 22, 2019, following the departure of Jason Oxman, who had served as ETA's CEO for seven years. Oxman is now president and CEO of the trade association ITI.

Noting Zirkle's broad industry following and leadership qualifications, Kevin Jones, president of the ETA's board of directors and CEO at Celero Commerce, called Zirkle "an acknowledged thought leader with robust experience in business and government relations issues."

Scott Goldthwaite, president at Aliaswire, added, "Amy has a passion for payments, and with her industry background, she brings a client-focused approach to the ETA. It is a well-deserved appointment, and we are very excited for her in her new role."

As she reflected on her new responsibilities, Zirkle told The Green Sheet that emerging payment technologies and continuing consolidation affect all industry sectors in significant ways. "Payments industry leaders are building on foundational elements as they progress along an evolutionary path," she said. "These times require all industry stakeholders to build a cohesive strategy by understanding our collective history while thinking in a transformational way."

Diverse leadership experience

Prior to joining the ETA in 2014, Zirkle spent 17 years as a senior economist for an international consulting firm, where she focused on mobile payments in developing regions. Her experience at American Express and MCI Communications informed her deep expertise in financial services technology, government and regulatory affairs. Zirkle also served as an officer of Women in Government Relations and member of Women in Housing and Finance.

Zirkle's extensive experience, open-door leadership and advocacy have been widely noted by ETA members who have worked with her on a range of payments industry initiatives and issues. She played an integral role in overseeing valued relationships between ETA member companies and the association and developing the ETA's education and professional credentialing programs.

In her expanded role as interim CEO, Zirkle represents the association before external organizations, which include industry forums, think tanks and standards setting organizations. She was also elected to represent the ETA on the PCI Security Standards Council Board of Advisors.

People's choice

ETA members additionally noted that the ETA has prospered in the short period since Zirkle assumed leadership. Among her many responsibilities, Zirkle moderates the ETA's podcast, where she recently interviewed women in leadership positions across the payments industry. Supporters noted that Zirkle's podcast interviews reflect her deep appreciation for her panelists and personal commitment to cultivating opportunities for both seasoned and up-and-coming payments professionals.

"I've had the pleasure of working with Amy for the past several years and I feel that she's really earned this opportunity," said Jennifer Reichenbacher, senior vice president, channel marketing at Paysafe Group. "A great testament to that is how seamlessly she's stepped into the Interim CEO role, taking on the leadership role, amplifying her presence at events and in social media and really standing at the forefront of everything ETA."

Cory Capoccia, president at Womply, called Zirkle "a cornerstone of the association," noting that Zirkle has led numerous ETA initiatives for many years. "Now as our interim CEO, she has once again stepped up to steer our industry's most critical trade association forward," he added. "We're grateful for Amy's continued dedication and leadership and look forward to many more years of progress and success to come."

Editorial Note: Readers who would like to see Zirkle's appointment become permanent can send letters of support directly to azirkle@electran.org. This article and note were unsolicited and reflect the personal views of multiple readers of The Green Sheet.

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