PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Feb. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Payments Forum and its leadership are making significant impacts in advancing the progress of payments technologies that protect the security of, and enhance opportunities for, payment transactions within the U.S. To propel the organization and its mission forward, the U.S. Payments Forum announced today its 2017-2018 Steering Committee and officers.
The newly-elected Steering Committee officers for 2017-2018 are:
- Chair: Kristy Cook, Target
- Vice Chair: Jesse Lee, Wells Fargo
- Treasurer: Sarah Hartman, TSYS
- Secretary: Karen Czack, American Express
The full U.S. Payments Forum Steering Committee is:
| • | Steve Cole, Vantiv | • | Simon Hurry, Visa Inc. | |
| • | Kristy Cook, Target | • | Jesse Lee, Wells Fargo | |
| • | Karen Czack, American Express | • | Oliver Manahan, Infineon Technologies | |
| • | John Drechny, Walmart | • | Manish Nathwani, SHAZAM | |
| • | Allen Friedman, Ingenico Group | • | Jesse Pamperin, McDonald’s | |
| • | Melanie Gluck, Mastercard | • | Nick Pisarev, Giesecke & Devrient | |
| • | Barry Hanen, Walgreens | • | Tom Pouliot, Unionpay | |
| • | Scott Haney, Woodforest National Bank | • | JC Raynon, PayPal | |
| • | Kathy Hanna, Kroger | • | Ellie Smith, Discover Financial Services | |
| • | Art Harper, PSCU | • | Jamie Topolski, Fiserv | |
| • | Sarah Hartman, TSYS | • | Bob Woodbury, FIS/NYCE | |
| • | Linda Horwath, JCB |
The Steering Committee manages the Forum and guides the priorities and plans of the organization and its working committees – ATM; Card-Not-Present Fraud; Communication and Education; Mobile and Contactless Payments; Petroleum; and Testing and Certification. Some of the key working committee activities that the Steering Committee oversees include identifying and providing guidance on issues, developing best practices for implementation of payments technologies, providing market education, and creating deliverables such as white papers and webinars for industry stakeholders.
“Part of what makes the U.S. Payments Forum such a successful organization is the constant and active participation from our members representing all segments of the industry – issuers, merchants, acquirers, processors, domestic debit networks, industry suppliers and global payment networks,” said Randy Vanderhoof, director of the U.S. Payments Forum. “The Forum’s leadership is integral in guiding the success of the organization, and its diverse cross-industry makeup helps to give the Forum a balanced voice and allows us to better address the needs of the entire payments ecosystem.”
For more information about the Steering Committee and its members, visit http://www.uspaymentsforum.org/about/forum-management/.
New U.S. Payments Forum Website Launch
Another new development for the U.S. Payments Forum is the launch of its new website, www.uspaymentsforum.org. The website provides information and resources for members, non-members and those interested in joining the Forum, including:
- Implementation guidance, best practices, white papers, briefs, infographics, webinars, communications resources and more
- U.S. Payments Forum news
- Event details for Forum workshops, member-only meetings and industry events
- Information about the U.S. Payments Forum, its working committees, members and leadership
Faster EMV Q&A Published
American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa separately announced optimized online-only EMV transaction processing solutions to enable faster EMV transactions. These solutions retain the security features of EMV, while removing dependencies which can negatively impact the cardholder perception of transaction time.
With the introduction of these solutions, there have been questions about the impact on certain aspects of implementation, processing, routing, verification and more. To answer these questions, the Forum has revised its white paper, “Optimizing Transaction Speed at the POS,” to include an appendix with a Q&A specific to these solutions.
To download the revised white paper, visit http://www.uspaymentsforum.org/optimizing-transaction-speed-at-the-point-of-sale/.
U.S. Payments Forum Meeting in Orlando
The U.S. Payments Forum’s next in-person members-only meeting will be held March 27-28, 2017 in Orlando, FL at the Renaissance Orlando at Sea World. Additional information, agenda and registration are available at http://www.cvent.com/events/u-s-payments-forum-meeting-orlando-mar-17/event-summary-6cc4522a0d9642efa7f74251cde58993.aspx.
Attending members are also encouraged to attend the Smart Card Alliance’s 10th Annual Payments Summit, being held at the same location on March 28-30, 2017. Separate registration is required. For more information or to register for the Payments Summit, visit www.scapayments.com.
About the U.S. Payments Forum
The U.S. Payments Forum is a cross-industry body focused on supporting the introduction and implementation of new and emerging technologies that protect the security of, and enhance opportunities for, payment transactions within the U.S. The Forum is the only non-profit organization whose membership includes the whole payments ecosystem, ensuring that all stakeholders have the opportunity to coordinate, cooperate on, and have a voice in the future of the U.S. payments industry.