Charged with guiding and supporting the UK’s Leading Trade Association 2022 (under 500 members)*, the new Advisory Board members are from a payments scheme, two banks, two technology companies and a blockchain business. The Advisory Board is democratically voted for by the 182 member organisations and now comprises of one third women, almost 30% people of colour and almost 30% from smaller companies. In total 26 people applied to join the Advisory Board to replace the six exiting members.

The new Advisory Board members are Darren Deal, Senior Vice President - Fintech, Government & Digital Partnerships, UK&I at Mastercard, Ian Povey, CIO Payments Services & Technology, Group Payments COE at NatWest, and Paul Horlock, Chief Payments Officer at Santander UK. In addition, Noyan Nihat, COO of Privat3 Money, is joined by Laura McCracken, Managing Director, eCommerce & Payments at Accenture, and Sendi Young, Managing Director UK and Europe at Ripple.

“Our thriving hub for passionate payments people depends on volunteers stepping forward to provide their guidance, ideas and help,” said Tony Craddock, Director General of The Payments Association. “This year the bar has been raised even higher. I am delighted that under the leadership of our Chair of the Advisory Board, Marion King, and with these new strong additions to our leadership group, we can set out to achieve even more influence over the current prosperity of our members and the future prosperity of our industry.”

Neil Harris, Deputy Chair of the Advisory Board at The Payments Association, commented: “On behalf of the Advisory Board, we’d like to warmly welcome the new members of the team, as well as thank the outgoing members for their huge contribution over the last few years. We’re proud of the development and diversity of The Payments Association, which has kept in pace with the speed of innovation in payments and fintech, ensuring that our industry remains a leading force in serving and protecting consumer and business financial transactions.”

Ben Agnew, CEO, The Payments Association, added: ‘‘In 2023 we are focusing on the seven areas that our members have told us matter most to them: financial inclusion, digital currencies, financial crime, cross-border payments, open banking, regulation and ESG.” He continued, “Our Advisory Board, which is representing our members and their interests, is key to the direction and development of our community and how we engage the wider industry. With these experienced executives supporting us, we are assured of continued growth in impact and effectiveness at The Payments Association.”

Craddock continued, “Our mission for the year ahead is to inform and educate those stakeholders who do not fully recognise the systemic significance of payments for the prosperity of our society. In 2022 we delivered 17 consultation responses, 12 webinars averaging 550 registrations, nine monthly networking events, six whitepapers, three conferences and one glittering awards ceremony. This volume of activity is only going to increase in 2023, as we respond to the challenges facing our industry - fraud scams, new technologies, increased regulatory scrutiny and greater pressure to consolidate - while enabling connections, collaboration and learning that shape an industry that works for all.”