AWARDS & RECOGNITION

We honour and celebrate women who are making waves in the global payments ecosystem. Our awards program recognizes the achievements of women who have distinguished themselves as leaders, innovators, rising stars, and consummate professionals.

Our USA Awards Committee, comprised of seasoned talent from across the payments industry, will review all nominations and select the recipients. These distinguished women will be honored at our 2026 USA Symposium.

Please note:

• EACH NOMINEE CAN ONLY BE NOMINATED FOR ONE AWARD CATEGORY, DUPLICATE NOMINATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

• A MAXIMUM OF ONE NOMINEE PER CATEGORY PER ORGANIZATION.

• SELF NOMINATIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED.

• Each nominee submitted must reside in the USA.

• Individuals who have previously won in a given category are not eligible for nomination in that same category at future symposia.

The Women in Payments 2026 USA Symposium Award Nominations are now closed.

Please be advised that the deadline is final and cannot be extended under any circumstances.

CRITERIA

• Has promoted payments innovation through creativity, vision, and perseverance in her organization or the payments industry. Has been instrumental in promoting innovations or creative process reengineering which are original, have significant impact, can be easily and effectively adopted, have results that are measurable, can be applied elsewhere, and support and inspire others in the organization or industry to innovate.
• Creative use of new knowledge and/or technology to develop ideas aimed at addressing ongoing challenges, enhancing customer experience, and creating innovative systems, technology, products, programs and/or policies to solution such challenges.
• Has created a solution that reduces time, resources, risks, and/or costs associated with delivering a service, system or product. Has successfully implemented the solution, resulting in a positive impact to the product or customer experience beyond the nominee’s own team or department.
• Is widely recognized for her expertise and actively works to empower others. Leads by example and motivates members of her team, organization or industry. Acts as a mentor, advisor, and teacher, to make a positive impact on members of her organization or the payments industry.

 CRITERIA

• Has been an active agent of change, demonstrating leadership, vision, flexibility and perseverance in her organization and/or industry. Has led initiatives or movements that resulted in meaningful transformation across the payments or fintech industry. Demonstrates agility in navigating change and advancing strategic objectives that benefit the wider ecosystem. Recognized as a driving force behind industry evolution and innovation.

• Is a visionary leader whose influence extends beyond her own organization. Advocates for progress and collaboration across companies, sectors, or regions. Inspires others through thought leadership, public engagement, or mentorship to drive meaningful industry-wide change.

• Has shown steadfastness in navigating projects, leading teams and/or accomplishing goals, despite difficulty or roadblocks to achieving success. Has high integrity and sets high professional standards for ethics and quality of work. Has contributed to a positive and supportive learning environment by encouraging diversity of people and opinions.
• Is widely recognized for her expertise and skill in leading teams and building consensus. Actively works to empower others and leads by example. Motivates members of her team, organization or industry. Has contributed to a positive and supportive learning environment by encouraging diversity of people and opinions.

CRITERIA

• Is always willing to go the extra mile to achieve excellence for herself, her organization, her clients, and/or the industry. She supports and inspires others through promoting innovation and advancement. She is results-oriented, always seeking new ideas with the ability to translate them into action for her organization and customers.
• Consistently delivers, collaborates, and leads in a variety of settings and circumstances. Performs with distinction and delivers strong results by building trust and confidence among her colleagues, peers, and/or clients.
• Exhibits behaviors that reflect her organization’s culture and values in an exemplary manner. Shows a strong capacity to grow and succeed throughout her career.
• Is widely recognized for her expertise and actively works to empower others. Leads by example and motivates members of her team, organization or industry. Has influenced and encouraged a positive and supportive learning environment with integrity and diversity.

CRITERIA

• Actively contributes to the advancement and development of women and other diverse people either inside or outside her own organization and publicly celebrates the work and accomplishments of female and diverse leaders. Leads by example, promoting and broadcasting the need for continuous support and advocacy for female and diverse leadership. Is a strong role model for female and diverse empowerment, encouraging the hiring and promotion of strong talent with diversity in mind.
• Helps support the development of female and diverse talent and encourages all to increase their levels of participation and engagement. Is an advocate for diversity and gender equality, including equal pay and equal opportunities for career growth and provides a positive forum for women and other diverse talent to network and find mentors within the industry.
• Promotes education, career development, and mentorship opportunities, both formal and informal, for women and other diverse talent in the organization or industry. Leads business resource groups to support the personal and career growth for women and diverse talent in the organization or industry.
• Is widely recognized for her expertise and actively works to empower others. Leads by example and motivates members of her team, organization or industry. Has contributed to a positive and supportive learning environment by encouraging diversity of people and opinions.

CRITERIA

• Has influenced industry trends, acts as a role model and successfully reached and exceeded goals—taking her team, organization and/or industry to the next level.
• Acts as a payments ambassador to promote a positive image of her organization, industry initiative and the payments industry as a whole. Actively contributes to the collective success of the payments industry as a whole. Is viewed as a trusted advisor by peers and colleagues and is often a source of industry expertise.
• Is known for her personal and professional authenticity and building her career on a strong set of values. Has built strong and positive relationships with co-workers and industry stakeholders. Has high integrity and sets high professional standards for ethics and quality of work. Is seen as a role model within her organization and throughout the industry.
• Is widely recognized for her expertise and actively works to empower others. Leads by example and motivates members of her team, organization or industry. Acts as a mentor, advisor and teacher to make a positive impact on members of her organization or the payments industry. Has contributed to a positive and supportive learning environment by encouraging diversity of people and opinions.

CRITERIA

• Has shown courage in the face of adversity to drive change and support others in her organization, industry, or the community at large. Uses her voice and platform to support equity and inclusion in the community at large. Demonstrates leadership, vision, and resilience to bring about positive change in the community within her organization and/or industry, through education, advocacy, mentorship, or social initiatives.

• Creates positive and measurable impact on individuals, groups, or communities within and outside her own company. May include community education, financial literacy, volunteering, or industry-wide mentorship. Drives initiatives that promote growth, inclusion, or awareness in the broader ecosystem.

• Demonstrates perseverance in sustaining long-term community or industry initiatives through times of uncertainty or change. Actively works to build resilience of the team, organization, or industry to support each other in times of uncertainty and profound change. Her work uplifts individuals or groups through meaningful, inclusive, and resilient leadership.

• Builds partnerships across companies, sectors, or communities to address shared challenges. Collaborates generously and supports others through mentoring, coalition-building, or collective action beyond her own organization. Acts as a mentor, advisor, and teacher to positively impact members of her organization or the payments industry. Has contributed to a positive and supportive learning environment by encouraging diversity of people and opinions to support the greater community.

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