The Most Influential Women in Payments, 2020

The payments industry bridges many markets — including technology and finance — that haven't always demonstrated diversity at their highest ranks. Things are changing, and this year's Most Influential Women in Payments honorees demonstrate the importance of women to all aspects of the payments industry and all corners of the globe.

Many have risen through the ranks at traditional payments companies, while others kicked over the corporate ladder to become entrepreneurs and investors.

PaymentsSource asked this year's honorees to share the stories of how they got where they are — including their riskiest career move and the best constructive criticism they received — and where they expect the payments industry to be in five years.

Many also chose to address the obstacles that still stand in the way of women rising to C-suite jobs, and how the atmosphere is shifting for LGBTQ employees.

Donna Embry, Evolve Bank & Trust

When Donna Embry was growing up, there were no computer classes or sports teams for girls. But as an adult, Embry found a way to ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​apply her brains and a fearless desire to compete, building a path for herself as a top payments industry executive over five adventurous decades.
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Embry, senior vice president of global payments strategy at Evolve Bank & Trust, has a storied career full of “firsts.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

As the first person in her family to go to college, Embry put herself through school working in the back office of a bank. Upon graduation, a supervisor thought her "foreign language background” might be useful in the emerging field of computer programming.

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Read more: Donna Embry

Follow this link to view the other honorees which are presented below in alphabetical order. Please click the link below each picture to read their full profiles.

These stories were written by Kate Fitzgerald, John Adams, David Heun and Michael Moeser.