Meet Our Experts
Get fresh insights, relevant strategies and best practices from our Visa University instructors and industry experts. Their decades of practical experience and Visa expertise will help you elevate your payments knowledge and accelerate your career.
- Years in the payments industry: 23
"I hope that my course will help you start forming a solid foundation of understanding of what it takes for an acquirer to build a strong risk control environment."
My previous roles in the payments industry include head of payments at a community bank and executive roles in operations and later business development at a mid-sized ISO. I hold an MS in Leadership and Organizational Development from The University of Texas at Dallas.
I am an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach, an aviation enthusiast and an amateur chef..
- Years in the payments industry: 17
“Participants in my course will gain a greater understanding of the payments ecosystem and their role within it, including the security of payment data.“
My experience includes working in corporate compliance with responsibilities for environment social governance (ESG), enterprise risk management (ERM), and governance risk and compliance (GRC), including working as a payment application subject matter expert within the PCI SSC. Prior to joining Visa, I held compliance-related roles for companies in digital content delivery and cyber consulting for the tech, healthcare and finance industries.
I hold a Master of Legal Studies in Compliance and Risk Management from Seattle University School of Law, where I have also served as adjunct faculty teaching cybersecurity and privacy.
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, swimming and world travel.
- Years in the payments industry: 30
“l hope Payments Management Lab — Live participants come away with a greater understanding of all the components and intricacies related to the payment space including understanding the basics of credit risk modeling, its uses and how utilizing scores can impact business decisions and strategy.”
I have Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics and Computer-Math from Furman University and a Master of Science in Statistics from Florida State University.
Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, boating or anything water related and spending time with my husband and two sons.
- Years in the payments industry: 30
- Teaches:
“When I teach a class, my most important role is to facilitate conversations between you and your classmates so you can share real-life experiences and gain perspectives from different markets. My goal is that you not only learn something new and relevant to your role, but that you also take away ideas and inspiration to improve your performance — and the performance of your organization.”
I have practical experience in both the operational and business management aspects of banking and financial services, which includes 18 years in training, learning and development. I am an accredited career coach who enjoys travel, technology and music, and I’m currently learning how to play the guitar.
- Years in the payments industry:
I currently serve on the Corporation’s Visiting Committee for the M.I.T. Media Lab and hold a Ph.D. from M.I.T.’s Media Lab and masters’ degrees from M.I.T and Columbia University. I earned an S.B. in molecular biology from M.I.T. I am a published author and served previously as a research fellow at Rockefeller University and a lecturer at the Santa Fe Institute.
- Years in the payments industry: 27
- Teaches:
“My goal is to foster a learning experience where you’ll genuinely enjoy learning about the different aspects of the payments business while engaging with me and your peers in a dynamic, open and interactive way.”
I bring a global perspective to my training, having lived in over a dozen countries and traveled the world extensively. I speak English and Spanish fluently and have conversational knowledge of French. I am also an avid collector of vintage credit and debit cards and a keen cards historian.
- Years in the payments industry: 10
“As a participant in my courses, you’ll gain a foundational knowledge of cybersecurity as seen through the lens of the payments industry. You’ll emerge with a broader understanding of cybersecurity controls, the payments ecosystem, legal and regulatory drivers, the cyber threat landscape and how each of these informs the development of an effective payments cybersecurity program.”
With over 20 years’ experience in information technology, information risk management, cybersecurity and business leadership, my background spans multiple sectors, including roles in banking, fintech, consulting, legal and government environments. My roles have included Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) program management and execution, leading information security consulting engagements at multiple Fortune 500 firms, business development, IT operations and project management.
In my spare time, I am an avid sailor and hiker, collect books and love to travel.
- Years in the payments industry:
- Years in the payments industry: 1
“As a participant in my course, you’ll gain an understanding of cybersecurity threats and best practices with a focus on the considerations and challenges of the payments industry. You’ll also learn about the various industry and regulatory requirements that play a role in payments cybersecurity.”
I have more than 20 years of experience in various roles, from infrastructure operations and application development to cybersecurity. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational leadership and a Master of Science degree in IT management with a cybersecurity specialization from Colorado State University. My certifications include Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
I bring a unique perspective to my role, having experienced a variety of different cultures. I’ve had the opportunity to work on numerous global projects, including time spent living in Tokyo, Japan. I’ve also lived all over the United States including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas and the US Virgin Islands. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, gardening and classic cars.
- Years in the payments industry: 35
- Teaches:
“The best teacher is one who inspires. My hope is that you gain more than technical knowledge from my courses — I hope you gain an inspiration to work with love.”
I am a native Portuguese speaker and am also fluent in English. Outside of Visa University, I love to ride my motorcycle on long trips and enjoy biographical movies, books and wines.
- Years in the payments industry: 8
- Teaches:
"My goal is help Visa clients succeed by creating energizing, engaging learning experiences. Using real-world examples and challenges, I strive to give our clients the tools to creatively solve problems, maximize the value of working with Visa and deeply understand the evolving world of payments."
I began my career by developing a quality improvement curriculum for the National Health Service in Scotland. Since then, I have designed eLearning courses, built curriculums and rolled out training programs for organizations of all sizes. I discovered a passion for training delivery after launching the virtual training platform for Mastercard Academy and have been fortunate to continue that passion with Visa. Outside of work, I enjoy writing, reading and hiking. I learned Italian at school, but don’t ask me to speak it now!
- Years in the payments industry: 40
- Teaches:
“My goal is to provide you with valuable, proven and usable insights so that when you leave my classroom, you’ve gained knowledge and understanding that is both relevant and has practical application.”
Throughout my payments career, I’ve built, managed and transformed issuing and acquiring businesses in a multitude of different environments, from creating programs in developing markets with limited infrastructure to revitalizing major programs in mature, competitive markets. I enjoy bringing a global perspective to my courses having traveled to more than 111 international markets (and counting) and enjoy the challenge of finding solutions that are a good fit both globally and locally.
- Years in the payments industry: 31
"In my course, you will learn how to optimize your marketing activities in each of the four stages of customer lifecycle management in the payments relationship (acquisition, activation, usage and retention) from product design to customer retention."
I began my career with Eurocard in 1991 and went on to lead their post-merger corporate development activities. I also spent several years leading consultancy engagements for a global research company working with clients such as Visa, British Airways and American Express. I played a key role in the development of several Visa University programs, including the Visa Global Challenge (now the Payments Management Challenge) and the simulation for Payments Management Lab.
I am multilingual (fluent in Spanish, French, Welsh and Portuguese), enjoy playing tennis and have recently taken up golf again after a 25-year break to have four children.
- Years in the payments industry: 30
- Teaches:
“My goal is to challenge people to take their dispute resolution skills to the next level. I empower them to apply the knowledge they gain from our courses to make positive changes in their role, their organization, and ultimately, their career.”
Prior to joining Visa, I managed the dispute resolution management team at Mastercard for 24 years. I also worked at Chase Manhattan Bank for several years. Outside of work, I enjoy music and play several instruments including a hammered dulcimer.
- Years in the payments industry: 23
"During my courses, I work to ensure participants gain a solid understanding of the subject both in detail and in the abstract. It’s important to me that participants are able to apply their learnings and knowledge at various levels in their organization. I enjoy analyzing trends in the payments world and make every effort to share those updates in my courses."
I have more than 23 years of experience spanning the entire payments value chain. I am an expert on Visa's clearing and settlement processes and have experience in dispute resolution and loyalty platforms. Throughout my career, I’ve worked on credit, debit and prepaid card portfolios with large acquiring and issuing banks in geographies including the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
I am a fitness enthusiast and have participated in multiple marathons. I’m looking forward to completing the Dubai Marathon and aiming for a personal best time.
- Years in the payments industry: 10
“My goal is for participants in my course to build a comprehensive understanding of the dispute resolution process, building confidence, skills and knowledge that can be immediately applied in their professional life.”
Prior to Visa, I worked as a dispute specialist for JP Morgan Chase where I refined my abilities and acquired extensive knowledge in managing dispute cases. In 2017, I joined Visa as an associate dispute analyst. This experience has given me a deep understanding of the dispute resolution process as well as the importance of negotiation, conflict resolution, problem-solving and decision-making.
Outside work, I enjoy cooking and traveling, particularly when the destination is a beach.
- Years in the payments industry: 20
“Participants in my course will gain a greater understanding of the payments ecosystem and their role in the security of payment data.”
Over my 20+ years of practical experience in risk, cybersecurity, compliance and governance, I have developed a particular interest in security management frameworks, innovative security architecture and software designs, and how emerging concepts and technologies will impact our privacy and security as consumers and businesses.
Outside of work, I love to sail, backcountry hike in remote wilderness locations and travel to discover (and rediscover) unique destinations.
- Years in the payments industry: 30
- Teaches:
"When you attend my course, I would like you to gain a deeper understanding of debit, a payments product that continues to show significant success in competing for cash and check spend. After covering the basics – the market landscape, debit user characteristics and issuer business case, I will leave you with some best practice recommendations for accelerating growth in your own debit portfolios."
Before Visa, I spent time in senior roles at Bank of America (Interactive Banking Division) and at Cash Station (now Star), a regional ATM and Debit POS network that served the Chicago metropolitan area. My first role in payments was to take the Cash Station ATM network to the point of sale — the first implementation of debit for that market and a fantastic way to learn the “nuts and bolts” of the business. I received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Georgetown University and a Masters of Management in marketing and finance from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Residing in the Bay Area, I enjoy spending family time with my husband and three teenagers — playing sports, traveling to new and interesting countries, and discussing current events over the dinner table.
- Years in the payments industry: 35
“I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with participants in my courses. Together, we’ll explore how payments have evolved, learn about the current landscape and discover the trends that will shape our industry in the years to come.”
I have 35 years of experience in the payments industry. Prior to my current role, I was Head of Emerging Products for 44 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean and led initiatives such as EMV chip and contactless payments including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.
I have a degree in cybernetic engineering and computer science from La Salle University in Mexico City. I have completed leadership and executive education programs at the University of Miami School of Business, Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Outside of work, I enjoy scuba diving. I am fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Years in the payments industry: 2
“As a participant in my course, you’ll gain a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity threats and risks as well as the various industry and regulatory requirements that impact the payments industry.”
Prior to joining Visa, I spent 15 years in internal audit and risk management, focusing on information technology audits. I have an associate’s degree in cybersecurity from Austin Community College, a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) School of Public Affairs. I am a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified Information System Security Professional, PCI – Internal Security Assessor, and Certified Internal Auditor.
Outside of work, I enjoy building complex LEGO models and volunteering training dogs and teaching dog training techniques at the Austin Humane Society. I am a world traveler and have lived on three different continents.
- Years in the payments industry: 41
“My goal is for participants to be actively involved during discussions and leave my courses with ideas that can impact their bottom line for the better. I also strive to help them gain advanced knowledge by encouraging them to share their experiences with each other and contributing insights from my own experience.”
Prior to joining Visa, I worked for Citi, where I supervised their issuer customer service department and managed their acquiring operations throughout the Caribbean. I also served as Director of Operations for Mastercard, where I was involved in operations, dispute resolution, security, risk and franchise management. I have also worked for several companies in the Fintech space as a sales engineer and chargeback manager.
I speak English, Spanish and conversational Portuguese. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, road trips and trying to create good music playlists.
- Years in the payments industry:
- Years in the payments industry: 31
“I am passionate about the payments industry and its evolving technological challenges. When I’m teaching a course, I believe in making learning a fun experience, sharing my knowledge in a clear and simple manner and providing practical examples to give you the necessary tools to resolve disputes efficiently and with integrity.”
Prior to founding IO Resolution, I held the position of Director, European Dispute Resolution Management at Mastercard, where I worked for over 28 years providing chargeback expertise both internally and externally. I also managed the review of arbitration and compliance cases and provided highly acclaimed chargeback training to merchants and financial institutions with the objective of reducing financial losses to their organizations.
I am fluent in French and English. Outside of work, I love hiking in the mountains, practicing yoga and cooking for friends and family.
- Years in the payments industry: 10
“I am motivated by the challenge and opportunity to secure the world's largest payments network and enhance the trust and confidence of Visa's customers and stakeholders. In my course, participants will gain an understanding of the fundamental approaches they should take at their own organization to protect and secure its critical payment data.”
I have a background and credentials in cybersecurity, cloud security and risk management. Previously, I led Visa’s Third-Party Technology Risk Management and Product Security Architecture teams, which manage the security assessment and governance of Visa, including vendors and partners.
Prior to joining Visa, I worked at the public accounting firm Grant Thornton, where I managed suspicious activity reports (SAR) and IT Audit services for clients in the US and Europe.
I speak three languages — English, Kannada and conversational Hindi. Outside of work, I enjoy road trips and farming.
- Years in the payments industry: 30
“Our digital payments industry is amazing and is always evolving. As payments and technology evolve, we must continue to earn trust by protecting data and preventing fraud. When you attend my course, my goal is to empower you with knowledge and insights to help you better manage fraud threats and protect the growth of your business.”
I began my career in operations and technology with financial institutions in Mexico before joining Visa’s Mexico office and eventually moving to Miami. Over the years, I’ve worked with organizations throughout the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, including the Southern Cone, Andean zone, the Caribbean and Central America.
I am a graduate of the Cybersecurity Professional program at the University of Miami. Outside of work, I love walking and swimming with my daughter and wife. I am fluent in Spanish and English.
- Years in the payments industry: 33
- Teaches:
"I hope that you’ll walk away from the courses I teach with a better understanding of what goes into the construction of tools used for credit risk management, because they play such an important role for issuers. With this knowledge, you’ll be more likely to embrace and leverage the tools within your business, which should boost the profitability of your credit card portfolio."
In 1993, I co-founded Scoring Solutions, Inc., a statistical modeling and consulting firm specializing in the financial services industry, which was acquired by Lending Science DM, Inc. in 2017. I have developed and implemented scorecards and segmentation systems for a variety of organizations throughout the world. I am fluent in English and Spanish and enjoy sailing, gardening and spending time with my two grandchildren.
- Years in the payments industry: 4
“Detecting and preventing fraud threats is critical to your organization’s success. My goal is to provide you with a solid foundation in risk management principles and an understanding the importance of good risk governance in an open classroom environment where you can share best practices with peers from around the world. I hope you’ll apply your new knowledge and skills to make changes that will optimize your risk management strategy.”
I have extensive risk management experience and have held strategy, product management and consulting positions at Visa, Mastercard, Fiserv, SAS and FICO. Throughout my career, my focus has been on leveraging issuer risk mitigation, authorization optimization and fraud strategy to drive actionable risk insights, innovative capabilities, automation and thought leadership.
I am bilingual in English and Portuguese. Outside of Visa, I enjoy mountain biking and coaching my sons’ soccer teams and am currently working on a U.S. soccer coaching license.
- Years in the payments industry: 27
“When you take one of my courses, my hope is that you gain a better understanding of the anatomy of a fraud event and the best ways to proactively protect your organization before it suffers any losses.”
I started my career in payments at the STAR Network managing their bi-annual client forums. I joined Visa in 2000 and have held positions on the product, treasury and client readiness teams. I also worked in client services, where I consulted on opportunities to improve authorization while closely watching for fraud-related issues.
Outside of Visa, I enjoy camping with my family and golden retriever (Bentley) in our motorhome.
- Years in the payments industry: 23
“I believe that asking questions and sharing experiences are an important part of the learning process. All questions are smart and important, and I encourage participants in my courses to bring their own unique perspectives and ask questions to enrich the experience for everyone.”
I have more than 20 years of experience in the payments industry and have a strong background in risk and fraud prevention strategies, including roles with Visa’s LAC Cybersource team and Bank of America Risk team.
I hold a Master of Business Management degree from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mackenzie University Brazil. I am fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish.