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U.S. Faster Payments Council Names Interim Leadership

Momentum builds as FPC grows its member ranks, plans 2019 agenda.

Jan. 15, 2019 – The recently launched U.S. Faster Payments Council (FPC) has named Kevin Christensen, a senior executive with the SHAZAM Network, as its Acting Executive Director and Interim Board Chair. Christensen was among the 27 payments industry leaders who comprised the Governance Framework Formation Team, which developed and established the FPC at the direction of the former Faster Payments Task Force. His employer, the SHAZAM Network, is a founding sponsor of the FPC.

“I’m thrilled to be leading this organization during its early formation and ensuring the FPC is well-positioned for success in the months ahead,” Christensen said. “With more than 70 member applicants and counting we’re already seeing a great response from the industry and validation of our mission to ensure all Americans have access to safe, efficient and ubiquitous faster payments.”

In addition to Christensen, several other former GFFT members were appointed to interim leadership positions with the FPC, including:

  • Matt Friend, as FPC Work Group Lead and Interim Board Vice Chair. Friend is Vice President, Payment Products & Platforms at Visa, which is a founding sponsor of the FPC.
  • Deborah Phillips, as FPC Communications and Member Engagement Lead. Phillips is Managing Director – Payment Strategy at Jack Henry & Associates, which is a founding member of the FPC.
  • Andrea Gilman, as FPC Marketing Lead. Gilman is Senior Vice President, Product Management at Mastercard, which is a founding sponsor of the FPC.
  • Mike Bilski, as FPC Finance/Accounting Lead and Interim Board Secretary/Treasurer. Bilski is CEO of North American Banking Company, which is a founding sponsor of the FPC.
  • Charles Harkness, as FPC Operations Lead. Charles is Senior Vice President and Strategic Operations Officer at Corporate One Federal Credit Union, which is a founding member of the FPC.
  • Roy DeCicco, as FPC HR/Staffing Lead. Roy is Managing Director of Treasury Services at JPMorgan Chase Bank, which is a founding sponsor of the FPC.
  • Bradley Wilkes, as FPC Membership Strategy Lead. Wilkes is President, CEO and Co-Founder of Open Payment Network, which is a founding sponsor of the FPC.
  • Adam Rust, as FPC Member Services Lead. Rust is Director, Wise Wage and Reinvestment Partners, which is a founding member of the FPC.

Focus on Quick Wins

Work is already underway by the FPC to establish work groups to address the key issues that, when addressed, would further catalyze broad adoption in the United States. Starting in January, work group activity will begin in the following areas:

  • Safety and Security – to promote adoption of practices that enhance safety and security for service providers and users of faster payments, enabling a high-quality user experience for all and bolstering confidence and trust, which ultimately supports achievement of broader adoption. This work group will be led by Steve Kenneally, Senior Vice President, American Bankers Association, which is a founding member of the FPC.
  • End-User Transparency – To foster service provider strategies, policies, practices and capabilities that give end users transparency into what to expect when making faster payments, and ultimately bolstering confidence in faster payments which results in greater adoption. This work group will be led by Steve Ledford, Senior Vice President at The Clearinghouse, which is a founding sponsor of the FPC.
  • Education and Awareness – To develop an educational and awareness program that results in better understanding of faster payments and greater confidence among providers and users, ultimately driving adoption and transaction volumes toward the industry goal of ubiquity. This work group will be led by Susan Doyle, President of EPCOR, which is a founding member of the FPC.

Additional work groups are planned for later in the year in the areas of Fraud Information Sharing, Directory Models, and Regulations and Regulatory Guidance.

Join Now for Founding Sponsor or Founding Member Privileges

Organizations that enroll before January 31, 2019 as founding members gain eligibility for the initial FPC Board as well as the opportunity to serve as early influencers on the direction and focus of the FPC’s work efforts. Those who join as founding sponsors enjoy added promotional benefits as well as a 10 percent discount on their first two years of membership dues. More information, including how to enroll, can be found at FasterPaymentsCouncil.org.

“The FPC is an inclusive organization that enables under-represented voices to have a seat at the table as the industry works to scale the adoption of faster payments,” said Mark Keeling, Chief Operating Officer of The Bankers Bank and a founding member of the FPC. “I’m excited for the opportunities this creates for community banks in particular, and I encourage them to get in on the ground floor by enrolling now to become a member of the FPC.”

About the U.S. Faster Payments Council

The FPC is a new industry-led, fee-based membership organization whose mission is to facilitate a world-class payment system where Americans can safely and securely pay anyone, anywhere, at any time and with near-immediate funds availability. By design, the FPC encourages a diverse range of perspectives and is open to all stakeholders in the U.S. payment system. Guided by principles of fairness, inclusiveness, flexibility and transparency, the FPC will use collaborative, problem-solving approaches to resolve the issues that are inhibiting broad faster payments adoption in this country. For more information, please visit FasterPaymentsCouncil.org.


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