Kris Foster, co-founder of Openbook, amplifies voices of individuals with disabilities through impactful interviews, pioneering inclusivity in media. As the first person with Down syndrome in fintech, Kris breaks barriers and advocates for representation, speaking at prestigious events like Money 2020 and EWPN. Committed to diversity, Kris collaborates with brands like Footpatrol and Nike. With a mission for change, Kris embodies resilience and inclusion in his community.

Joanne has spent a decade at the coalface of the fintech revolution, leading the payments processor Global Processing Services as CEO to a $400m exit in early 2022.
Joanne now focuses on supporting and profiling other underrepresented fintech founders and CEOs as they navigate the high growth rollercoaster through a combination of NED, advisory, mentoring, speaking and judging. She enjoys helping leaders thrive with empathy.
Along the way, through her experience leaning in to special needs employment, Joanne has become a particularly strong advocate for improving disability inclusion across the industry, both as employees and customers.

Esther has over 20 years of experience in sales, consultancy and strategy execution. She lives in the Netherlands with her two sons and has an extensive background in strategy (execution), sales & business development, digital transformation and building high performing teams in the Banking and Fintech industry. She is also currently the Country Ambassador for EWPN in the Netherlands.

She currently advises the Board of Holland Fintech, the Dutch community for Digital Finance. She was a partner at Innopay – a Dutch strategy consultancy firm in digital transactions – where she led the Banking, Payments & Fintech practice for 4 years and represented the company on topics like payment innovation, open banking, digital identity and smart home commerce. Prior to joining Innopay, she worked for over 10 years in global transaction services at ABN Amro and the Royal Bank of Scotland in multiple management roles.

Esther is a strong advocate for a diverse and inclusive financial industry with inspiring male and female role models. She actively promotes the positive impact of diversity on the performance of businesses and wants to break down silos and take away bias to improve inclusive working environments. As such, she is proud to represent EWPN, first joining as the Country Ambassador in the Netherlands, and now as a member of the Executive Board.

Nadja is a payments lawyer with almost 10 years of in-house experience in the international Payments industry and a legal expert in rules and regulations involving Financial Services (such as PSD, AML and CDD),having acquired experience both as a Deputy General Counsel for a global Payment Service Provider and as a VP Legal & Regulatory for a European Acquirer. This has give her a broad perspective on all legal and business aspects of (Card and Alternative) Payment processing in the global e-Commerce industry.Nadja consults Merchant Acquirers, Payment Services Providers (PSPs/MSPs) and other FinTech companies in their start-up phases that want to expand their business internationally, while mitigating risk.

Her contribution to the industry and especially paving the way for fellow women within the industry, doesn’t go unnoticed.Her passion to share her expertise and knowledge is a quality that makes her stand out.

”During her professional career I came to acknowledge my position within the organization as a female professional after reading the book from Sandberg (Lean In). After that moment, I have carefully reviewed (and adapter) my own behaviours, have learned to recognize the contribution to my career by the behaviour of others within the organization, have received guidance and coaching from many different people and through training and embraced the advantages give to me as a woman, while utilizing these even more.I am a strong supporter of any women initiatives to offer support as I recognize that this is much needed and hope to provide other women in the industry the same opportunities as was given to me.” says Nadja.

Nadja is a highly recognised and well known expert within the Payments Industry. She is recognized for her professionalism, her quality of work and her attitude by many former colleagues and clients.In 2015, Nadja was the runner-up in the Legal Women Talent of the Year in 2015.

Stanley is an acknowledged leader in the global payments industry with over 25 years’ experience, and has held executive and board roles in several European and US financial services companies. Prior to establishing the Minerva Partnership Consultancy in the UK, a boutique service offering in payments; strategy and leadership development, Stanley held various leadership positions at Visa in different geographies, the last one serving as Visa Europe’s Senior Vice President of Payment System & Enterprise Risk. In this role Stanley oversaw Visa Europe’s overall risk and compliance strategy and policies in its markets and gained significant insight into the commercial; regulatory and technological dynamics that inform the payments and risk agendas in Europe and beyond.

Since leaving Visa in 2013, Stanley has worked as a consultant in payments; strategy and business development and organisational development. In 2015 Stanley co-founded the Minerva Partnership with Michael Burtscher. Minerva provides bespoke consultancy in payments; strategy development; business modelling; executive coaching; leadership development; organisational design and training. Minerva’s mission is to help companies design their strategies build capabilities that they need to succeed.

Stanley consults with start-ups and blue chip companies in Europe and the USA. Stanley’s work focuses on payments and corporate strategy, as well as organisational development; leadership capability building and executive coaching.

Stanley holds a post-graduate research degree in organisational sociology from the University of Oslo (UiO) and an MSc in Organisational Change & Consulting from Ashridge Executive Education Business School. Stanley’s undergraduate degree from UiO included gender studies in anthropology and the history of ideas. Stanley is also a qualified executive leadership coach from the University of West England (Bristol)

Silvia is a Senior Vice President in Banking & Payments in Europe for FIS. She was previously the General Manager Europe Processors & Networks at ACI Worldwide. Silvia is an old veteran in the payments spectrum, having worked within the industry since 2000. She brings on board years of expertise on multiple sub-sectors within the industry. Her knowledge of the industry, trends, issues and challenges faced by financial institutions as well as women working within the industry, will be a huge benefit to WIPN and members in general.