Wespay Names Menekse Gencer as New President & CEO

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, December 3, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Western Payments Alliance (Wespay) announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Menekse Gencer as its incoming President & CEO. Ms. Gencer will succeed William J. Schoch, the association’s current President & CEO, on January 1, 2025.

A visionary leader in the payments industry, Menekse Gencer brings more than 20 years of executive experience in digital finance, payments innovation, and financial services transformation. Gencer is renowned for her transformative impact on the payments industry. She has held senior leadership roles at globally recognized financial institutions, including PayPal, PwC, and Wells Fargo, where she led groundbreaking initiatives in mobile payments, blockchain, and digital banking. At PayPal, Gencer was instrumental in launching the company's first mobile payments services which later grew to $26 billion in total payment volume within six years. During her tenure at PwC, she led thought leadership on emerging payments technologies as the Head of Payments in PwC's FinTech Practice. Her work also includes advising The Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the launch of The Faster Payments Initiative, a key project aimed at modernizing the U.S. payments system.

Gencer’s leadership includes the intersection of digital finance and impact, with notable speaking engagements and publications at organizations such as NASDAQ, The World Economic Forum, and MIT Innovations Journal. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Foundation and holds an MBA from The Wharton School and an A.B. in Economics from Harvard University.

"We are thrilled to welcome Menekse Gencer as the next President & CEO of Wespay," said Jennifer Denoo, CEO of Great Basin Federal Credit Union and Chair of the Wespay Board. "Her extensive experience in payments innovation, digital transformation, and leadership with financial institutions and FinTech organizations will be invaluable as we continue to grow and adapt to the evolving payments landscape. We look forward to the future under her leadership and the continued success of Wespay and its members.”

On her appointment, Ms. Gencer commented, “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to profoundly improve the lives of customers by helping our members accelerate the adoption of new payments rails, leverage artificial intelligence, and navigate ecosystem partners for open banking safely and responsibly. I am honored to lead our first-class team and serve our members as we embark on our next chapter together that builds on Bill’s leadership and Wespay’s 52-year legacy of innovation and member-centricity.”

Current President & CEO, William J. Schoch, will retire in April 2025 after a distinguished and impactful 17-year tenure with Wespay. Schoch has been a pivotal figure in Wespay's growth and success, expanding its membership across multiple regions, increasing revenue, and launching new services. Bill Schoch, said, "I am incredibly proud of what Wespay has achieved, and I look forward to working closely with Menekse during the transition. Her proven leadership and strategic vision will be vital to driving Wespay's next phase of innovation and growth."

The selection process was overseen by the Wespay Board of Directors, with the help of executive search firm Sterling Martin Associates (SMA). “As Chair of the Search Committee, I am honored to have played a role in selecting Menekse Gencer as Wespay’s next President & CEO. After an extensive and thorough search, it became clear that Menekse’s leadership, deep expertise in payments innovation, and track record of success made her the ideal candidate to lead Wespay into its next phase, said Amy Foulks, EVP, Chief Operating Officer of First Utah Bank. “I would like to express my sincere thanks to my fellow Search Committee members, as well as to the entire Wespay Board of Directors, for their collaboration throughout this process.” I am confident that Menekse’s leadership will continue to strengthen Wespay’s impact on the payments industry and its members.”

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Wespay is an innovative payments association, dedicated to guiding members through the ever-evolving payments industry with education, information, advisory and advocacy services. Our team partners with financial institutions, third-party payment providers and organizations that supply payment services related to operations and compliance, risk management and fraud, and payments strategies.

Laticia King
Wespay
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