ETA TRANSACT 2023 is coming to Atlanta later this month and we are looking forward to it. TRANSACT is the annual conference of The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the leading trade association for the payments industry. The ETA represents more than 500 companies worldwide that are involved in electronic transaction processing products and services.
Each year, experts from all over the world come to deep-dive into relevant topics--from security, compliance, and risk, to industry trends such as cryptocurrency. Speakers hail from fintech, top payment card schemes, banks, large companies, and risk and compliance organizations. This year’s speaking roster includes include Rosie Rios, the 43rd U.S. Treasurer and current CEO of Red River Associates, and Moe Vela, former senior advisor to Vice Presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden and current CEO and president of The Vela Group.
EverC VP to receive top volunteer award
We are extremely proud to announce that EverC VP Melissa Sutherland, will be among the speakers at ETA, and one of three recipients this year to receive the Visa ETA Star Award. The Visa ETA Star Awards honor individuals and companies who made a significant difference in the payment industry through innovation, business practices, or contributions to the association.
Sutherland, who has been an active ETA member for more than 10 years, will be named Committee Volunteer of the Year. Among her many volunteer activities, Sutherland serves on the ETA’s Risk & Fraud Committee, which was instrumental in forming three new working groups devoted to 1099s, enhanced due diligence, and regulatory matters as well as a new cybersecurity committee in 2022.
In addition to her award, Sutherland is one of four fraud experts who will speak on “Global Recession and the Fraud Tidal Wave.” This discussion will cover factors that have changed the payments industry over the past few years, the different types of fraud, and how financial services and payments companies can prepare for what lies ahead.
Welcoming organizations that battle online crime
This year, ETA also has the honor of including Thorn, the NGO co-founded by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore to use innovative technology to fight against the global problem of child exploitation. Sutherland and Tom Humphrey, co-chairs of ETA’s Risk & Fraud Committee, will be hosting John Starr, VP of Strategic Impact at Thorn, to talk about the proliferation of CSAM online and how the payments community can assist Thorn’s efforts to make an impact in this space.
“We’re honored to host John Starr from the Thorn family,” said Sutherland. “Having the chance to learn from a group of humans that is so dedicated to saving children will be an amazing experience.”
All in all, ETA TRANSACT is looking like a fantastic opportunity for payments professionals to learn about the industry, and find ways to work toward a safer internet for everyone. Hope to see you there!
