We are excited to celebrate Wnet's 15th anniversary at the Wnet Leadership Summit. We can't wait to gather together again, safely, this November in Atlanta!

We have an amazing lineup of speakers planned for four General Sessions:

• World-renowned motivational speaker Nancy Lieberman, president/CEO and co-founder of Nancy Lieberman Charities. As a coach, author and sports broadcaster, she knows all about navigating the ranks of a male-dominated industry. Nancy's session is underwritten by Fiserv.
• Author and networking expert Kelly Hoey will speak about forging powerful relationships in a hyper-connected world.
• Grace Klopcic, partner at McKinsey & Company, will present McKinsey's Annual Women in the Workplace Study results.
• Vivian Greentree and Leslie Pearce, both SVPs at Fiserv, will discuss how to invest in others during a fireside chat.

Check out the expert industry speakers for the Pre-Conference and Breakout Sessions!

The Summit Agenda is full of past favorites (Silent Auction – with an online twist!) and new events that will help you invest in your lifelong learning, your wellness and your financial success. 

INVEST IN YOURSELF! Register today and reserve your room.

 __________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

By Wnet Board Director Liz Pike, managing director, Green Rhino Recruiting

Chicago, Wednesday, July 21, 2021 – MidWest Acquirers Association (MWAA) and Chicago Wnet Chapter co-hosted a Wnet event that included two hours of inspiring speakers, interactive networking and catching up with friends. Founder and Board President Emily Smith spoke about her nonprofit, Female Strong, and 12-year-old Jorie talked about how the Young Entreprenuer Academy (YEA!) taught her to commit, manage her time and start a business – Hopes & Dreams Dreamcatchers. YEA is a 24-week program that takes girls through pitching their business ideas to CEOs from billion-dollar organizations.

After a networking break, Elise Gelwicks, founder & CEO of Eleview, spoke about what “networking” really means – building relationships and trust while adding value to each other.

MWAA has a lot of first-time attendees, and many of those attendees, men and women, made their way to the Wnet event. We had more than 50 attendees, and it was a great way to kick off the MWAA Conference!

2021 Award Submissions Close Thursday, September 30

The Wnet Awards Program celebrates excellence by annually recognizing payments industry professionals for outstanding service. It is an excellent opportunity to highlight the exceptional accomplishments of our members and industry professionals. Winners will be recognized at the Leadership Summit this November in Atlanta. Nominate your colleagues or yourself before submissions close on Sept. 30.

Getting More Out of the Book Club

The Wnet Book Club is a great plot for fellow book lovers to engage. Join the group and then register for the next conversation.

September/October Book: Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life by Stuart Diamond
Discussion: Oct. 28, 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. PT

Good News about Our Members and Partners

Protiviti Becomes a National Sponsor of Girls Who Code to Encourage Careers in Technology. Protiviti’s employee network group GET IT (Gender Equality in Technology and IT), one of several employee network groups that have grown out of the firm’s global diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, aims to help address the unique challenges under-represented people face when pursuing careers in technology and strives to create greater gender diversity in the field. Read more.

Celebrating International Women in Cyber Day, Sept. 1. Stacy Hughes, Wnet director and chief information security officer at Global Payments Inc., highlights ways to support diversity and the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Read more.

HERoes 2021 Top 100 Women Executives, supported by @YahooFinance. Congratulations to all the winners, especially women who are Wnet Members or from Wnet Partner Members: Mastercard, Barclays, IHS MARKIT and Bank of America. Read more.

Banks can’t afford to miss the buy now/pay later party. Nathan Hilt, managing director, Financial Services Industry at Protiviti, explains that buy now/pay later is not a new concept. However, in the last few years, zero-interest lending has spread widely, thanks to fintech firms, which now offer it for buying almost anything — including lower ticket items. During COVID-19 lockdowns, consumers discovered they liked the convenience and affordability of BNPL. Read more. 

Mastercard announced that it would buy open banking platform Aiia. Learn more from Jessica Turner, Wnet director and executive vice president of new digital infrastructure and fintech at Mastercard. Read more.

Fiserv Inc. has entered into a first-of-its-kind collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This collaboration leads the retail payments and settlement infrastructure in India. Read more.

Marqeta announced a continued partnership with Zip Co. in Australia. This completes the first year of powering the global buy now/pay later (BNPL) company, which provides fast and seamless solutions that simplify how people pay, everywhere. Read more.

Paya has announced a strategic partnership with Paradigm. Read more.

ABC News: Where to turn when a natural disaster upends your finances

CNBC: Taliban say woman can study at university but classes must be segregated

Forbes: Buy now pay later is having a moment

FT Adviser: Why there are too few senior women in financial services

International Women’s Forum: 3 Actions to Expand Women’s Financial Inclusion in the Midst of COVID-19

McKinsey Blog: Meet two partners on a mission to help women of color lead at work

Reuters: Bank of America taps new CFO, promotes three women to top roles

Washington Post: How the pandemic set back women’s progress in the global workforce

Yahoo Finance: MPs urged to tackle anti-competitive practices in card payments

The Wnet Thought Leadership Center, curated by members, for members, gives you access to best-of-the-best links to research, articles, publications and industry information. Plus, members can watch replays of most Wnet events in the TLC!

• (Chapter Event) Atlanta Chapter LinkUp: Resilience! A Seminar with a Side of Networking
• (Article) What's To Come In 2021 For Diversity, Equity And Inclusion In The Workplace, posted by Debra Oglesby, FIS

We Invite YOU to Contribute!
Found a great article you want to share with Wnet members?
Be the connection! Share it in the TLC.

• We Need You! Volunteer at the Wnet Leadership Summit
• Join the Wnet Book Club or a NEW Inclusion Group
• Connect in SocialLink, our member community
• Meet your Wnet leaders
• Join your local chapter

Not a member? Learn more about joining Wnet to enjoy all the benefits of membership!