(November 20, 2019) – OpenSparkz COO and co-founder Debra Taylor has been presented with the Innovation Award at the annual Women in Payments Symposium being held in Sydney, Australia.
Women in Payments recognises exceptionally talented leaders and rising stars in the payments industry. Award recipients have been commended for their leadership, innovation and commitment to strengthening the industry, with the Innovation Award presented to a woman who has promoted payments innovation through creativity and vision.
“I’m incredibly honoured to be recognised and acknowledged with this award,” said Ms Taylor. “These awards are so important in bringing a focus to the emergence of women in the world of payments and act as an encouragement for women to emerge as innovators and leaders.”
Ms Taylor is serial entrepreneur, Stone and Chalk board member and a committed investor in the fintech industry.
“Women in Payments has been recognising the outstanding work of payment leaders, innovators, and rising stars around the globe since 2013,” said Kristy Duncan, founder and CEO, Women in Payments. “Australia is a hotbed of innovation and talent, and these awards are a welcome opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the exceptional women whose work makes such a positive impact across the payments industry.”
“I am very pleased that Debra Taylor is our Innovation Award winner in Australia this year,” said Ms Duncan. “Debra is a proven entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in fintech. She’s initiated 12 start-ups, and successfully exited four.
“She has delivered services to global giants like Oracle, IBM, Mastercard and Visa. She is a sought-after mentor to founders in fintech and associated industries, for her valuable insights and advice. Congratulations Debra!”
OpenSparkz is committed to developing the next generation of payments professionals and to advancing women’s representation in the payments industry, recognising inclusion as an underlying factor in achieving cutting edge innovation and technology.
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About Women in Payments
With symposiums in the UK, Canada, the USA, Australia, and Singapore, Women in Payments was founded by Kristy Duncan in 2012 to facilitate career development, payment systems education, and community building for women working across the global payments ecosystem. Symposiums provide a platform for women payments professionals to demonstrate and hone their leadership and expertise in various roles, including keynote presentations, executive panel discussions, and breakout sessions. The Symposiums have proven to be successful around the world, with plans now to expand into Asia.
About OpenSparkz
OpenSparkz is a data enabled, digitally delivered, global platform that can power any loyalty or offers program without the need for separate cards or offer coupons. Their platform harnesses nascent payment Card Linking Offers (CLO) technology to deliver a frictionless solution for merchants and consumers, at a disruptively low cost. A platform-as-a-service (PaaS) provider, it is certified for compliance with the Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).
Women in Payments Communications Contact
Tammy Thorne
Tammy.Thorne@WomeninPayments.org
OpenSparkz Contact
Adrian Thirsk
+61 410 287 609
adrian.thirsk@plcorporate.com.au
Image Credit: Thanks to Women in Payments for the photo of Debra receiving the Innovation Award.