ETA Appoints Amy Zirkle as Interim CEO

February 21, 2019 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the global trade association for the payments technology industry, today announced that Amy Zirkle will serve as interim CEO.

“Amy is a highly skilled and well-respected association executive with extensive experience in the payments technology industry,” said Kevin Jones, ETA Board of Directors President and CEO of Celero Commerce. “She is an acknowledged thought leader with robust experience in business and government relations issues, and is uniquely qualified to lead ETA as we head in to TRANSACT, the world’s premier payments technology event, April 30-May 2 in Las Vegas.”

“ETA finds itself at an inflection point due to innovation, market consolidation, and the entrance of new players to the payments ecosystem. How we, as an association, respond to these changes, meet the needs of the industry, and define opportunities going forward will be key to our growth.” said Zirkle. “I’m delighted, and honored, to serve as interim CEO of ETA. The association, and its incredible staff, will continue to deliver world-class events, advocacy, industry education and collaboration to this innovative and growing industry.”

Zirkle, who joined ETA in 2014, oversees the critical relationships between ETA member companies and the association, as well as ETA’s education and professional credentialing programs. Zirkle represents the association before external organizations including industry forums, think tanks, and standards setting organizations. She has been elected to represent ETA on the PCI Security Standards Council Board of Advisors.

Prior to joining ETA, Zirkle spent 17 years working as a senior economist for an international consulting firm focusing on technology matters including mobile payments in the developing world. She has extensive experience in both the financial services and technology sectors, including work in government and regulatory affairs for American Express and at the former MCI Communications (Verizon). Zirkle has been a past officer with Women in Government Relations and a member of Women in Housing and Finance.

She holds an S.M. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she served as a Research Associate at the MIT Media Lab as well as at the Sloan School of Management.

Zirkle, who currently serves as ETA’s Vice President of Industry Affairs, will take the interim role on February 22.  ETA previously announced the departure of CEO Jason Oxman after seven years.  He has been named the President and CEO of the trade association ITI.

ETA has instituted a CEO Search Committee, made up of members of the ETA Board of Directors, and will be working with a trade association executive search firm, to conduct the search for ETA’s permanent CEO.  Details on the search process will be made available in the next few weeks.

About ETA

The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is the global trade association representing more than 500 payments and technology companies. ETA members make commerce possible by processing more than $21 trillion in purchases worldwide and deploying payments innovation to merchants and consumers.