ETA CEO Jodie Kelley: Reflections on the Past Year and Looking Ahead to the Future

By Jodie L. Kelley, CEO, ETA.

As I complete my first year as CEO of ETA, I am struck by what an extraordinary year it was in so many ways. As we entered 2020, I don’t think any of us anticipated our lives being so fundamentally upended. At ETA, our hearts go out to families who have lost loved ones and those whose businesses struggled or closed.

I am also inspired, however, by the positive outcomes we have witnessed and the uplifting stories we have heard. The resilience and creativity of our industry are unmatched. I am proud of the way our members quickly pivoted to meet the needs of merchants and consumers alike; I am also extremely proud of our own organization, which has met the moment and delivered increasing value to our members at this critical time.

ETA has long been the voice of the electronic payments industry. Through effective advocacy before policymakers; best-in-class events that provide networking and business development opportunities; stellar content, courses, and certifications that provide actionable insights and education; and myriad thought leadership opportunities, ETA has a proud history of supporting payments professionals and ensuring that the industry is positioned to thrive.

Although the pandemic affected how we provide many of these services, it also highlighted the importance of what we do. From the start, ETA was there to help members navigate the quickly shifting business landscape and the rapidly changing political response caused by the pandemic. As we move forward, it is clear that significant uncertainty remains and the challenges we face are escalating. We are prepared to aggressively support the industry at each and every turn. A quick review of some highlights of the last year and our plans going forward is illustrative:

Earlier this year, we were poised to celebrate ETA’s 30th Anniversary at our signature show — TRANSACT — with an event that would provide expanded business development and networking opportunities, a larger audience, and a unique new experience. When the pandemic made that impossible, we quickly pivoted to a new experience — TRANSACT Connect, a virtual event that brought the industry together to learn and continue to get work done. And we’re not stopping: In the fourth quarter of this year, we will begin rolling out targeted virtual events that support the ongoing business development and educational needs of our members.

Before the pandemic, our government relations team was working with regulators to create a positive policy environment for our industry while simultaneously beating back proposals – such as tariffs at the federal level and real-time tax collection at the state level – that would have substantially increased costs on our members’ businesses. As we look forward, it is clear that the policy environment will be increasingly threatening. We will continue to leverage our position as the voice of our industry and will remain at the forefront of advocating for sensible policies, such as a uniform national privacy standard. We will also continue to take the lead in opposing misguided policy proposals that would negatively impact the way our industry does business and impose burdensome and unnecessary requirements, whether those proposals arise in Congress, in federal regulatory agencies, across the 50 states, or in Canada.

Over the past year, we’ve also worked to harness the collective expertise of ETA and its members through our committees to help navigate industry-wide opportunities and challenges. In conjunction with ETA’s Risk, Fraud, and Security Committee, for example, the fourth edition of the ETA Guidelines on Merchant and ISO Underwriting and Risk Monitoring was released to help our members mitigate risk in U.S. card acceptance; the revised document includes updates related to COVID, e-commerce, privacy, and the FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Customer Due Diligence program. We are further expanding the work of our committees, providing forums to network and share best practices, and to demonstrate your organization’s thought leadership.

This summer, we also rolled out an updated ETA CPP (Certified Payments Professional) examination. Recognizing that the pandemic made it harder to access test sites, we provided flexibility by allowing for live online proctoring of the exam. Moving forward, we will introduce enhanced study guides and continuing education material. We are also developing micro-credentials, which will allow you and your employees to demonstrate specialized expertise in our increasingly dynamic industry.

As most of the country shifted to working from home, we also shifted our publications to a digital-first model. As we move into 2021, we are further upping our game, publishing additional, actionable content for industry participants. Our digital-first approach will ensure that ETA remains the voice of payments.

As I look back at ETA’s proud 30-year history and reflect on my own year at the helm of this great organization, I am so proud of the work that has been done. But more than that, I am incredibly optimistic. As an organization, we are transforming in exciting ways with a single-minded focus on supporting our members. Although the moment feels challenging, the future is truly bright.

I appreciate your partnership and your support, and I look forward to continuing this great work with you. Please reach out to me directly, or to any of the ETA team, to let us know what else we can do to support you.