Leadership

Emily Baxter serves as a Partner at RPY Innovations and is the current Co-Chair of the ETA Risk & Fraud Committee. Her professional background is centered on the practical application of risk management and technical implementation within the payments sector. Emily assists organizations in identifying systemic risks and developing the operational frameworks necessary to maintain compliance and security.

Her work involves a hands-on approach to analyzing vulnerabilities and implementing workflows that address both regulatory requirements and operational efficiency. By bridging the gap between technical requirements and business strategy, Emily helps clients navigate the complexities of fraud prevention and risk mitigation. She contributes to industry dialogue by sharing observations on emerging fraud trends and participating in committee initiatives aimed at improving security standards. Emily’s focus remains on delivering scalable, effective solutions that support the integrity of the financial ecosystem.

Peter Tapling is Managing Director at PTap Advisory, LLC, where he advises organizations on strategy, risk, and innovation across the payments and identity ecosystems. With decades of experience in financial services and technology, Peter brings deep expertise in faster payments, fraud mitigation, and digital identity. He is a recognized industry voice, contributing to policy discussions and serving on various advisory boards shaping the future of secure, real-time financial infrastructure.

Wayne Brown, launched The Walker Group, a FinTech boutique consulting company, in September 2007. He has led the team to manage over a thousand FinTech partnerships with banks, financial service organizations and other FinTechs. Some of these partnerships include banks moving billions of dollars annually on new and existing rails.

Before launching The Walker Group, his previous role was Vice President North America Receivables Product Manager at Citigroup, where he was responsible for a suite of electronic payment solutions, namely, B2B (EIPP) B2C (Biller Direct) and EDI.Previous roles consisted of product and account management responsibilities at Fidelity Information Services (FIS), Deutsche Bank, MasterCard and Viewpointe LLC. He is also credited with co-authoring several financial services publications including The Walk-in Bill Payment Guidelines, published by NACHA, founder of The Walker Group Events, The Walker Group Podcasts and The Exchange, a peer-to-peer network group composed of senior executives.

A recent focus is helping banks build an Instant Payment Strategy along with the business and use cases to accept new payment methods. This effort includes managing the RFP process with banks and tech providers, collaborating with organizations deeply involved in instant payments and digital transformation and leading industry discussions around payment modernization.
Clients of The Walker Group, whether directly indirectly include large banks, FinTechs, payment gateways and consulting companies.

Marcia Klingensmith, CEO of Fintech Consulting, is known globally as the “Instant Payments Maven.” She has a passion for payments modernization and over 20 years of experience bringing innovative products and services to market at Fortune 500 companies like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Visa, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and FIS Global.

Marcia is a recognized expert in instant payments, payments modernization, and ISO 20022 strategies. She helps financial institutions and fintechs navigate the evolving world of payments through strategy workshops, process reviews, and sales enablement, integrating AI capabilities to optimize processes and drive innovation. Her expertise spans banking transformation, cross-border transactions, and the future of money. Marcia helps clients achieve tangible results, driving revenue growth and operational efficiency in the evolving payments landscape.

Donna Turner is an industry thought leader in payments, product management, fraud risk management and operations. Having spent more than 30 years in financial services with PNC & Bank of America, she then went on to serve as Chief Operations Officer for Early Warning Systems, the industry consortium behind the Zelle payments network. It is this deep and broad set of experiences that she brings to the table in the founding of Risk Insight Solutions, an advisory firm aimed at assisting companies in developing sustainable growth, addressing risk, and delivering exceptional experiences.

While in banking, her experiences spanned large scale, global operations; product and P&L management; risk management; process engineering and enterprise fraud risk management. This compilation of experiences brought to life a passion for optimization, where the delicate balance of customer experience, operational expense and risk tolerance must be perpetually challenged and adjusted as customer expectations, capabilities, platforms, risk, and expense appetites all shift and evolve.
At Early Warning, having joined prior to the launch of the Zelle network, the joy was in bringing the network to life, which meant cross organization orchestration in concert with the design, execution and often reimagining of function and processes to be agile, scalable and provide exceptional service all within an established risk tolerance of reputation, financial and operational risk.

Donna was recognized as one of the ‘Most Influential Women in Payments’ and holds two patents in the fraud risk management arena. She has served as Chair of the Board for the Ada Jenkins Center, is currently on the board of directors for The Knoble, and as an investor/advisor for Primal Brewery. Her educational background spans undergrad at the University of Florida, with certifications in Operational Management from the University of Michigan and Risk Management from Harvard University.
Donna’ passion now lies in sharing her experience and insight to enable the success of others.

As a Managing Director at Marketcy, I bring experience in fintech and payments innovation, sales management, and business development. I leverage my expertise in creating and executing strategies, leading and mentoring teams, and delivering solutions that generate new revenue and value for clients and stakeholders.

My mission is to transform traditional workflows with innovative technology and data-driven insights, while building strong partnerships and collaborations across the ecosystem. I have successfully led and advised multiple projects in payments, sales management and cloud, applying my knowledge of real-time, corporate, global, and digital payments, as well as blockchain and open API banking. I am also an active contributor and presenter in various industry forums, groups, and events, sharing my vision and insights on fintech and payments innovation.

Elizabeth McQuerry is a seasoned and strategic payments professional with deep expertise across global payment operations and advisory engagements. As Principal at Catado, she brings a strong track record in instant payments, cross-border transactions, and ACH systems, supporting organizations as they navigate complex payment ecosystems and modernization initiatives.

Elizabeth’s experience spans strategy consulting, industry standards, and interoperability, enabling her to bridge the gap between regulatory frameworks, technical infrastructure, and real-world execution. She has worked closely with financial institutions, payment networks, and ecosystem stakeholders to design and implement scalable, resilient, and future-ready payment solutions.

Her work has supported critical initiatives across Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the United States, giving her a uniquely global perspective on payment transformation and market readiness. Known for her clear, pragmatic, and insight-driven approach, Elizabeth is highly regarded for translating complex payment challenges into actionable strategies that drive efficiency, inclusion, and long-term impact across diverse markets.

Steve Mott is a thoughtful and independent strategist with decades of experience analyzing the economics, risks, and future of global transactions. As Owner of BetterBuyDesign, he advises organizations navigating the complex realities of conducting business in an increasingly digital, interconnected economy.

Grounded in the belief that “we transact, therefore we are,” Steve focuses on how individuals and institutions monetize value through trusted interactions. His work examines the structural challenges facing traditional financial services—particularly in the wake of the 2008 credit crisis—and the need for more resilient, transparent, and sustainable transaction models.

Steve’s expertise spans transaction economics, competitive and market assessments, M&A support, expert witness engagement, and strategic advisory, helping clients evaluate opportunities with clarity and rigor. He is also known for meta-research, synthesizing diverse data sources into a unified, actionable perspective. Through his work, Steve remains committed to enabling secure, cost-effective, and future-ready transactions that support long-term confidence in free-market systems.

Deborah Baxley is a globally respected and forward-thinking payments strategist with more than 20 years of experience advising card and payment organizations across established and emerging markets. As Partner at PayGility Advisors, she is widely recognized for creating growth-oriented, commercially viable strategies for retail financial services, mobile payments, and card-based ecosystems.

Deborah has worked across 15 countries, advising issuers, acquirers, networks, and processors on product direction, competitive positioning, and business model development, delivering millions of dollars in new revenue and operating efficiencies. Her expertise spans mobile and contactless payments, credit cards, technology strategy, and international expansion.

A trusted industry leader, Deborah serves in multiple influential roles, including participation in national faster payments initiatives and payments standards bodies. She is also a frequent keynote speaker, published author, and media commentator, known for her insightful, pragmatic perspectives on the future of retail and real-time payments.