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EMVCo enhances industry engagement programme

Technical body expands engagement opportunities for payments community participants to further encourage diverse and representative input from a rapidly evolving marketplace

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 19, 2019) — EMVCo has reaffirmed its commitment to industry engagement with the launch of an enhanced EMVCo Associates Programme (EAP), increasing the number of organisations that are eligible to provide strategic input and further encouraging merchant involvement.  

The EAP was established in 2010 to facilitate industry engagement and enable the payments community to play an active role in the strategic and technical direction of EMVCo. The enhanced programme expands participation on EMVCo’s Board of Advisors, a group which facilitates discussions about new initiatives and future iterations of the EMV®* Specifications, to all Associates demonstrating an ongoing commitment to EMV deployment and interoperability. This will enable broader strategic input and reflects the growing diversity of EMVCo’s initiatives across both physical and remote payment environments.

The enhanced programme also includes the creation of targeted merchant and industry group participation categories with the goal of providing these important payment partners flexible options for engagement.

“As EMVCo’s scope has expanded in recent years, encouraging and increasing participation has been an ongoing focus,” comments Bruce Rutherford, Chair of the EMVCo Executive Committee. “The enhanced programme expands the opportunity for engagement, facilitates early and inclusive interaction, and delivers a worldwide schedule that offers face-to-face meetings in every global region annually. This feedback and direction from the industry is critical to ensuring the EMV Specifications support immediate requirements and future trends.”

EMVCo’s commitment to marketplace engagement and education is also demonstrated by the appointment of Simon Kleine to the newly-created role of Director of Communications. With a corporate communications career spanning 30 years, Simon has held leadership positions at American Express, Visa and Western Union.

Current Director of Operations Brian Byrne, a payments veteran with close to 30 years’ experience, will transition into an expanded Director of Engagement and Operations role. Karen Shunk joins EMVCo as Manager of Operations, following roles at the Object Management Group (OMG) and the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), the technology standards division of the National Retail Federation (NRF).

All interested stakeholders are encouraged to get involved. Visit the EMVCo website for further details on the EMVCo Associates Programme and how to join.


About EMVco

EMVCo is the global technical body that facilitates the worldwide interoperability and acceptance of secure payment transactions by managing and evolving the EMV Specifications and related testing processes. Adoption of EMV Specifications and associated approval and certification processes promotes a unified international payments framework, which supports an advancing range of payment methods, technologies and acceptance environments. The specifications are designed to be flexible and can be adapted regionally to meet national payment requirements and accommodate local regulations. EMVCo is collectively owned by American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay and Visa, and focuses on the technical advancement of the EMV Specifications. To provide all payment stakeholders with a platform to engage in its strategic and technical direction, EMVCo operates an Associates Programme and encourages all interested parties to get involved. Visit www.emvco.com for further information and join EMVCo on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Brian Byrne
Director of Operations
EMVCo

Media Contact:
Chloe Smith
iseepr
+44 194-346-8007
chloe@iseepr.co.uk

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