Payments in transition: Leadership in an era of transformation

Money powers the global economy, but the systems behind it are in rapid transition. This report is designed to guide you through that change, organized into three layers: the barriers and drivers shaping payments today, the leadership blueprint that defines how to excel, and the ecosystem shifts that will shape the future. Explore each layer to navigate the payments space based on your needs and priorities.

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– LAYER ONE

Critical barriers and drivers

Diagnosing the friction points that hold the industry back and exploring ways to overcome them.

See current challenges

– LAYER TWO

The leadership blueprint

Defining the attributes and actions that distinguish true leaders from laggards in a rapidly evolving payments landscape.

Uncover leadership attributes

– LAYER THREE

An ecosystem in transition

Exploring the three transformative ecosystem shifts redefining how money and value is exchanged.

Inspect the current state

– LAYER ONE

Critical barriers and drivers

Diagnosing the friction points that hold the industry back and exploring ways to overcome them.

See current challenges

– LAYER TWO

The leadership blueprint

Defining the attributes and actions that distinguish true leaders from laggards in a rapidly evolving payments landscape.

Uncover leadership attributes

– LAYER THREE

An ecosystem in transition

Exploring the three transformative ecosystem shifts redefining how money and value is exchanged.

Inspect the current state
LAYER ONE
CRITICAL BARRIERS AND DRIVERS

Navigating a landscape of requirementsrequirementsrequirements

The payments industry has a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative industries

77%
%
cite cybersecurity and fraud as the biggest barrier slowing down innovation in the payments industry
55%
%
agree that technology isn’t being fully leveraged in the payments industry
Most executives appear confident about the pace of payments innovation. Only 12% believe it’s falling behind other sectors on technological innovation. However, the same group admits they are not making full use of the technology already available (55%), and less than half (44%) completely agree payments innovation is a C‑suite priority. 


The survey results show a contrast between perception and reality.

While companies believe they’re leading, they also believe they’re not using technology to its full extent. In other words, the industry’s confidence is high, but many organizations remain unprepared to move at the speed customers and regulators now expect.¹ As the cost of delay keeps rising, hesitation has a price. If the technology is ready, what’s keeping companies from adopting it?
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layer TWO
tHE LEADERSHIP BLUEPRINT

The payments ecosystem: Innovation meets inertia

Not all capabilities contribute equally to leadership

agree to some degree that their organization is a leader in the payments industry
agree or completely agree that payments innovation is a C-suite priority

We used a statistical analysis of the survey responses from more than 500 industry executives to identify the traits most strongly linked to leadership in payments. These findings define a clear, evidence-based blueprint for how to excel in a complex payments ecosystem and unlock payments as a competitive differentiator.

True leadership in payments is
earned through action

Our research identifies 3 core pillars:

01
Executive ownership & vision
02
Agility & future readiness
03
Capability & talent activation
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LAYER THREE
AN ECOSYSTEM IN TRANSITION

Implications for navigating a space of rapid change

Mayor shifts in payments today

The barriers, drivers, and leadership blueprint we’ve discussed so far are the “micro-changes” of the industry that are setting up leaders for success. Now, when we look from a macro perspective, we’re seeing three large-scale ecosystem transitions that are redefining how money moves:

  • The modernization of payments infrastructure
  • Advancing protection, trust, and identity
  • Maximizing performance in the era of automation

Are you prepared to stay competitive

Those who are most successful with the leadership attributes will fare better in the face of these changes. 
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