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The Payments Canada Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Susan Hawkins as the new President and CEO, effective August 12, 2024. This strategic move aims to strengthen Payments Canada’s leadership as it continues to modernize the nation’s payment systems.
Leadership and Experience
Garry Foster, Chair of the Payments Canada Board of Directors, expressed confidence in Hawkins’ ability to lead the organization. With extensive experience in domestic and international retail and commercial payment sectors, Hawkins has demonstrated her expertise and passion for payment innovation. Her collaborative leadership style is expected to drive Payments Canada forward in its mission to enhance and modernize the country’s payment infrastructure.
Hawkins' Professional Background
Hawkins brings a wealth of experience to her new role. For over five years, she served as the Global Head of Enterprise Payments and Executive Vice President of US Payments at TD Bank Group. In this capacity, she oversaw the modernization and governance of payment infrastructure and products in both the US and Canada. Notably, she played a crucial role in developing and commercializing a real-time payments solution. Her career also includes executive positions at Fidelity Global Information Services and Metavante Payment Solutions. Additionally, Hawkins served on the Payments Canada board from 2020 to 2023 and has been a board member of The Clearing House Payments Corporation since 2019.
Vision for the Future
Hawkins expressed her enthusiasm for leading Payments Canada during this transformative period. She emphasized the importance of working collaboratively with members and stakeholders to build on the momentum of Canada’s payment innovation journey. Recent changes to the Canadian Payments Act, which received Royal Assent, will broaden access to Canada’s payment systems and expand Payments Canada’s membership. Hawkins is particularly excited to support the organization in leading the final phase of the "made for Canada" Real-Time Rail (RTR) payment system, aiming to shape the future of payments in the country.
Transition and Interim Leadership
With Hawkins stepping into her new role, interim co-CEOs Kristina Logue and Jude Pinto will resume their full positions as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Delivery Officer (CDO), respectively. This transition marks a significant step forward for Payments Canada as it continues its journey towards modernizing the nation’s payment systems under Hawkins' leadership.
