In this episode of Pioneers in Payments, Donna Blum sits down with industry veteran Audrey Blackmon, a leader whose career spans the full payments ecosystem, from merchant acquiring to card issuing. Audrey has held roles at major companies like First Data, Vantiv, Blackhawk Network, and now Euronet. She also serves as an Executive Board Member and former President of PayTech Women.
Audrey highlights several major trends shaping the payments industry today. Consolidation through mergers and acquisitions is simplifying a historically complex landscape, while embedded payments are transforming how industries operate, especially by reducing manual processes like paper handling in sectors such as insurance. She also points to the growing role of crypto, particularly stablecoins, and the increasing use of AI to combat fraud and improve efficiency.
Looking ahead, Audrey sees strong opportunities in technology consolidation, streamlined APIs, and the continued rise of account-to-account, real-time payments. AI also presents significant potential in optimizing back-office operations.
However, the industry is not without its challenges. Profit margins remain under pressure due to rising costs, and companies must continuously adapt to rapid technological change to stay competitive.
Audrey closes with practical advice for professionals: keep learning, give back through mentorship and service, and embrace new technologies without fear.
Her long-standing involvement with PayTech Women and her role in founding the Southeast Acquirers Association reflect her commitment to supporting and growing the payments community.
Connect with Audrey Blackmon:
E-mail: ablackmon@euronetworldwide.com
LinkeIn: /audreyblackmon1616
About Euronet:
A global leader in payments processing and cross-border transactions, Euronet moves money in all the ways consumers and businesses depend upon. This includes money transfers, credit/debit processing, ATMs, point-of-sale services, branded payments, currency exchange and more. With products and services in more than 200 countries and territories provided through its own brand and branded business segments, Euronet and its financial technologies and networks make participation in the global economy easier, faster and more secure for everyone. Learn more at https://www.euronet.com/.
About BHMI:
BHMI provides software solutions for back-office processing of electronic payments. The Concourse Financial Software Suite® offers dynamic, flexible solutions for processing debit, credit, mobile, P2P, real-time payments, ATMs, POS, and more. Concourse enables automated reconciliation, settlement, fee assessment, dispute management, and back-office modernization. Learn more at https://bhmi.com.
