As we enter 2025, the payments and fraud prevention industry continues to face significant gender disparities. Women hold just 39% of C-suite roles in payments, and the gender pay gap persists, with women in senior roles earning nearly 30% less per hour than men.In the financial sector, women founders secured only 2.4% of venture capital funding in 2024, despite their businesses often delivering higher returns. Diverse teams are critical for success in payments and fraud prevention, as they enhance team dynamics, improve customer understanding, and lead to more resilient strategies.
These challenges underscore the importance of initiatives like the MRC Virtual Summit: Women in Payments and Fraud (WPF), which fosters mentorship, promote diversity, and empower professionals to build a more equitable future.
Women play a critical role in the payments and fraud prevention industry by driving financial inclusion, enhancing digital literacy, and fostering innovation. Their leadership not only advances equitable access to financial systems but also strengthens the industry's ability to adapt to emerging technologies and challenges.
Wage disparity and inherent bias still exist in the industry. By hosting WPF sessions both live and virtually, we aim to bridge the gap and combat the isolation that many women feel — especially in 2025, when remote work is so prevalent. Hearing other women discuss their challenges helps ease that sense of being alone.
In our WPF sessions, we encourage speakers to openly share the challenges they’ve faced and the valuable lessons they’ve learned along the way. These insights provide attendees with actionable resources and practical tips to navigate their own journeys.
Additionally, we ensure that our sessions educate attendees on the latest developments in the fraud and payments world. The knowledge shared isn’t just relevant to women — it’s designed to be impactful for entire teams, regardless of gender identity.
As the Content Director for the MRC, I have noticed a theme that stands out at these events: imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome isn’t exclusive to women; everyone can benefit from hearing the stories and solutions that help overcome that sense of feeling ‘out of place’. Just as we encourage women to network and share their experiences to combat feelings of isolation, all attendees might relate to similar experiences.
Everyone knows at least one woman in the industry who has been affected by these (and other) challenges, and everyone can benefit from the insights that our speakers and attendees deliver. With these events, we aim to help attendees who identify as women realise they are not alone in their experiences and help those of all gender identities gain a deeper understanding of how these challenges may impact their colleagues.
First, simply show up. We make it a priority to showcase diverse voices at our summits, featuring speakers from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, titles, and geographical regions, and we have something for everyone. Often, a good portion of our programming content isn’t specific to women, but rather industry-wide topics presented by women. Our goal is to demonstrate that fostering diversity and inclusion is key to building successful payments and fraud organisations.
We encourage and welcome all gender identities to participate in and speak at our Women in Payments and Fraud events in ways that ensure the space remains safe and supportive for women. We are very open to hearing new perspectives and understanding the critical role that a diverse workforce plays in a company’s success.
Women-focused events play a pivotal role in fostering equity, driving innovation, and amplifying diverse perspectives in our industry. If you're ready to take part in these critical discussions, don't miss the upcoming MRC Virtual Summit: Women in Payments and Fraud on 28 January 2025 — a space where all voices matter and where real change happens.
It’s important to continue these conversations beyond the event. To stay engaged, consider joining the MRC Women in Payments and Fraud Community, which offers ongoing discussions, mentorship opportunities, and exclusive resources. Join the community and be part of the movement!
Laura is an inspiring leader and experienced professional in payments, risk, and fraud, with a proven track record of delivering results. Her core skills include banking, card-not-present transactions, subscription billing, and ecommerce. As the Senior Director of Conference and Webinar Programming for the Merchant Risk Council, Laura sources and enlists industry experts, thought leaders, and dynamic speakers for global events. She builds and maintains relationships with potential speakers, fostering a diverse network of influential voices within the e-commerce payment and fraud sector. A seasoned speaker, Laura has earned several speaking accolades and has held various leadership positions within Toastmasters.
The Merchant Risk Council (MRC) is a global nonprofit community dedicated to enabling safe and profitable eCommerce by providing platforms for networking, education, and advocacy. The MRC brings together a diverse network of professionals to collaborate on strategies and solutions for managing risk and preventing fraud in digital commerce. With a focus on innovation and best practices, the MRC supports its members in navigating the challenges and opportunities of the evolving ecommerce landscape.
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