Award Recognizes a Standout Leader in Payments and Fintech Who Champions Female Leadership and Workplace Development
Talbott Roche, CEO and president of global branded payments provider Blackhawk Network, has been named the recipient of the Women in Payments’ Advocate for Women Award. Conferred to payments and fintech leaders who champion the career advancement of women in the industry, the award was presented to Roche during a February 10 ceremony at the Ritz Carlton in McLean, Virginia.
“Our awards program has served to showcase the exceptional work of payment leaders, innovators, and rising stars since 2013,” said Kristy Duncan, founder and CEO of Women in Payments. “We are incredibly pleased to present this year’s Advocate for Women Award to Talbott. She has demonstrated outstanding leadership in advocating for the advancement of women in payments and beyond and we congratulate her on this achievement.”
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With Roche’s encouragement and support, Blackhawk has sponsored a number of industry organizations devoted to nurturing female leadership, including Women in Payments and the Women’s Network of Electronic Transactions. Blackhawk was also a founding sponsor of Women in Payments’ Global Mentorship Program, which pairs mentors and mentees in the payments industry to foster professional development around the globe.
Additionally, Roche has volunteered her time to presenting at industry events about the importance of advocating for women in business and has also served as an executive sponsor and source of support to many of Blackhawk’s female senior management and staff members.
“Championing female leadership is something I’m passionate about and ensure is a priority at Blackhawk,” said Roche. “Real change needs to be supported from the top of an organization in terms of recruiting, developing, retaining and promoting talented female leaders. Despite fintech traditionally being a male-dominated industry—especially for leadership roles—I am proud that nearly 50% of Blackhawk’s leadership positions are held by women. I thank Women in Payments for this honor as well as the work the organization does to support women in the industry.”
Roche was one of seven payments and fintech industry leaders honored at the Women in Payments award ceremony across several award categories. Attended by hundreds of industry veterans, the ceremony spotlighted the achievements of women who have distinguished themselves as leaders, innovators, rising stars and consummate professionals. Winners were selected by an awards committee comprised of senior women with diverse payments system expertise who are committed to championing female talent across the payments ecosystem.
