Meet Our Experts

Get fresh insights, relevant strategies and best practices from our Visa University instructors and industry experts. Their decades of practical experience and Visa expertise will help you elevate your payments knowledge and accelerate your career.


Karen Brown
Atlanta, USA
Karen Brown
Chief Analytics and Operating Officer, Lending Science DM, Inc

“l hope Payments Management Lab — Live participants come away with a greater understanding of all the components and intricacies related to the payment space including understanding the basics of credit risk modeling, its uses and how utilizing scores can impact business decisions and strategy.”

I am the Chief Analytics and Operating Officer for Lending Science DM, Inc., a leader in scientifically-driven marketing and risk management solutions for the financial industry. In this role, I work with clients to solve their business problems with analytic and data solutions, including acquiring new customers, optimizing marketing and risk metrics and maximizing profitability. Prior to Lending Science DM, I spent 16 years at Synchrony Bank, which included serving as SVP, Model Development, where I was responsible for the development of all consumer and commercial models supporting Synchrony’s private label credit card, bankcard and installment lending programs as well as reserve, stress testing and economic capital models.

I have Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics and Computer-Math from Furman University and a Master of Science in Statistics from Florida State University.

Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, boating or anything water related and spending time with my husband and two sons.
Anthony (Tony) Carter
Singapore
Anthony (Tony) Carter
Training Manager, Visa

“When I teach a class, my most important role is to facilitate conversations between you and your classmates so you can share real-life experiences and gain perspectives from different markets. My goal is that you not only learn something new and relevant to your role, but that you also take away ideas and inspiration to improve your performance — and the performance of your organization.”

As Training Manager at Visa, I deliver courses to our clients around the world. I’m also the instructor champion for a number of Visa University courses, where I review current global trends and Visa processes to ensure the content I teach remains relevant in our ever-changing industry.

I have practical experience in both the operational and business management aspects of banking and financial services, which includes 18 years in training, learning and development. I am an accredited career coach who enjoys travel, technology and music, and I’m currently learning how to play the guitar.
James Cranfield
Madrid, Spain
James Cranfield
Founder, Insight Consultancy

“My goal is to foster a learning experience where you’ll genuinely enjoy learning about the different aspects of the payments business while engaging with me and your peers in a dynamic, open and interactive way.”

As Managing Director at Insight Consultancy, I lead consulting and training projects focused on the quantitative aspect of the business and build custom financial models and simulations for clients. I have a background in issuer and acquirer profitability and have helped hundreds of banks across the globe optimize their payments portfolios.

I bring a global perspective to my training, having lived in over a dozen countries and traveled the world extensively. I speak English and Spanish fluently and have conversational knowledge of French. I am also an avid collector of vintage credit and debit cards and a keen cards historian.
Jonathan Davis
London, UK
Jonathan Davis
Sr. Director, Cybersecurity Policy and Awareness, Visa

“As a participant in my courses, you’ll gain a foundational knowledge of cybersecurity as seen through the lens of the payments industry. You’ll emerge with a broader understanding of cybersecurity controls, the payments ecosystem, legal and regulatory drivers, the cyber threat landscape and how each of these informs the development of an effective payments cybersecurity program.”

Currently I am global head of Visa’s Cybersecurity Policy and Awareness programs. My team is responsible for Visa’s security policies and standards frameworks, which are designed to protect information and technology assets and ensure compliance with a broad spectrum of industry and regulatory requirements. The team supports a number of internal and external stakeholders on a variety of policy and regulatory issues related to cyber and operational resilience, data privacy and data governance. In addition to our policy-related activities, my team is responsible for Visa’s Cybersecurity Awareness program, delivering educational and training content across multiple channels. I’ve been with Visa for almost ten years, where I was originally based in the San Francisco Bay area. I have worked in the London office for the past five years.

With over 20 years’ experience in information technology, information risk management, cybersecurity and business leadership, my background spans multiple sectors, including roles in banking, fintech, consulting, legal and government environments. My roles have included Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) program management and execution, leading information security consulting engagements at multiple Fortune 500 firms, business development, IT operations and project management.

In my spare time, I am an avid sailor and hiker, collect books and love to travel.
Peggy Dixon
Austin, USA
Peggy Dixon
Director, Cybersecurity Policy and Awareness, Visa

“As a participant in my course, you’ll gain an understanding of cybersecurity threats and best practices with a focus on the considerations and challenges of the payments industry. You’ll also learn about the various industry and regulatory requirements that play a role in payments cybersecurity.”

My role as Director of Cybersecurity Policy and Awareness at Visa has two parts. The first is helping inform our information security policy and Visa’s Key Controls, our security standards designed to protect information and technology assets and ensure compliance. The second is educating people about payments cybersecurity threats and best practices.

I have more than 20 years of experience in various roles, from infrastructure operations and application development to cybersecurity. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational leadership and a Master of Science degree in IT management with a cybersecurity specialization from Colorado State University. My certifications include Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

I bring a unique perspective to my role, having experienced a variety of different cultures. I’ve had the opportunity to work on numerous global projects, including time spent living in Tokyo, Japan. I’ve also lived all over the United States including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas and the US Virgin Islands. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, gardening and classic cars.
José Foltran
São Paulo, Brazil
José Foltran
Training Manager, Visa

“The best teacher is one who inspires. My hope is that you gain more than technical knowledge from my courses — I hope you gain an inspiration to work with love.”

As Training Manager at Visa, I am responsible for delivering Portuguese-language courses for our clients and partners. I have a broad range of experience in the payments industry including working directly with issuers, acquirers and processors, as well as leadership roles in information technology, marketing, project management, operations and sales.

I am a native Portuguese speaker and am also fluent in English. Outside of Visa University, I love to ride my motorcycle on long trips and enjoy biographical movies, books and wines.
Loren Franklin
Dubai, UAE
Loren Franklin
Training Director, Visa

"My goal is help Visa clients succeed by creating energizing, engaging learning experiences. Using real-world examples and challenges, I strive to give our clients the tools to creatively solve problems, maximize the value of working with Visa and deeply understand the evolving world of payments."

As a Training Director for Visa, I am responsible for the delivery of client training programs across Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

I began my career by developing a quality improvement curriculum for the National Health Service in Scotland. Since then, I have designed eLearning courses, built curriculums and rolled out training programs for organizations of all sizes. I discovered a passion for training delivery after launching the virtual training platform for Mastercard Academy and have been fortunate to continue that passion with Visa. Outside of work, I enjoy writing, reading and hiking. I learned Italian at school, but don’t ask me to speak it now!
Peter Hall
London, UK
Peter Hall
Managing Partner, Intuition International Limited

“My goal is to provide you with valuable, proven and usable insights so that when you leave my classroom, you’ve gained knowledge and understanding that is both relevant and has practical application.”

As Managing Partner at Intuition International Limited, I provide my clients with expertise that gives them a business advantage and enables growth. I use a combination of sound principles, best practices and firsthand experiences to create learning opportunities that meet the needs of today’s payments industry.

Throughout my payments career, I’ve built, managed and transformed issuing and acquiring businesses in a multitude of different environments, from creating programs in developing markets with limited infrastructure to revitalizing major programs in mature, competitive markets. I enjoy bringing a global perspective to my courses having traveled to more than 111 international markets (and counting) and enjoy the challenge of finding solutions that are a good fit both globally and locally.
Suzanne Holcombe
London, UK
Suzanne Holcombe
Managing Director, Insight Consultancy

"In my course, you will learn how to optimize your marketing activities in each of the four stages of customer lifecycle management in the payments relationship (acquisition, activation, usage and retention) from product design to customer retention."

I provide payments management advice through global consulting and training for Insight Consultancy, which I founded in 1999. I have a strong focus on building and maintaining profitable portfolios for issuers and acquirers and have worked on delivering marketing toolkits, customer lifecycle management reviews and profit optimization for clients across the globe.

I began my career with Eurocard in 1991 and went on to lead their post-merger corporate development activities. I also spent several years leading consultancy engagements for a global research company working with clients such as Visa, British Airways and American Express. I played a key role in the development of several Visa University programs, including the Visa Global Challenge (now the Payments Management Challenge) and the simulation for Payments Management Lab.

I am multilingual (fluent in Spanish, French, Welsh and Portuguese), enjoy playing tennis and have recently taken up golf again after a 25-year break to have four children.
Timothy Hopkins
St. Louis, USA
Timothy Hopkins
Training Manager, Visa

“My goal is to challenge people to take their dispute resolution skills to the next level. I empower them to apply the knowledge they gain from our courses to make positive changes in their role, their organization, and ultimately, their career.”

As Training Manager for Visa, I am responsible for delivering training to our North American clients. I specialize in disputes training and was proud to be the instructor for the first-ever course of the Visa Dispute Resolution Certification scholarship program.

Prior to joining Visa, I managed the dispute resolution management team at Mastercard for 24 years. I also worked at Chase Manhattan Bank for several years. Outside of work, I enjoy music and play several instruments including a hammered dulcimer.
Gopakumar (Gopa) Kunnanchath
Dubai, UAE
Gopakumar (Gopa) Kunnanchath
Training Manager, Visa

"During my courses, I work to ensure participants gain a solid understanding of the subject both in detail and in the abstract. It’s important to me that participants are able to apply their learnings and knowledge at various levels in their organization. I enjoy analyzing trends in the payments world and make every effort to share those updates in my courses."

As a training manager at Visa, I am responsible for delivering client training programs across Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

I have more than 23 years of experience spanning the entire payments value chain. I am an expert on Visa's clearing and settlement processes and have experience in dispute resolution and loyalty platforms. Throughout my career, I’ve worked on credit, debit and prepaid card portfolios with large acquiring and issuing banks in geographies including the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

I am a fitness enthusiast and have participated in multiple marathons. I’m looking forward to completing the Dubai Marathon and aiming for a personal best time.
Mary Pat McMahon
San Francisco, USA
Mary Pat McMahon
Global Head of Debit, Visa

"When you attend my course, I would like you to gain a deeper understanding of debit, a payments product that continues to show significant success in competing for cash and check spend. After covering the basics – the market landscape, debit user characteristics and issuer business case, I will leave you with some best practice recommendations for accelerating growth in your own debit portfolios."

As Global Head of Debit at Visa, my team is responsible for driving the global growth and evolution of Visa’s debit product offerings, which generate over $3.5 trillion in annual payment volume globally. Prior to this role, I was responsible for managing the Visa Debit product for the U.S. and for driving growth in Visa’s U.S. debit issuer portfolios.

Before Visa, I spent time in senior roles at Bank of America (Interactive Banking Division) and at Cash Station (now Star), a regional ATM and Debit POS network that served the Chicago metropolitan area. My first role in payments was to take the Cash Station ATM network to the point of sale — the first implementation of debit for that market and a fantastic way to learn the “nuts and bolts” of the business. I received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Georgetown University and a Masters of Management in marketing and finance from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Residing in the Bay Area, I enjoy spending family time with my husband and three teenagers — playing sports, traveling to new and interesting countries, and discussing current events over the dinner table.
Fernando Mendez
Miami, USA
Fernando Mendez
VP of Products and Solutions for Global Clients, Visa

“I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with participants in my courses. Together, we’ll explore how payments have evolved, learn about the current landscape and discover the trends that will shape our industry in the years to come.”

As Vice President of Products and Digital Solutions for Global Clients, I lead Visa’s strategy and roadmap for new products, digital solutions and innovation initiatives for multi-national clients. I play a key role in driving digital transformation of multi-national banks, coordinating a team of global, regional and local specialists to deliver projects and identify new opportunities and partnerships.

I have 35 years of experience in the payments industry. Prior to my current role, I was Head of Emerging Products for 44 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean and led initiatives such as EMV chip and contactless payments including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.

I have a degree in cybernetic engineering and computer science from La Salle University in Mexico City. I have completed leadership and executive education programs at the University of Miami School of Business, Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Outside of work, I enjoy scuba diving. I am fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Sandra Menjivar-Suddeath
Austin, TX, USA
Sandra Menjivar-Suddeath
Cybersecurity Audit and Compliance Director, Visa

“As a participant in my course, you’ll gain a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity threats and risks as well as the various industry and regulatory requirements that impact the payments industry.”

As the Cybersecurity Audit and Compliance Director, I work with internal audit, risk management, developers, engineers and architects to ensure that Visa’s cybersecurity controls, including PCI controls, are effective and teams are aware of cybersecurity risk.

Prior to joining Visa, I spent 15 years in internal audit and risk management, focusing on information technology audits. I have an associate’s degree in cybersecurity from Austin Community College, a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) School of Public Affairs. I am a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified Information System Security Professional, PCI – Internal Security Assessor, and Certified Internal Auditor.

Outside of work, I enjoy building complex LEGO models and volunteering training dogs and teaching dog training techniques at the Austin Humane Society. I am a world traveler and have lived on three different continents.
Angel Merced
Miami, USA
Angel Merced
Training Manager, Visa

“My goal is for participants to be actively involved during discussions and leave my courses with ideas that can impact their bottom line for the better. I also strive to help them gain advanced knowledge by encouraging them to share their experiences with each other and contributing insights from my own experience.”

As Training Manager at Visa, I develop training for Visa University’s dispute resolution curriculum, translate and review Spanish-language course materials and deliver courses in my areas of expertise: dispute resolution, operations, issuing and acquiring.

Prior to joining Visa, I worked for Citi, where I supervised their issuer customer service department and managed their acquiring operations throughout the Caribbean. I also served as Director of Operations for Mastercard, where I was involved in operations, dispute resolution, security, risk and franchise management. I have also worked for several companies in the Fintech space as a sales engineer and chargeback manager.

I speak English, Spanish and conversational Portuguese. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, road trips and trying to create good music playlists.
Isabelle Onkelinx
Waterloo, Belgium
Isabelle Onkelinx
Owner, IO Resolution

“I am passionate about the payments industry and its evolving technological challenges. When I’m teaching a course, I believe in making learning a fun experience, sharing my knowledge in a clear and simple manner and providing practical examples to give you the necessary tools to resolve disputes efficiently and with integrity.”

I own the consulting company IO Resolution and provide chargeback training and solutions to issuers, acquirers, processors and merchants. I have more than 30 years of experience in the payments industry, the majority of which have been focused on dispute resolution management.

Prior to founding IO Resolution, I held the position of Director, European Dispute Resolution Management at Mastercard, where I worked for over 28 years providing chargeback expertise both internally and externally. I also managed the review of arbitration and compliance cases and provided highly acclaimed chargeback training to merchants and financial institutions with the objective of reducing financial losses to their organizations.

I am fluent in French and English. Outside of work, I love hiking in the mountains, practicing yoga and cooking for friends and family.
Luis Reza
Miami, USA
Luis Reza
Director, Risk Management, Visa

“Our digital payments industry is amazing and is always evolving. As payments and technology evolve, we must continue to earn trust by protecting data and preventing fraud. When you attend my course, my goal is to empower you with knowledge and insights to help you better manage fraud threats and protect the growth of your business.”

In my role as Director of Risk Management, I help Visa clients effectively manage and mitigate key fraud risks and grow their portfolios. My team helps protect the payments ecosystem by creating a risk roadmap strategy to help our clients optimize risk products and adopt secure technologies and compliance programs.

I began my career in operations and technology with financial institutions in Mexico before joining Visa’s Mexico office and eventually moving to Miami. Over the years, I’ve worked with organizations throughout the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, including the Southern Cone, Andean zone, the Caribbean and Central America.

I am a graduate of the Cybersecurity Professional program at the University of Miami. Outside of work, I love walking and swimming with my daughter and wife. I am fluent in Spanish and English.
Elina Rodriguez
Atlanta, USA
Elina Rodriguez
Senior Consultant, Lending Science DM, Inc.

"I hope that you’ll walk away from the courses I teach with a better understanding of what goes into the construction of tools used for credit risk management, because they play such an important role for issuers. With this knowledge, you’ll be more likely to embrace and leverage the tools within your business, which should boost the profitability of your credit card portfolio."

As a Senior Consultant for Lending Science DM, Inc., I work closely with clients to design, develop and implement analytical solutions with a primary focus on credit risk management. I also conduct training and education programs geared toward risk management personnel, model users and model developers.

In 1993, I co-founded Scoring Solutions, Inc., a statistical modeling and consulting firm specializing in the financial services industry, which was acquired by Lending Science DM, Inc. in 2017. I have developed and implemented scorecards and segmentation systems for a variety of organizations throughout the world. I am fluent in English and Spanish and enjoy sailing, gardening and spending time with my two grandchildren.
Manuel (Mannie) Da Silva
Miami, USA
Manuel (Mannie) Da Silva
Senior Director, Fraud Risk Management, Visa
  • Years in the payments industry: 4

“Detecting and preventing fraud threats is critical to your organization’s success. My goal is to provide you with a solid foundation in risk management principles and an understanding the importance of good risk governance in an open classroom environment where you can share best practices with peers from around the world. I hope you’ll apply your new knowledge and skills to make changes that will optimize your risk management strategy.”

As Senior Director of Fraud Risk Management, I oversee Visa’s risk engagements for national and super regional accounts in the U.S. In this role, I ensure that financial institutions follow risk best practices to detect and mitigate real-time authorization threats. I also lead risk consulting projects to leverage, promote and drive robust analysis, fraud deterrence methodologies and quarterly fraud reviews.

I have extensive risk management experience and have held strategy, product management and consulting positions at Visa, Mastercard, Fiserv, SAS and FICO. Throughout my career, my focus has been on leveraging issuer risk mitigation, authorization optimization and fraud strategy to drive actionable risk insights, innovative capabilities, automation and thought leadership.

I am bilingual in English and Portuguese. Outside of Visa, I enjoy mountain biking and coaching my sons’ soccer teams and am currently working on a U.S. soccer coaching license.
Jody Spencer
Ashburn, Virginia, USA
Jody Spencer
Senior Director, North America Risk, Visa
  • Years in the payments industry: 27

“When you take one of my courses, my hope is that you gain a better understanding of the anatomy of a fraud event and the best ways to proactively protect your organization before it suffers any losses.”

As Senior Director of North America Risk at Visa, I collaborate with clients on their risk and fraud strategies. I frequently partner with clients to conduct regular risk reviews and identify gaps that threat actors could exploit.

I started my career in payments at the STAR Network managing their bi-annual client forums. I joined Visa in 2000 and have held positions on the product, treasury and client readiness teams. I also worked in client services, where I consulted on opportunities to improve authorization while closely watching for fraud-related issues.

Outside of Visa, I enjoy camping with my family and golden retriever (Bentley) in our motorhome.
Cintia Szente
São Paulo, Brazil
Cintia Szente
Risk Management Manager, Visa

“I believe that asking questions and sharing experiences are an important part of the learning process. All questions are smart and important, and I encourage participants in my courses to bring their own unique perspectives and ask questions to enrich the experience for everyone.”

I currently manage Visa’s non-compliance programs for issuers, acquirers and merchants in Brazil. I´m also responsible for conducting risk assessments during onboarding of new clients, including providing fraud risk mitigation best practices. I also manage risk portfolios for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)-based issuers and acquirers.

I have more than 20 years of experience in the payments industry and have a strong background in risk and fraud prevention strategies, including roles with Visa’s LAC Cybersource team and Bank of America Risk team.

I hold a Master of Business Management degree from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mackenzie University Brazil. I am fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish.