Executive Profiles
Biographical Summary
A 30-year veteran of the banking industry, Saunders came to Visa in 2007 with a two-fold mandate: transform Visa from a private association of banks to a publicly-traded company; and position the venerable organization to lead the global transition to electronic payments. The road has been a tough one for Saunders, who took the reins at the beginning of an epic, global economic meltdown. For a company like Visa, that only makes money when people spend, it hasn't been easy. But Saunders boldly led Visa into payment products that are less discretionary, such as pre-paid and debit cards typically used by consumers to pay for basic necessities such as food and gas. This–as well as the company's commitment to expand globally–is expected to drive the company's growth in the future.
