Payments Industry Veteran Joan Herman Receives Maher Award

Maher Award Given at IPA’s Innovative Payments Conference

Joan Herman, Executive Vice President of Operations at Paysign, was today awarded the Innovative Payments Association's (IPA) prestigious Maher Award, which recognizes dedication to the payments industry.
"Just like the award's namesake Trent Maher, Joan Herman exemplifies the dedication and collaborative spirit that drives progress in the payments industry. The Maher Award is a well-deserved recognition of her tireless contributions," said IPA President and CEO Brian Tate, who presented the award at the organization's Innovative Payments Conference.

A seasoned payments professional with nearly 30 years of experience across various aspects of the industry, Joan Herman joined Paysign in 2017, where she is responsible for overseeing daily operations.

"Joan's dedication extends far beyond her impressive career at Paysign. Throughout her involvement with the IPA and the payments industry, she’s consistently shared her knowledge and mentored others," Tate said. "This spirit of giving back perfectly complements her ongoing enthusiasm for the future of payments. We at the IPA are thrilled to honor Joan with the Maher Award."

Before Paysign, Herman held leadership positions at Sunrise Banks, UMB Bank, Boatmen's Bank (now Bank of America), and Heartland Bank. Notably, she served as a director at Heartland Payment Systems between 1997 and 2006. Throughout her career, Herman has held various management roles in operations, product development, sales, and marketing, offering a well-rounded perspective on both the issuing and acquiring sides of the card business.

During the conference, Tate also presented the Skiba Awards, named for IPA Chairman Robert Skiba, executive vice president of InComm. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that go above and beyond to advance the payments industry. This year's recipients included:

• Kathryn Tomasofsky of the Money Services Business Association (MSBA)
• The Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization
• Discover
• Eric Schurr, Sunrise Bank.

About the Maher Award

Terrence P. Maher was a partner at the law firm of Baird Holm LLP. He was an expert in electronic financial services – primarily the payment card industry. As a strong advocate for the industry, Maher was active in the IPA and served as the association’s outside general counsel from 2006, when it was known as the Network Branded Prepaid Card Association, until his death in 2014.

Baird Holm sponsors this award, which recognizes a payments professional who has shown the same qualities in supporting the industry.

About The IPA

The Innovative Payments Association (IPA) is the leading voice of the electronic payments sector, including prepaid products, mobile wallets, and person-to-person (P2P) technology for consumers, businesses, and governments at all levels. The IPA encourages the efficient use of electronic payments, cultivates financial inclusion through educating and empowering consumers, and represents the industry before legislative and regulatory bodies. Learn more about IPA at ipa.org or follow us on LinkedIn.