Tara Edmonds, NCP
SVP, Enterprise Payments Strategy Leader
SouthState Bank
Biography
Born and raised in Charleston, I began my professional career at SouthState Bank in 2013. I immediately developed a sense of belonging, gratitude, and pride in SouthState's commitment to growing our employees and the communities we serve. While I started in the financial services industry as a personal banker, I have been fortunate to serve in a variety of leadership roles specializing in bank operations, information technology, and payments. With no shortage of diverse challenges, my journey over the past eleven years has uniquely prepared me for where I am today. In my current role as Enterprise Payments Strategy Leader, I have the privilege of leading the bank's vision through technology and innovation. I am passionate about making a difference in the lives of others and am eager to continue pursuit of that mission as I advance my career.
How is the nominee propelling the industry forward?
As Senior Vice President and Enterprise Payments Strategy Leader at SouthState Bank, I have the privilege of collaborating across consumer, business, and commercial lines of business to drive a unified payments strategy. I am responsible for the technical implementation of instant payments, ISO 20022, ACH modernization and other payments transformation initiatives across SouthState Bank. I am also a key stakeholder driving internal education and awareness for Open Banking / API. I have had the privilege of speaking at industry events including Nacha, PaymentsFirst, and Real-Time Payments & XBP Summit on the topics of Quantum Computing in Banking and Instant Payments respectively. I have also served on panels at a variety of vendor-hosted events speaking on the topics of Empowering Inclusion and Diversity for Women in Payments and ISO 20022 industry readiness. I was selected for the 2024 cohort for Money 20/20 RiseUp, a global program championing diversity across the payments ecosystem. I serve as a mentor for OpenFinity's Women in Open Banking program. I was also awarded Charleston’s Best & Brightest: 35 And Under by Charleston Business Magazine.
Where do you see the nominee succeeding in the future?
The significant pace of change driven by technology, a growing weight of regulatory expectations and threat of bad actors, it is imperative that financial institutions own their role to ensure integrity, health and flexibility to meet these demands. Adding to challenges already mentioned is the continued expansion of the various settlement networks, payment rails and complexity of rules. Education and understanding of value are ever more important, even more so in a global expansion. Being a role model, first and foremost, serving as a positive example and sharing my passions and expertise to help shape the next generation of payments in the face of these challenges is key to future success.