Allied Payment Network named Jeffrey Harper President of AFT

By Edlyn Cardoza

Allied Payment Network, the industry’s most progressive provider of online and mobile digital payment services to community financial institutions, announced recently that its Chief Revenue Officer Jeffrey Harper has been named president of the Association for Financial Technology (AFT), a national association devoted to the advancement of FinTech companies and the U.S. financial industry through technology. The volunteer board of directors, which is made up of peer-elected industry executives, elected Harper to the position and installed him yesterday at the group’s Fall Summit in Sonoma, California. Harper, a 30-year FinTech executive and business development leader, previously served for three years on the AFT board of directors, most recently as Program Chair.

The Association for Financial Technology is the industry’s premier resource for networking and professional development for those companies and executives serving U.S. FIs, including banks, credit unions, lenders, and payment companies. Founded in 1972, the organization’s members represent virtually every area of technology, data or services needed to help FIs succeed in today’s dynamic marketplace.

Harper’s appointment as AFT President marks the second Allied representative to serve in that position, following Allied President Kelli Schultz, who served as board director from 2009 to 2014 and President in 2013. “AFT is the single most impactful organization driving the financial technology sector for FIs nationally. Gathering the brightest C-level minds in the space to collaborate on the challenges and opportunities our clients face drives real, tangible change in our industry,” said Schultz. “I’m delighted to see Jeff’s passion and dedication to community banking awarded with this prestigious honor.”

“Being a member of AFT and serving on the board has been the most rewarding and enjoyable experience in my professional career. I am humbled and honored to be selected by my peers as AFT President as the association celebrates its 50^th anniversary in 2022,” remarked Harper.

Allied Payment Network is an industry-leading provider of emerging digital payments technologies to the financial services industries. Allied’s innovative suite of online and mobile bill pay channels include solutions for Internet bill pay, small business payments, person-to-person, account-to-account, online loan payments and bitcoin, among others.

Recently, IBS Intelligence reported that Allied Payment Network and Finastra, recently announced Allied Bitcoin Wallet, a new app that were to be launched on Finastra’s FusionStore. The service, created by Allied, in partnership with NYDIG, will enable financial institutions to offer their customers and members the ability to buy, sell and hold bitcoin via a compliant, secure, and turnkey platform.