August 11, 2025 • 21 mins
Find out how FIS is staying on the cutting edge of technology while serving clients and communities.
FIS processes more than 10% of the global economy and handles $16 trillion in assets annually. How does the company simultaneously safeguard data, pursue innovation, and serve its communities?
Join David Young and guest Stephanie Ferris, CEO and president of FIS, to learn about Ferris' journey to the corner office, three ways Ferris and FIS are exploring generative AI, and how the company supports communities across 64 countries.
The Leadership in Challenging Times discussions feature timely and insightful discussions with the outstanding CEOs who are recipients of CED’s Distinguished Leadership Awards. Business leader honorees discuss the unprecedented challenges facing the nation and how they are helping chart a path forward for both their companies and communities in which they operate.
For more from The Conference Board:
· CED Announces Recipients of Its 2025 Distinguished Leadership Awards
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
David Young (00:04):
Welcome to C-Suite Perspectives, a signature
series by The Conference Board.
I'm David Young, the presidentof the Committee for Economic
Development, which is the publicpolicy center of The Conference Board.
And I'm delighted to be guesthost of today's episode.
So in today's conversation, we'll discussLeadership in Challenging Times, where
(00:24):
we feature the outstanding CEOs whoare recipients of CED's Distinguished
Leadership Awards for corporatecitizenship and business stewardship.
Today, I have the privilege ofspeaking with one of our 2025
honorees, Stephanie Ferris, the CEO andpresident of FIS, the leading provider
(00:45):
of financial technology solutions.
Under Stephanie's leadership, FIS iscommitted to supporting the nation's
long-term economic interests, andjust how they do all of that is
what we'll be discussing today.
Stephanie, welcome.
So pleased for you to be joining us.
Stephanie Ferris (01:03):
Thank you, David.
And thank you to everyonefor joining me today.
it's an honor to be here.
David Young (01:09):
That's indeed our honor.
Great to have you.
So Stephanie, let's start the conversationtoday by talking about leadership.
You are the first femaleCEO in FIS history.
You've championed a boldtransformation at the company.
Tell us about your careerand your path to leadership.
Did you ever think really you wouldend up where you are sitting today,
(01:30):
and what are some of the core valuesthat are key from your perspective
about being a successful leader?
Stephanie Ferris (01:38):
Thanks, David.
Let me start with, "Did I everthink I would be here?" Probably,
"No," other than I do recall whenI was a kid playing office a lot.
And I don't think manypeople played office.
And I tell my husband, I tease him alittle bit in terms of, I'm really good
in corporate America, but if you needme for like real-life survival skills,
you probably need to go somewhere else.
(01:59):
But no, I didn't, although I wouldsay one of the things that I believe
in is continually stepping up forthe next challenge and hard work.
But by way of background, I wasborn and raised in the Midwest
in the United States, and camefrom a very modest background.
Was the oldest sister of three brothers.
(02:20):
And so I'm very comfortableliving, breathing, and working
around a bunch of boys and men.
And so that's been fun and alsoserved me very well as I moved
up and through the financialservices and technology industry.
And so grew up in Cincinnati,Ohio, put myself through college,
Miami University in Ohio, andthen had just a great opportunity.
(02:43):
A lot of being successful is about luck.
It's hard work, and it's luck,being at the right time at the
right place, and then being willingto lean in for take the risk.
So I graduated in 1995, so I missed that1991, '90 recession bubble, and came
out actually right when the internetand laptops were starting to come.
(03:05):
So that was like a nice transitionand easy place for me to start.
I'm sure you're going to askme about genAI at some point.
I'm going to come back to this note thatI had around when I started working.
But went to work atPricewaterhouseCoopers' public accounting,
gave me a broad range of auditing,looking at companies, financial services,
technology, media and entertainment.
(03:25):
Went to work, then, at Fifth Third Bank.
And then did a spinoff from FifthThird Bank with private equity
during the financial crisis.
And did a lot of M&A as I tookmy career from what was Vantiv
to ultimately Worldpay to FIS.
So it's been a great career.
If you would've asked me,did I plan it from the start?
Absolutely not.
(03:46):
But I couldn't be more thrilledto be here and representing FIS.
David Young (03:51):
Incredible route to where you are.
Can you comment on some reflectionsjust around core values that have
played out throughout that prettyincredible journey that you've explained.
Stephanie Ferris (04:02):
Yeah, so I think coming from a family of four and a competitive
family of four, a couple things.
One is, it is about the team.
So one of my core values, and one of FIS'core values, is about playing and winning
together as a team, is very competitive,and making sure you try to win and lose.
For me, it's really about gettingup every day, hard work, and meeting
(04:24):
hard work at the times when industryis changing, there's a unique
opportunity either for you or for thecompany, and leaning into that risk.
So I was just down talking to some ofour employees and talking about good
days and bad days and really, just froma value standpoint, staying resilient.
You're going to have good daysand bad days, but getting up every
day, and chopping wood, as theysay, and just staying focused.
(04:49):
So those, broadly, are how I'veled my career, and it aligns
with the culture here at FIS.
David Young (04:55):
Interesting.
So you've alluded to mynext question, which is AI.
Technological advancement is obviously atthe forefront of the minds of pretty much
every business leader and policy maker.
Data protection and privacy areprobably more important now than ever.
While global privacy, cybersecurity.
Data protection regulationsare rapidly changing.
(05:16):
How do you ensure FIS keeps upand ideally stays ahead of the
rapidly evolving technologyadvances and regulatory changes?
And how can businesses improve theefficiency of their data protection?
Stephanie Ferris (05:31):
It's really a great question.
At FIS, we process more than10% of the world's economy.
On our platforms, we handle $16trillion in assets annually.
So we're pretty significant.
The good news is we come from a richbackground, because we serve the financial
services industry, of knowing howimportant our data is, securing our data.
(05:53):
We have deep relationships withour clients and regulators.
So we come from a background of privacy,protection, risks, security, et cetera.
That being said, the stakes continueto get higher and higher for all of
us, no matter how big or small you are.
And so one of the things, ifyou ask me, one of the biggest
(06:13):
risks, what keeps me up at night?
It is around making surethat we secure that data.
We are a technology company.
We have a lot of data and alot of systems, so we spend a
lot of time thinking about it.
I think that the real thing in my spotis thinking about maybe not if, but
when the next event's going to come.
(06:34):
And as you can imagine, given our size andscale, we have events and people trying
to get into our systems on a daily basis.
Nobody's really ever secure 100%.
And so you have to beprepared for that event.
We spend a lot of time thinkingabout that, practicing that event.
Even most recently as global tensionshave risen in the Middle East, for
(06:55):
example, we always come togetherand start talking about not just how
do we keep our employees secure andhow do we continue to serve clients,
but how do we protect the firm?
And making sure that no matter what'shappening in the world, we can adapt
quickly and be flexible in terms ofturning systems off, turning systems on,
putting more protection around systems.
(07:18):
So it's really about being ultra-paranoidand ultra-prepared at the same time.
David Young (07:25):
So you mentioned here adapting quickly.
Stephanie.
And FIS obviously recognizes thetransformative potential of generative
AI and enhancing products and serviceswhile staying ahead in the market.
How do you think artificialintelligence is affecting FIS?
How is it affecting businessesand society at large?
And what is your approach tostaying ahead of these
(07:46):
rapidly changing environments?
Stephanie Ferris (07:49):
Yeah, so David, I'm an eternal optimist.
So I think about genAIin a very positive way.
You can go down a negative rat hole, butit just doesn't help you around topics.
So for me, genAI is a veryexciting thing for all of us.
It goes back to when I was in1995, entering the workforce.
(08:09):
I got a laptop computer, and thecouple years before me that, that
group of folks didn't get one.
So for me, it was very naturalto enter the workforce, and
then we got the internet.
So in my mind, that is what thenext evolution of technology is.
It's very exciting.
What are we doing at FIS?
We're doing three things.
One, we're really trying to look at ourcustomers and figure out what they want.
(08:32):
How are they going to use genAI?
And are the products and servicesand technologies that we deliver
today, are they ready for that use?
Are we helping them grow their businesses?
So I was talking to the product groupyesterday in terms of thinking about,
what products do we think need to havegenAI capabilities and embedded in them?
For example, like agents.
(08:54):
Or what products do we think just aren'tgoing to exist anymore in the future, and
we really need to pivot the whole productso that we can help our customers grow?
So we spend a lot of time thinkingabout genAI in terms of helping our
products and helping our customers grow.
I think the second place we spenda bunch of time on is really
thinking about our customer serviceand our technology organizations.
(09:15):
And how do we use even the current vastset of products like a Copilot to help
our developers code more productively,like agents coming out of our customer
call centers to make the clientexperience better, to make the client
happier, to make our employees happier?
Because a lot of what genAI isproviding is an ability to take away
(09:36):
the work that people don't enjoy doingand letting humans elevate to be the
problem-solvers, decision-makers, pointof escalations, where we really shine.
And so for me, we're spendinga lot of time inside the
organization talking about that.
And then finally, and probably the mostimportant, is I'm spending a lot of time
with my chief people officer talkingabout, how do we get our workforce ready?
(10:03):
So what do I mean by that?
If you think about, we're acompany of 55,000 employees.
We're primarily technologists here.
How do we make sure that ourcolleagues that we work with every
day know everything about genAI?
They should know that they arefast adopters, that they're known
by our clients and internally asmoving technology forward because,
(10:24):
as a technology firm, that'sour job, that onus is on us.
I want people to be excited to work hereat FIS because when you come to work
at FIS, it's a fantastic honor and aprivilege to serve the financial services
industry, but also because you're goingto be on the cutting edge of technology.
So those are the three waysI'm thinking about genAI.
David Young (10:43):
Interesting.
So I've got customers, customer service,and getting the workforce ready.
We're going to take a short breakand be right back with more of my
conversation today with Stephanie Ferris.
Welcome back to C-Suite Perspectives.
I'm your host, David Young, thepresident of the Committee for Economic
Development, which is the public policycenter here at The Conference Board.
(11:05):
I'm joined today by StephanieFerris, the CEO and president of FIS.
Before the break, Stephanie was sharinga couple reflections around communities,
people., and the important work ofFIS playing and winning together,
she says, and leaning into risk.
So Stephanie, let's talk a little bit moreabout FIS, its work with communities, the
(11:30):
focus on people, and also sustainability.
FIS is committed to using technologyfor good, expanding financial access to
underserved communities, and promotingeconomic opportunities for all.
How do you go about setting FIS'philanthropic priorities, the
initiatives that you support, and howcan banking and payment technologies
(11:53):
in general advance financial inclusion?
Stephanie Ferris (11:58):
It's a great question, David, and multilayered.
So let me take it one at a time.
First of all, we take financial inclusionvery seriously, and we think that the
evolution of financial services usingtechnology is continuing to help all
the people that can't participateor haven't historically been able to
participate in financial services.
If you think about software, thinkabout all the apps that exist today that
(12:20):
allow people that have typically beenblocked out of the financial system to
be included in the financial system.
Because the technology can actuallyprovide it at the point of transaction
and allow more people into the system.
We think that's very positive.
And that's been going on now forprobably the last decade, and
our technology supports that.
(12:40):
So I think that's, generally, froma technology standpoint, we want
to make sure that our technologysupports whatever inclusion activity
whatever firm wants to participate in.
I think with respect to FIS, inparticular, we care about this
deeply in a couple of areas.
One is we're headquartered inJacksonville, Florida, and we participate
very strongly with the KIPP schools here.
(13:02):
We also spend time with JuniorAchievement Worldwide, and I found
this to be particularly importantbecause I personally participated in
Junior Achievement and the economicsupport of what that meant for
me as I was going through school.
We do a lot with STEM with GoesRed, Big Brothers, Big Sisters,
Beyond School Walls, mentoring.
But I think the thing that strikes meas most important in terms of helping
(13:26):
communities is really about all thecommunity time our colleagues log.
We give active time every year, andpeople give back to their communities.
We're in 64 countries globally,and so there's no way FIS could
pick the one thing that's mostimportant to all of our communities.
We live and work in our communities, andso we need people to support who they
(13:48):
want to support in those communitiesand lift those communities up.
So we have over tens of thousands ofhours that we log in those communities.
And then finally, the thing thatI think that I've never seen
anywhere else I've worked at FISis, we can all donate personally to
support a fund that is run by FIS.
So, as our colleagues in communitiespersonally have issues, if there's
(14:10):
a flood in their area and theyneed economic support, if there's a
tornado, if there's something that'shappening, we support each other by
making donations in our paycheck.
And those monies can beaccessed by our employee base.
So it's really about employees helpingemployees in their local communities.
I didn't start that.
I'm simply a beneficiary andthe ambassador of FIS, but
(14:31):
I think that's super-cool.
David Young (14:33):
Wow.
That's really impressive.
So you've mentioned some of yourcolleagues and the people at
FIS and how important they are.
Before the break, you spoke aboutmaking sure, the doing everything
you can to make sure the workforcestays ahead of the changes in AI.
You've spoken kind of a littlebit about the core values that
balance growth with a commitmentto making the world a better place.
(14:54):
You obviously operate in tensof countries around the world.
What are some of the core valuesof FIS that lead it to being
such a successful place to work?
And how did you land on them asa foundation to your business?
And if you can, this is going to beanother multilayer question for you,
but you've worked in quite, beforethe break you walked us through
(15:15):
your whole kind of life journey.
Share a little bit just about yourreflections when you look at company
culture, and how important it is to thesuccess of a business, and why values mean
so much to FIS and businesses in general.
Stephanie Ferris (15:30):
I think for us, so we are a company that's
been around for almost 60 years.
We've grown both organicallyand through acquiring companies
over the last 50 years.
So the way we've gotten to where we are isa collection of acquisition of companies.
And so we do spend, every time we buy acompany, really taking a step back and
(15:51):
looking at what our core values are.
Making sure we message them appropriatelyto the company we've acquired, but also
making sure, do they still work for us?
And they're not set it and forget it.
They really are, "How do wethink about these core values?"
But generally they are (16:05):
Be the change.
Because in a world that we livein, as we're seeing, but in
particular in a technology company,everything's changing all the time.
So one of our core values is aboutbeing the change, winning as one team.
I think I reflected at the very beginningthat it is for me about winning as a team.
I talk a lot about personallybeing an ordinary person, working
(16:27):
on an extraordinary team, so forour core values, to win as one
team and then lead with integrity.
And those have really stoodthe test of time for us as we
think about our core values.
You asked a little bit aboutthe importance of culture.
It's really important.
And I think one of the challengeswe've had through growing through
acquisition is, you're buyingcompanies that have their own culture.
(16:48):
And that's really important that weallow them to migrate their culture in.
But at the end of the day, we need tomake sure that we do come together as one
company and lean into our core values.
I think they are what makesFIS great and fundamentally has
allowed us to exist for 60 years.
So I do think it's critical.
(17:09):
I think it's hard to make sure thatthey continue to stay relevant and
mean something for every 10 years.
What does "be the change" mean now?
Be the change means now embracinggenAI, for example, 10 years ago, be
the change meant something different.
So you do have to live into them and makethem relevant for what's happening in the
world and what's happening for the person.
David Young (17:32):
Interesting.
Be the change.
I'm learning a lot today.
Be the change, and winning as a team.
I love it.
Let's close just with a couplereflections around environmental
sustainability and what FIS is doing.
You recognize the importance of managingyour environmental impact and risk.
How do you work towards not only your ownsustainability goals, but in supporting
(17:53):
the goals of your clients as well?
Stephanie Ferris (17:56):
So the great thing I think we've seen over the last
five or 10 years is really a comingtogether of the corporate America, in
general—so us, with our clients, to worktogether in terms of sustainability.
Our clients are very clear with usin terms of what their sustainability
goals are and what they expectof us as their key partner.
(18:17):
And we, in turn, are, as well.
So I think the ecosystemis very well-linked.
For us as a technology company, we setout very clear goals in our reports.
Every year, we talk toour board about them.
It's much like financial reportingin terms of setting goals and holding
ourselves accountable to what thoseare, whether it's environmental,
whether it's social, et cetera.
(18:38):
So we're very clear on what those are.
We hold ourselves accountable, but mostimportantly, they need to be aligned
with where our clients expect us to be.
And I think if we keep that as the NorthStar, then it's pretty easy for us to
stay clear on what we need to get done.
David Young (18:55):
Stephanie, thank you so much for joining us today, and again,
congratulations on being a recipient ofCED's Distinguished Leadership Awards.
It's been great to speak with you.
Stephanie Ferris (19:05):
Thank you, David.
I appreciate it.
David Young (19:08):
And thanks to all of you for listening to C-Suite Perspectives.
I'm David Young, and this series has beenbrought to you by The Conference Board.
Welcome to C-Suite Perspectives, a signature
series by The Conference Board.
I'm David Young, the presidentof the Committee for Economic
Development, which is the publicpolicy center of The Conference Board.
And I'm delighted to be guesthost of today's episode.
So in today's conversation, we'll discussLeadership in Challenging Times, where
(00:24):
we feature the outstanding CEOs whoare recipients of CED's Distinguished
Leadership Awards for corporatecitizenship and business stewardship.
Today, I have the privilege ofspeaking with one of our 2025
honorees, Stephanie Ferris, the CEO andpresident of FIS, the leading provider
(00:45):
of financial technology solutions.
Under Stephanie's leadership, FIS iscommitted to supporting the nation's
long-term economic interests, andjust how they do all of that is
what we'll be discussing today.
Stephanie, welcome.
So pleased for you to be joining us.
Stephanie Ferris (01:03):
Thank you, David.
And thank you to everyonefor joining me today.
it's an honor to be here.
David Young (01:09):
That's indeed our honor.
Great to have you.
So Stephanie, let's start the conversationtoday by talking about leadership.
You are the first femaleCEO in FIS history.
You've championed a boldtransformation at the company.
Tell us about your careerand your path to leadership.
Did you ever think really you wouldend up where you are sitting today,
(01:30):
and what are some of the core valuesthat are key from your perspective
about being a successful leader?
Stephanie Ferris (01:38):
Thanks, David.
Let me start with, "Did I everthink I would be here?" Probably,
"No," other than I do recall whenI was a kid playing office a lot.
And I don't think manypeople played office.
And I tell my husband, I tease him alittle bit in terms of, I'm really good
in corporate America, but if you needme for like real-life survival skills,
you probably need to go somewhere else.
(01:59):
But no, I didn't, although I wouldsay one of the things that I believe
in is continually stepping up forthe next challenge and hard work.
But by way of background, I wasborn and raised in the Midwest
in the United States, and camefrom a very modest background.
Was the oldest sister of three brothers.
(02:20):
And so I'm very comfortableliving, breathing, and working
around a bunch of boys and men.
And so that's been fun and alsoserved me very well as I moved
up and through the financialservices and technology industry.
And so grew up in Cincinnati,Ohio, put myself through college,
Miami University in Ohio, andthen had just a great opportunity.
(02:43):
A lot of being successful is about luck.
It's hard work, and it's luck,being at the right time at the
right place, and then being willingto lean in for take the risk.
So I graduated in 1995, so I missed that1991, '90 recession bubble, and came
out actually right when the internetand laptops were starting to come.
(03:05):
So that was like a nice transitionand easy place for me to start.
I'm sure you're going to askme about genAI at some point.
I'm going to come back to this note thatI had around when I started working.
But went to work atPricewaterhouseCoopers' public accounting,
gave me a broad range of auditing,looking at companies, financial services,
technology, media and entertainment.
(03:25):
Went to work, then, at Fifth Third Bank.
And then did a spinoff from FifthThird Bank with private equity
during the financial crisis.
And did a lot of M&A as I tookmy career from what was Vantiv
to ultimately Worldpay to FIS.
So it's been a great career.
If you would've asked me,did I plan it from the start?
Absolutely not.
(03:46):
But I couldn't be more thrilledto be here and representing FIS.
David Young (03:51):
Incredible route to where you are.
Can you comment on some reflectionsjust around core values that have
played out throughout that prettyincredible journey that you've explained.
Stephanie Ferris (04:02):
Yeah, so I think coming from a family of four and a competitive
family of four, a couple things.
One is, it is about the team.
So one of my core values, and one of FIS'core values, is about playing and winning
together as a team, is very competitive,and making sure you try to win and lose.
For me, it's really about gettingup every day, hard work, and meeting
(04:24):
hard work at the times when industryis changing, there's a unique
opportunity either for you or for thecompany, and leaning into that risk.
So I was just down talking to some ofour employees and talking about good
days and bad days and really, just froma value standpoint, staying resilient.
You're going to have good daysand bad days, but getting up every
day, and chopping wood, as theysay, and just staying focused.
(04:49):
So those, broadly, are how I'veled my career, and it aligns
with the culture here at FIS.
David Young (04:55):
Interesting.
So you've alluded to mynext question, which is AI.
Technological advancement is obviously atthe forefront of the minds of pretty much
every business leader and policy maker.
Data protection and privacy areprobably more important now than ever.
While global privacy, cybersecurity.
Data protection regulationsare rapidly changing.
(05:16):
How do you ensure FIS keeps upand ideally stays ahead of the
rapidly evolving technologyadvances and regulatory changes?
And how can businesses improve theefficiency of their data protection?
Stephanie Ferris (05:31):
It's really a great question.
At FIS, we process more than10% of the world's economy.
On our platforms, we handle $16trillion in assets annually.
So we're pretty significant.
The good news is we come from a richbackground, because we serve the financial
services industry, of knowing howimportant our data is, securing our data.
(05:53):
We have deep relationships withour clients and regulators.
So we come from a background of privacy,protection, risks, security, et cetera.
That being said, the stakes continueto get higher and higher for all of
us, no matter how big or small you are.
And so one of the things, ifyou ask me, one of the biggest
(06:13):
risks, what keeps me up at night?
It is around making surethat we secure that data.
We are a technology company.
We have a lot of data and alot of systems, so we spend a
lot of time thinking about it.
I think that the real thing in my spotis thinking about maybe not if, but
when the next event's going to come.
(06:34):
And as you can imagine, given our size andscale, we have events and people trying
to get into our systems on a daily basis.
Nobody's really ever secure 100%.
And so you have to beprepared for that event.
We spend a lot of time thinkingabout that, practicing that event.
Even most recently as global tensionshave risen in the Middle East, for
(06:55):
example, we always come togetherand start talking about not just how
do we keep our employees secure andhow do we continue to serve clients,
but how do we protect the firm?
And making sure that no matter what'shappening in the world, we can adapt
quickly and be flexible in terms ofturning systems off, turning systems on,
putting more protection around systems.
(07:18):
So it's really about being ultra-paranoidand ultra-prepared at the same time.
David Young (07:25):
So you mentioned here adapting quickly.
Stephanie.
And FIS obviously recognizes thetransformative potential of generative
AI and enhancing products and serviceswhile staying ahead in the market.
How do you think artificialintelligence is affecting FIS?
How is it affecting businessesand society at large?
And what is your approach tostaying ahead of these
(07:46):
rapidly changing environments?
Stephanie Ferris (07:49):
Yeah, so David, I'm an eternal optimist.
So I think about genAIin a very positive way.
You can go down a negative rat hole, butit just doesn't help you around topics.
So for me, genAI is a veryexciting thing for all of us.
It goes back to when I was in1995, entering the workforce.
(08:09):
I got a laptop computer, and thecouple years before me that, that
group of folks didn't get one.
So for me, it was very naturalto enter the workforce, and
then we got the internet.
So in my mind, that is what thenext evolution of technology is.
It's very exciting.
What are we doing at FIS?
We're doing three things.
One, we're really trying to look at ourcustomers and figure out what they want.
(08:32):
How are they going to use genAI?
And are the products and servicesand technologies that we deliver
today, are they ready for that use?
Are we helping them grow their businesses?
So I was talking to the product groupyesterday in terms of thinking about,
what products do we think need to havegenAI capabilities and embedded in them?
For example, like agents.
(08:54):
Or what products do we think just aren'tgoing to exist anymore in the future, and
we really need to pivot the whole productso that we can help our customers grow?
So we spend a lot of time thinkingabout genAI in terms of helping our
products and helping our customers grow.
I think the second place we spenda bunch of time on is really
thinking about our customer serviceand our technology organizations.
(09:15):
And how do we use even the current vastset of products like a Copilot to help
our developers code more productively,like agents coming out of our customer
call centers to make the clientexperience better, to make the client
happier, to make our employees happier?
Because a lot of what genAI isproviding is an ability to take away
(09:36):
the work that people don't enjoy doingand letting humans elevate to be the
problem-solvers, decision-makers, pointof escalations, where we really shine.
And so for me, we're spendinga lot of time inside the
organization talking about that.
And then finally, and probably the mostimportant, is I'm spending a lot of time
with my chief people officer talkingabout, how do we get our workforce ready?
(10:03):
So what do I mean by that?
If you think about, we're acompany of 55,000 employees.
We're primarily technologists here.
How do we make sure that ourcolleagues that we work with every
day know everything about genAI?
They should know that they arefast adopters, that they're known
by our clients and internally asmoving technology forward because,
(10:24):
as a technology firm, that'sour job, that onus is on us.
I want people to be excited to work hereat FIS because when you come to work
at FIS, it's a fantastic honor and aprivilege to serve the financial services
industry, but also because you're goingto be on the cutting edge of technology.
So those are the three waysI'm thinking about genAI.
David Young (10:43):
Interesting.
So I've got customers, customer service,and getting the workforce ready.
We're going to take a short breakand be right back with more of my
conversation today with Stephanie Ferris.
Welcome back to C-Suite Perspectives.
I'm your host, David Young, thepresident of the Committee for Economic
Development, which is the public policycenter here at The Conference Board.
(11:05):
I'm joined today by StephanieFerris, the CEO and president of FIS.
Before the break, Stephanie was sharinga couple reflections around communities,
people., and the important work ofFIS playing and winning together,
she says, and leaning into risk.
So Stephanie, let's talk a little bit moreabout FIS, its work with communities, the
(11:30):
focus on people, and also sustainability.
FIS is committed to using technologyfor good, expanding financial access to
underserved communities, and promotingeconomic opportunities for all.
How do you go about setting FIS'philanthropic priorities, the
initiatives that you support, and howcan banking and payment technologies
(11:53):
in general advance financial inclusion?
Stephanie Ferris (11:58):
It's a great question, David, and multilayered.
So let me take it one at a time.
First of all, we take financial inclusionvery seriously, and we think that the
evolution of financial services usingtechnology is continuing to help all
the people that can't participateor haven't historically been able to
participate in financial services.
If you think about software, thinkabout all the apps that exist today that
(12:20):
allow people that have typically beenblocked out of the financial system to
be included in the financial system.
Because the technology can actuallyprovide it at the point of transaction
and allow more people into the system.
We think that's very positive.
And that's been going on now forprobably the last decade, and
our technology supports that.
(12:40):
So I think that's, generally, froma technology standpoint, we want
to make sure that our technologysupports whatever inclusion activity
whatever firm wants to participate in.
I think with respect to FIS, inparticular, we care about this
deeply in a couple of areas.
One is we're headquartered inJacksonville, Florida, and we participate
very strongly with the KIPP schools here.
(13:02):
We also spend time with JuniorAchievement Worldwide, and I found
this to be particularly importantbecause I personally participated in
Junior Achievement and the economicsupport of what that meant for
me as I was going through school.
We do a lot with STEM with GoesRed, Big Brothers, Big Sisters,
Beyond School Walls, mentoring.
But I think the thing that strikes meas most important in terms of helping
(13:26):
communities is really about all thecommunity time our colleagues log.
We give active time every year, andpeople give back to their communities.
We're in 64 countries globally,and so there's no way FIS could
pick the one thing that's mostimportant to all of our communities.
We live and work in our communities, andso we need people to support who they
(13:48):
want to support in those communitiesand lift those communities up.
So we have over tens of thousands ofhours that we log in those communities.
And then finally, the thing thatI think that I've never seen
anywhere else I've worked at FISis, we can all donate personally to
support a fund that is run by FIS.
So, as our colleagues in communitiespersonally have issues, if there's
(14:10):
a flood in their area and theyneed economic support, if there's a
tornado, if there's something that'shappening, we support each other by
making donations in our paycheck.
And those monies can beaccessed by our employee base.
So it's really about employees helpingemployees in their local communities.
I didn't start that.
I'm simply a beneficiary andthe ambassador of FIS, but
(14:31):
I think that's super-cool.
David Young (14:33):
Wow.
That's really impressive.
So you've mentioned some of yourcolleagues and the people at
FIS and how important they are.
Before the break, you spoke aboutmaking sure, the doing everything
you can to make sure the workforcestays ahead of the changes in AI.
You've spoken kind of a littlebit about the core values that
balance growth with a commitmentto making the world a better place.
(14:54):
You obviously operate in tensof countries around the world.
What are some of the core valuesof FIS that lead it to being
such a successful place to work?
And how did you land on them asa foundation to your business?
And if you can, this is going to beanother multilayer question for you,
but you've worked in quite, beforethe break you walked us through
(15:15):
your whole kind of life journey.
Share a little bit just about yourreflections when you look at company
culture, and how important it is to thesuccess of a business, and why values mean
so much to FIS and businesses in general.
Stephanie Ferris (15:30):
I think for us, so we are a company that's
been around for almost 60 years.
We've grown both organicallyand through acquiring companies
over the last 50 years.
So the way we've gotten to where we are isa collection of acquisition of companies.
And so we do spend, every time we buy acompany, really taking a step back and
(15:51):
looking at what our core values are.
Making sure we message them appropriatelyto the company we've acquired, but also
making sure, do they still work for us?
And they're not set it and forget it.
They really are, "How do wethink about these core values?"
But generally they are (16:05):
Be the change.
Because in a world that we livein, as we're seeing, but in
particular in a technology company,everything's changing all the time.
So one of our core values is aboutbeing the change, winning as one team.
I think I reflected at the very beginningthat it is for me about winning as a team.
I talk a lot about personallybeing an ordinary person, working
(16:27):
on an extraordinary team, so forour core values, to win as one
team and then lead with integrity.
And those have really stoodthe test of time for us as we
think about our core values.
You asked a little bit aboutthe importance of culture.
It's really important.
And I think one of the challengeswe've had through growing through
acquisition is, you're buyingcompanies that have their own culture.
(16:48):
And that's really important that weallow them to migrate their culture in.
But at the end of the day, we need tomake sure that we do come together as one
company and lean into our core values.
I think they are what makesFIS great and fundamentally has
allowed us to exist for 60 years.
So I do think it's critical.
(17:09):
I think it's hard to make sure thatthey continue to stay relevant and
mean something for every 10 years.
What does "be the change" mean now?
Be the change means now embracinggenAI, for example, 10 years ago, be
the change meant something different.
So you do have to live into them and makethem relevant for what's happening in the
world and what's happening for the person.
David Young (17:32):
Interesting.
Be the change.
I'm learning a lot today.
Be the change, and winning as a team.
I love it.
Let's close just with a couplereflections around environmental
sustainability and what FIS is doing.
You recognize the importance of managingyour environmental impact and risk.
How do you work towards not only your ownsustainability goals, but in supporting
(17:53):
the goals of your clients as well?
Stephanie Ferris (17:56):
So the great thing I think we've seen over the last
five or 10 years is really a comingtogether of the corporate America, in
general—so us, with our clients, to worktogether in terms of sustainability.
Our clients are very clear with usin terms of what their sustainability
goals are and what they expectof us as their key partner.
(18:17):
And we, in turn, are, as well.
So I think the ecosystemis very well-linked.
For us as a technology company, we setout very clear goals in our reports.
Every year, we talk toour board about them.
It's much like financial reportingin terms of setting goals and holding
ourselves accountable to what thoseare, whether it's environmental,
whether it's social, et cetera.
(18:38):
So we're very clear on what those are.
We hold ourselves accountable, but mostimportantly, they need to be aligned
with where our clients expect us to be.
And I think if we keep that as the NorthStar, then it's pretty easy for us to
stay clear on what we need to get done.
David Young (18:55):
Stephanie, thank you so much for joining us today, and again,
congratulations on being a recipient ofCED's Distinguished Leadership Awards.
It's been great to speak with you.
Stephanie Ferris (19:05):
Thank you, David.
I appreciate it.
David Young (19:08):
And thanks to all of you for listening to C-Suite Perspectives.
I'm David Young, and this series has beenbrought to you by The Conference Board.
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!