Discover Network is challenging the status quo of the payments industry. It’s a challenge that starts at the top and continues on through everyone in our company. Get to know the people who are orchestrating the effort.
Diane Offereins is Executive Vice President, Payment Services, and a member of the Discover Financial Services Executive Committee. Ms. Offereins has been with Discover since 1998 as Executive Vice President and held the title of Chief Information Officer prior to overseeing Discover’s payments networks. Ms. Offereins has led PULSE, a business unit of Discover, since 2006, and added responsibility for Discover Network and Diners Club International in 2008.
Prior to joining Discover, Ms. Offereins served as Senior Executive Vice President for MBNA America with responsibility for managing the corporate system development. Prior to that, Ms. Offereins was Vice President of retail delivery systems and wholesale delivery systems for Bank of America in San Francisco for five years, and with Southeast Bank for nine years, where her last position was Vice President and Director of Application Development.
Ms. Offereins received her B.B.A. in accounting from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition to her responsibilities with Discover, Ms. Offereins is a board member of the Children’s Home + Aid. She also belongs to The Chicago Network.
GLORIA COLGAN
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Strategy, Discover Network
Gloria K. Colgan is the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for the Discover Network and a member of the Discover Financial Services Management Committee. The Discover Network is a wholly-owned business of Discover Financial Services. Ms. Colgan is responsible for business development and client relationships, product development and management, branding and communications, and pricing.
In addition to deep industry knowledge in issuing and acquiring, Ms. Colgan provides Discover with experience in all aspects of the payments industry, including commercial, consumer, private label and cobranding. Since joining Discover in 2005, Ms. Colgan has been instrumental in the expansion of the Discover Network through relationships with significant card issuers and major merchant acquirers. Discover Network has also formed strategic alliances with China UnionPay and JCB in Japan that provide for reciprocal card acceptance.
Prior to joining Discover, Ms. Colgan was the Senior Vice President of the Commercial Card Product Group for JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) and was responsible for development and management of the purchasing, travel and entertainment, fleet and stored value card programs, and products of the new organization formed by the JPMC merger with Bank One. In addition, she managed all training and external communications functions for the commercial card organization.
Prior to JPMC, Ms. Colgan was with Sears Credit Services managing their commercial credit card programs as well as several consumer affinity card products. Before joining Sears, she worked for McKinsey and Company advising financial services companies on issues of marketing strategy, organizational structure, and reengineering opportunities.
Ms. Colgan earned her M.B.A. in Finance from The University of Chicago and B.S. in Business and Economics from Bradley University. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son.
Beth R. Horowitz is Vice President of Strategic Merchant Relations for Discover Network, a business unit of Discover Financial Services. In this capacity, Ms. Horowitz leads a team that oversees the relationships with Discover Network’s largest merchant clients. This includes enhancing contractual terms and compliance as well as pursuing strategic initiatives in the areas of marketing, products and services to drive new business and volume growth.
Ms. Horowitz joined Discover in 2006 as Vice President of Product and Pricing and led product management efforts, new product development and new business development initiatives. She was responsible for pricing policy and systems integration across all client groups, and served in a leadership role to drive prioritization for Discover Network functional capabilities.
Prior to joining Discover in 2006, Ms. Horowitz was Senior Vice President, Advanced Payments Solutions for MasterCard International. In this role she was responsible for the Innovation and Planning group that managed product marketing, planning and R&D efforts, and led the company-wide innovation practice to drive new product development worldwide.
In addition to various business development and customer relations roles, Ms. Horowitz served as global group head of co-branding, where she was instrumental in solidifying the commitment and growth of key partnerships, and managed MasterCard’s first multifunction smart card project in Australia.
Before joining MasterCard in 1989, Ms. Horowitz held positions at Shearson Lehman Hutton, Development Dimensions International and Working Woman Magazine.
Ms. Horowitz earned her Master of Business Administration from Pace University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York. She is a member of the American Management Association and International Who’s Who and serves on the boards of Lambs Farm and W.net Chicago LINC.
JOE HURLEY
Vice President, Global Business Development, Discover Network
Matt Johanson is Vice President of Operations for Discover Network, a business unit of Discover Financial Services. Mr. Johanson is responsible for the operational support of the network’s transaction processing infrastructure and the merchants, acquirers, issuers, processors, and peer networks handling Discover transactions throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Asia. He has responsibility for operations centers located in Columbus, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona, and operations functions within Discover’s Riverwoods, Illinois headquarters. Mr. Johanson is an ex-officio member of the Electronic Transactions Association’s Board of Directors.
Since joining Discover Network in 1996, Mr. Johanson has held positions of increasing responsibility within Information Technology, Operations and Business Development. Prior to his current role, Mr. Johanson was responsible for Discover acceptance throughout North America, and oversaw Discover’s relationships with merchant acquirers.
Prior to joining Discover, Mr. Johanson held leadership roles in Information Technology with Caterpillar, Hewitt Associates and Eastman Kodak Company. Mr. Johanson is a graduate of Illinois State University, and a member of the Board of Directors of Little Friends, a local, non-profit organization serving children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Kevin O’Donnell is Vice President of Credit Issuance for Discover Network, a business unit of Discover Financial Services. In this role, he is responsible for Discover Network’s credit issuing partner management and business development.
Mr. O’Donnell leads a team who oversee the relationships with Discover Network’s credit issuing partners as well as business development activities with direct credit
issuers, co-brand programs and aggregators.
Mr. O’Donnell began his tenure with Discover in 1985 and since then he has held numerous positions within the company in the areas of merchant acquisition sales, district and regional sales management, key relationship management and network operations. Prior to joining Discover, Mr. O’Donnell worked for Maine National Bank in Portland, Maine and was the owner/operator of a small business.
Mr. O’Donnell is a Board Member of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). He serves on the Chicago Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), is a member of their National Field Operations Group and served as a past board president of the JDRF Mid-Ohio Chapter. Additionally, he is a Captain in the Civil Air Patrol.
Mr. O’Donnell holds a Masters degree from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor degree from Niagara University.
JOBY ORLOWSKY
Vice President Strategic Initiatives, Discover Network
Suzanne Smits is Vice President of Network Services, for Discover Network, a business unit of Discover Financial Services. In this capacity, Ms. Smits leads Discover Network’s release management process including the project management office and program documents and specifications. Ms. Smits serves as Discover Network’s Chief Risk and Compliance Officer which includes oversight of the Network’s operational, financial, and fraud risk, data security, regulatory compliance and business continuity planning.
Since joining Discover Financial Services in 1988, Ms. Smits has held several positions. In her most recent position as Director of Pricing she was responsible for setting and executing the pricing strategy for Discover Network. She led the pricing team through a period of extreme transformation as Discover expanded to an organization with multiple products, strategies and stakeholders - merchants, acquirers and issuers. Ms. Smits has held various other positions within the company which included areas such as Cardmember Services, Telemarketing (Retention, Balance Transfer/Activation), Loss Prevention, and Security.
Ms. Smits earned her Masters of Business Administration and holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and she is currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards Council.
GERRY WAGNER
Vice President, Global Acceptance, Discover Network