CEO Stephanie Ferris Guides $24 Billion Fintech Merger Deployment
In a time where caution often takes the stage, the CEO of Fidelity National Information Services (FIS), Stephanie Ferris, stands out as someone who dares to leap. Her motto? If you know what you're doing is the right thing, regardless of the market turmoil, you move forward.
This boldness was made clear with the announcement of FIS's $24.25 billion deal to sell Worldpay to Global Payments. This deal was more than just a sale; it was a signal that the fintech industry is moving away from broader portfolios towards focused specialization.
For FIS, this sale enables the company to concentrate on its core: serving financial institutions with issuer and banking infrastructure. By doing so, they aim to establish themselves as a leading scaled fintech company with global reach.
"Financial services are no longer just transactional, they're experiential." Ferris stated, stressing the need for modern infrastructure and an intense focus to deliver seamless experiences, from onboarding to real-time payments.
This focus is evident in FIS's reacquisition of its issuer solutions business from Global Payments. This move trades a non-cash-generating minority stake for recurring revenue, EBITDA growth, and an estimated $500 million in free cash flow in the first year post-close.
Moreover, the combination of FIS's debit processing with Global's credit capabilities unlocks real cross-sell potential.
In making decisions of such scale, Ferris analyzes everything, from market trends to investor perspectives. However, her decision-making process also includes instinct and empathy. She consults with her board, her leadership team, and even takes long walks to weigh big moves.
"The higher up you go, the more listening you do," Ferris said.
This blend of rigor and intuition has been instrumental in Ferris's rise, leading FIS - one of the country's largest financial firms processing more than $12 trillion annually - through significant structural shifts, strategic pivots, and major transactions like the Worldpay deal.
For Ferris, this latest move was a "win-win-win." FIS streamlines its business, Global Payments becomes a merchant services powerhouse, and GTCR, the private equity firm that bought a majority stake in Worldpay just two years ago, walks away with a tidy return and a 15% stake in the newly combined company.
Ferris is also open about the challenges of leading under pressure. During the negotiation of the deal, she was on a long-promised mother-daughter trip in Cancun. But she made it clear to her team that she wouldn't miss this moment with her daughter.
This balance between work and personal life is something Ferris calls "feeding the human." It's not about work-life equilibrium; it's about presence - showing up for what matters on any given day, whether that's a $24 billion deal or your kid's spring break.
This bold, dynamic, and human-centered approach sets Ferris apart as a leader in the fintech industry. As the industry recalibrates, moving away from a growth-at-all-costs mentality towards more sustainable, focused models, leaders like Ferris are defining what strategic, forward-thinking leadership looks like in an uncertain market.
Whether it's the next wave of digital currency, tackling fraud and identity challenges as money moves faster across digital rails, or enabling exponential innovation, collaboration is key. Ferris remains focused, decisive, and ready to adapt to the ever-evolving fintech landscape.
In a market starved for clarity, Ferris's strategy is refreshingly direct: chop wood, carry water, make bold moves - and when the moment comes? She leaps.
In the scaled fintech industry's shift towards focused specialization, FIS's CEO, Stephanie Ferris, leverages technology to deliver seamless financial experiences, as seen in their acquisition of their issuer solutions business. Ferris's decision-making process in business, particularly during the $24.25 billion deal to sell Worldpay, combines rigorous analysis of market trends and investor perspectives with intuition and empathy.
