After founding and serving the EWPN community for the past decade seeing 1000s of people connect and flourish, Co-Founders Martha Dali Mghendi-Fisher and Nadja van der Veer have taken the decision to stand down as registered Directors of the EWPN, the community that they both cherish. They will continue in the capacity of Special Advisors to the Executive Directors. Angela Yore and Merima Mahmutovic will step up and join Co-Founder Silvia Mensdorff-Pouilly as the registered Directors to take this thriving organisation forward.

The EWPN is a volunteer community headquartered in Netherlands with 52 chapters run by a strong network of country ambassadors who are relentless in joining together to give back to each other.

Over the past decade the EWPN has made a huge impact on under-represented communities through campaigning and education programmes including young mentorship, a leadership programme and a focus on shining a light on minority groups. 1,000s of people have been given a platform to take the stage at EWPN events and global conferences including Money 20 / 20, Finnovate and The Merchant Payments Eco-System.  

Each year volunteers raise tens of thousands to organise 100s of local events attracting extraordinary people to connect, grow and learn. There is an EWPN Annual Conference and Awards that unites everyone previously held in Amsterdam, London, Munich, Vienna, Dublin, Sarajevo, Zagreb. This year the 7th conference and Awards will be held in the 13th and 14th October in Amsterdam and promises to celebrate more diversity roles models.

Martha Dali Mghendi-Fisher said, ‘The Ubuntu Philosophy sums it perfectly- I am because We are. The belief in universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. EWPN Community is a living example of the power of genuine interconnections between different people from all walks of life and experiences, coming together, driven by one core belief of driving tangible change. 

Every single day, we see the power of people pulling together to empower one another with confidence, skills and connections; opening doors for others and changing lives. The tapestry of these authentic, loving, compassionate, respectful and most importantly, human relationships that we see in the community, is absolutely magical to see.

Nadja, Silvia and I, laid the foundation with the help of so many incredible people supporting us over the years. I am delighted that Angela, Merima and Silvia will further continue carrying the torch of EPWN over the next decade as our work is still very far from done.’

Nadja van der Veer said, “When we started EWPN with just the three of us 8 years ago, we never expected the network to be where we are today. The interest, commitment and passion of our members and our volunteers have been truly inspiring. We look forward to supporting the new executive directors taking EWPN to the next level fostering what has been built so far.”

Angela Yore, Founder and CEO of SkyParlour takes the role of Chair of the Statutory board which includes the other statutory Directors.

Silvia Mensdorff-Pouilly, Head of Business Development EMEA Enterprise at Worldpay and EWPN Stitching Director will become the Chair of the Advisory Board which is a group of leaders offering guidance and direction.

Merima Mahmutovic, Senior Manager, PwC SEE takes up the position of Chair of the Executive Board, who are responsible leaders who define the objectives, activities and programs and bring a tremendous amount of expertise.

Melanie Ockerse, VP of Account Management EMEA at Enersekt becomes the official Chair of the country ambassadors guiding them to grow the community into new territories.

The new team is set to help drive impact relevant to the challenges and opportunities of the next decade and this powerful community from all walks of life will continue to grow together to make the payments industry stronger.