Meet the Council’s New Head of Business Operations and Risk Management

The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) is pleased to welcome its newest team member, Ed O’Neill, Head of Business Operations and Risk Management. In this new role, Ed will be responsible for business operations, enterprise risk management, governance, compliance, and quality oversight. 

In this Q&A, we will learn more about Ed and his path to joining the Council.   

How did you get introduced to the payment security industry? 

Ed O’Neill: I was introduced to the payment security industry early on in my career at the Federal Reserve. I helped design and implement access management requirements and processes that were used to perform due diligence and grant financial institutions access to the Federal Reserve's financial services. Shortly after that role, I moved to Discover where I helped formulate Discover's participation in the creation of PCI SSC and implemented Discover's data security compliance requirements and programs. I have been engaged in payment security efforts and activities ever since! 

What opportunities are you most looking forward to at PCI SSC? 

Ed O’Neill: I am excited for the opportunity to join the PCI SSC team and work side-by-side with everyone at the Council, and all the Participating Organizations and industry stakeholders to continue to enhance the security of the payments ecosystem. The payment ecosystem continues to evolve and innovate at such a rapid pace, and I am looking forward to working with the industry to ensure security keeps pace with the changes and helps enable business growth in a safe and secure manner.

Your background is in leadership across risk management, payment security, fraud mitigation, and global regulatory compliance. Can you describe your career path in this industry and how it led you to PCI SSC?

Ed O’Neill: I I have been fortunate to work across the many parts of the payments system, including wholesale and retail payments in both the public and private sectors. I started my career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as an analyst working on paper check volume analysis and fraud and later moved into a Federal Reserve system role focused on managing financial institution access to the Federal Reserve's financial services products. I then had an opportunity to move into the credit card and debit card space at Discover in 2006 at a time when PCI SSC was just being formed and launched (hard to believe that was 20 years ago!). I was part of the Discover team that helped launch PCI SSC, along with the other founding member brands, and was a member of the first PCI SSC working groups and committees that implemented the first set of PCI standards and programs. While my roles and responsibilities continued to evolve into other areas such as industry engagement, fraud risk management, regulatory risk management, etc., I have stayed close to PCI SSC. I am excited about the opportunity to join the PCI SSC team and be more directly involved in the future of the Council at a pivotal point in time as the industry continues to innovate faster than ever before. 

You bring a wealth of industry relationships and knowledge to the Council. What does that mean for you in terms of helping PCI SSC succeed in its mission to secure payment data?

Ed O’Neill: My background in the payments industry and experience working with multiple stakeholder groups on actions to advance the security of the payments industry are closely aligned to the mission of the Council, and provide a good foundation for taking on this new role at the Council. I am excited to work alongside the talented people at the Council and continue to engage and collaborate with the payments industry to evolve the Council's processes and programs to deliver on the Council's key priorities and initiatives that benefit the payments industry across the globe.  

What kinds of things are you passionate about?

Ed O’Neill: I am passionate about taking on new challenges both personally and professionally, whether it is training for and completing an ultramarathon or leading a new team or program at work. I am also passionate about engaging in activities and programs that make a difference in the lives of others. This includes coaching youth sports, and implementing a national program called Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) at my kids’ local school to help increase the presence of positive male role models. I’m also passionate about working with the payments industry on initiatives to improve the security within the payments ecosystem through PCI SSC, as well as my time helping lead the Federal Reserve's Secure Payments Task Force.  

What would you like others to know about you?

Ed O’Neill: I enjoy working with people to translate complex challenges into actionable solutions and develop programs and processes that support business objectives and growth. I also enjoy learning from others and working together to enhance existing processes and build new programs. I like to learn and understand how things work and identify opportunities to continue to evolve and enhance those activities.