Cihat Fitzgerald

Executive Consultant

Cihat Fitzgerald is a recognized payments industry expert with 25+ years of experience in acquiring operations, compliance, risk management, fraud control, and marketing. Cihat most recently was Vice President and Head of Visa’s Global Ecosystem Security & Integrity group, working for over 10 years on collaborating with and being a trusted advisor to various fintech partners, top-tier banks, multinational merchants, processors, and other payment network stakeholders. Cihat had ownership and managed the implementation and evolution of a suite of risk monitoring and compliance programs centered on dispute reduction, fraud mitigation, PCI security, and third-party agent management. When at Visa, Cihat authored various programs and publications, including the Global Acquirer Risk Standards, the Prepaid Issuer Risk Program, and the Payment Facilitator & Marketplace Risk Guide. Cihat also oversaw the execution and enforcement of the Visa Global Brand Protection Program, focusing on preventing, detecting, interdiction, and remedying illegal activity in the payment system. As a result, he interacted and collaborated with law enforcement and regulators in the U.S. and abroad. Cihat was also instrumental in assessing and developing risk control environments for various company acquisitions made by Visa. Before Visa, Cihat was Vice President of Acquiring Operations at Westamerica Bank and managed operations, marketing, and product development at two fintechs.