CEO Stephanie Ferris Piloted a $24 Billion Fintech Merger Deal
Kick-Ass Fintech Leadership:
Stephanie Ferris, CEO at Fidelity National Information Services (FIS), is all about taking bold, calculated moves in the fintech world. When she announced the $24.25 billion deal to sell Worldpay, the media couldn't keep their mouths shut. But it wasn't just another sale; it was a big "fuck you" to the market's caution-induced timidity.
This three-way asset reshuffling has Global Payments acquiring Worldpay from FIS, while FIS buys Global Payments' issuer solutions unit—offering card processing and account services—for $13.5 billion. GTCR, a private equity firm, will also be part of the deal, taking a 15% stake in the newly combined company.
Ferris doesn't make these moves on a whim. She analyzes everything, but it's not just about numbers. She looks at market, customer, financial, and investor data. She knows the textbook answer, but her process also includes instinct and empathy. She talks to her board, her leadership team, and even takes long walks to weigh big moves. "Why wouldn't we do this? What are we afraid of? If it still feels right, that's your answer," she said.
FIS is getting rid of the fluff, focusing on its core: serving financial institutions with issuer and banking infrastructure while maintaining its status as a scaled fintech leader with global reach. Ferris believes that financial services are no longer just transactional; they're experiential. To deliver seamless experiences—from onboarding to real-time payments—companies need modern infrastructure and laser-focused strategies.
By reacquiring its issuer solutions business, FIS is trading 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. The move also unlocks real cross-sell potential: combining FIS's debit processing with Global's credit capabilities.
This isn't Ferris's first rodeo. She's been leading FIS since 2022, one of the country's largest financial firms, processing over $12 trillion annually. During her tenure, she's navigated structural shifts, strategic pivots, and major transitions at FIS. What set the latest move apart? It 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.
Ferris is refreshingly transparent about what it means to lead under pressure. During the final days of negotiating the deal, she was in Cancun on a long-promised mother-daughter trip. She told her team, "I'm not missing this moment with my daughter." That balance between work and life is about presence—showing up for what matters on any given day, whether that's a $24 billion deal or your kid's spring break.
In a market starved for clarity and certainty, Ferris's strategy is simple: chop wood, carry water, make bold moves, and when the moment comes, leap. And her approach seems to be working: under her leadership, FIS is poised to dominate the fintech world, one calculated risk at a time.
- Stephanie Ferris's strategic acquisition of Worldpay and sale of Global Payments' issuer solutions unit, probably reshaping the finance, business, and technology landscape of the global payment industry.
- Financial institutions should take note of Ferris's approach to investing, as she combines data analysis with instinct and empathy, leveraging technology to deliver seamless experiences for customers.
- The investment community is watching closely as FIS, through the acquisition of its issuer solutions business, invests in modern infrastructure and aims to unlock cross-selling potential with Global Payments.
- Worldpay's reshaping by FIS is not just a financial move but also a strategic one, with the company trading a non-cash-generating minority stake for recurring revenue, EBITDA growth, and significant free cash flow, paving the way for future growth and competitive advantage.
