Under the direction of the always visible Diane Offereins — who is often the "face of the company" — the total 2021 network volume of Discover rose to $504 billion, from $417 billion in 2020. The payments business delivered a substantial contribution to Discover's strong financial performance last year, achieving a pretax income greater than $200 million for the first time in history, while it substantially expanded merchant acceptance — growing to over 60 million locations worldwide.
Offereins is responsible for the profitability of Discover's payments business, which consists of three networks: the Discover Network, PULSE (one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks), and Diners Club International. Additionally, as a member of Discover's executive committee, she also has responsibility for the firm's strategic direction, flagship initiatives, and helping to shape the company's culture.
Her background in information technology has proven exceptionally valuable in the tech-driven payments industry. She has established partnerships with several leading fintech's to bring increased value and innovation to Discover's payment ecosystem. For example, Discover recently teamed with Flywire to help simplify the payments process for students studying internationally. This partnership has enabled educational institutions to create custom payment plans that provide students and families with greater flexibility, security, and timeliness.
Offereins has long been a thought leader in the payments space. To stay abreast of industry trends, she has partnered with 451 Research to develop industry insights that have helped drive the exceptional expansion of the Discover Global Network over the few quarters.
"We found that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are comfortable making digital payments and more than half said they will transition all or most of their in-store spending to online," she said, citing her recent research.
She continues to be active with organizations that support women in leadership positions and advocate for gender equity in business and society at large. Offereins is a member of the Committee of 200, an organization of the world's most successful women entrepreneurs and leaders, and the International Women's Forum, a diverse group of 7,000 accomplished professionals from six continents whose mission is to advance the leadership of women in business.
