Dive Brief:
- Visa, the largest U.S. card company, will open the new "state-of-the-art" office building in Atlanta next year, with the expectation that it will house some 1,000 employees within a few years, the company said in a press release today.
- Some of the card company's top executives will move to the new Midtown Atlanta location and the company will focus on its new presence there as a means to source new talent and tap local business partners.
- “As Visa continues to grow, it is critical we have a strong local presence in areas where we do meaningful business,” Kim Lawrence, Visa's head of the U.S. market, said in the release. “Growing our presence and workforce in Atlanta will enable Visa to serve our clients more effectively, support talent development and contribute to the long-term success of local communities.”
Dive Insight:
The company said in the release that it plans to move some of its top global and regional executives to the new office, including Chief Diversity Officer Michelle Gethers-Clark, who will help with leadership of the new office.
“Atlanta represents an epicenter of financial technology expertise, resilient entrepreneurs, diverse perspectives and a vibrant community culture,” Gethers-Clark said. “We are committed to investing in and supporting the robust talent pool in Atlanta with rewarding professional development and growth opportunities.”
The new office will house a range of teams and functions, including a "concentration of technology and client services teams," it said. Visa currently has a small office in Atlanta.
Visa's new outpost will be near the headquarters of other large, growing payments companies, including payments processor Global Payments.
Visa said that it gained exposure to the talent and local businesses in the Atlanta area through its She’s Next, Empowered by Visa program, an initiative that it started to empower female and Black-owned small businesses.
The company said it will continue to partner with Atlanta area institutions, including Georgia Tech and Georgia Fintech Academy, and look to tap local businesses as suppliers.
