Blackhawk Network, a global branded payments provider and a leader in payment technologies and solutions, announced that Jay Jaffin has been named its Chief Marketing Officer. Jaffin brings 20 years of experience as a transformational marketer in the technology, fintech and telecommunications industries. As Blackhawk’s CMO, Jaffin will lead the company’s marketing organization and global brand presence in over 100 countries through approximately 400,000 channel touchpoints around the world, and further build Blackhawk’s brand as a leader in emerging payments innovation.
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With experience in leading large marketing organizations at both Verizon and Western Union, Jaffin has proven to be an innovative brand marketer at global scale. Beginning his career in the tech startup space, Jaffin joined Verizon in the early 2000s, where he held senior leadership roles in marketing, sales, operations, and call centers. More recently, Jaffin was VP of media and advertising for Verizon Wireless before being promoted to CMO of Verizon Connect, the firm’s connected vehicle and IoT business unit. At Western Union, Jaffin held the dual role of leading its marketing organization, along with serving as the GM of its high growth digital money transfer business.
“Jay is a talented and driven CMO who brings 20+ years of creating and growing brands, driving e-commerce and omnichannel experiences, and accelerating digital growth for global businesses,” said Talbott Roche, CEO and president of Blackhawk Network. “He thrives at the intersection of creativity and analytics and will be the perfect addition to our leadership team for this exciting period of growth and digital transformation.”
“The opportunity to build upon Blackhawk’s strengths as a leader in branded payments, with an extensive retail and digital network backed by scaled payments technology was an incredible draw for me to join the team,” said Jaffin. “I plan to further develop Blackhawk’s talented Marketing team and empower them with the tools and autonomy to take Blackhawk’s leadership in fintech to the next level.”
Jaffin earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. He currently sits on the board of the Mobile Marketing Association. Possessing a strong commitment to giving back to his local community, Jaffin has volunteered at various food pantries over the last 15 years and is a current volunteer at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Jaffin will also assist in furthering Blackhawk’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts.