Veteran association executive joins ETA as the organization continues to expand its service to the global payments industry.
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the world’s leading advocacy and trade association for the payments industry, today announced the appointment of Adam Coates as Chief Operating Officer.
As Chief Operating Officer, Coates will oversee ETA’s membership, revenue, and operational functions, reporting directly to CEO Jodie Kelley. He joins the association as ETA continues to expand its advocacy, education, and strategic initiatives on behalf of the global payments ecosystem.
Coates brings more than 15 years of leadership experience at BSA | The Software Alliance, where he most recently served as General Counsel and Senior Vice President. He led the organization’s legal, governance, and key operational functions, helping strengthen one of the world’s leading technology trade associations and the services it delivers to a global membership. His experience building high-performing teams, strengthening member engagement, and driving operational excellence will help guide ETA through its next phase of growth.
“Adam is an exceptional executive whose experience building and strengthening world-class membership organizations makes him an outstanding addition to ETA,” said Jodie Kelley, CEO of ETA. “As the payments industry continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace, ETA continues to expand the value we deliver to our members through advocacy, education, and industry collaboration. Adam brings the operational excellence, strategic judgment, and collaborative leadership that will help us deliver even greater value to our members and ensure ETA continues to meet the evolving needs of the payments industry.”
“ETA occupies a unique position at the center of one of the world’s most innovative and dynamic industries,” said Coates. “The opportunity to support an organization that brings together every part of the payments ecosystem—and helps shape the policy and business environment in which it operates—is incredibly exciting. I look forward to working with Jodie, the Board of Directors, and the ETA team to strengthen member engagement, support the association’s continued growth, and deliver even greater value to our members.”
Coates earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and his B.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
About the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)
The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is the world’s leading advocacy and trade association for the payments industry. ETA’s members include the world’s leading payments and financial technology companies—including payment processors, networks, banks, fintechs, software providers, independent software vendors, and payment technology innovators—collectively processing approximately $56.75 trillion annually in purchases and peer-to-peer payments worldwide. www.electran.org
Media Contact
Scott Talbott, stalbott@electran.org
SOURCE Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)