kathy ireland® Worldwide's Merchant Services Partner ireland® Pay Announces Jake Markey and Wilfredo Vazquez as New Chief Executive Officers

ireland® Pay Signs 5-Year Extension with kathy ireland® Worldwide in Conjunction with MainStreetChamber Holdings Expansion (U.S. OTC - MSCH)

MIAMI, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ireland^® Pay, a leading national payment processing solutions and technology for the B2B sector, and a kathy ireland^® Worldwide (kiWW®) brand partner, announces Jake Markey and Wilfredo Vazquez as its new owners and Chief Executive Officers. Prior to helming the company, Mr. Markey served as Executive Vice President for ireland^® Pay, while Mr. Vazquez served as President of Sales, a post he has held since the company's inception.

"We are delighted to see Jake and Wilfredo co-lead ireland^® Pay," says Kathy Ireland, Chair and CEO of kathy ireland^® Worldwide, the 14^th most powerful brand in the world, as reported by License Global! magazine. "They were and continue to be a powerful force in the exponential growth of ireland^® Pay. All of us at kiWW® continue to be impressed with their leadership skills, hard work and dedication, and just as important, the philanthropic approach they bring to this industry with the Swipe a Card, Change a Life initiative," adds Ms. Ireland, who also serves as ireland^® Pay's Brand Ambassador.     

"As a new co-CEO of ireland^® Pay, I am thrilled to continue our initiative, Swipe a Card, Change a Life," says Mr. Vazquez. "This initiative is deeply rooted in the profound purpose on which our company was founded, aiming to align every electronic payment with a meaningful cause beyond just financial transactions. Our unwavering commitment to innovation and social impact positions us to disrupt the industry. At ireland^® Pay, we're not just about processing transactions. We're about making a tangible difference in the world." ireland^® Pay donates a portion of every transaction fee collected to various non-profit organizations including those focused on ending world hunger, fighting human trafficking, empowering women, promoting gender equality, and more.

"We are thrilled to work with Kathy and her brilliant team in our new capacity as CEOs of ireland^® Pay," states Jake Markey. "Kathy's business savvy and acumen, and the kiWW^® team's brilliance continues to be instrumental for our growth, as we continue to explore and mine new technological innovation and operational efficiencies. Providing our customers with the newest, most cutting-edge payment solutions, paired with unmatched excellence in customer service, has been the hallmark of ireland^® Pay since the founding of the company. We are excited for the expansion of our company and the new additional products and services we will be introducing to our customers in the months ahead."

Executive Vice President and Board Member of kathy ireland^® Worldwide, Tommy Meharey, who is instrumental in crafting and expanding the partnership, states, "When I first met the ireland^® Pay team, I knew that together, we could make a powerful difference to both of our companies and especially, our non-profit initiatives. Our ability to help the owners of both independent companies and large conglomerates alike grow, is powerful. As a Marine, I have a special focus on the needs of our country's veterans, which we proudly know are being greatly helped by ireland^® Pay's Swipe a Card, Change a Life program."

"We're very proud of how this incredible partnership is serving businesses across America. We're thrilled with the extraordinary leadership that Wilfredo and Jake bring to ireland^® Pay each day, and are excited to continue building the alignment of our companies into everything it can be," said Stephen Roseberry and Jon Carrasco, President CMO and Worldwide Creative Director, respectively, of kathy ireland^® Worldwide said in a joint statement.

As part of the expansion, ireland^® Pay has welcomed Andy Rangel as President of Sales, a position previously held by Mr. Vazquez; and DePhillip Mason as Vice President of Sales.

SOURCE ireland® Pay