Talbott Roche, Blackhawk Network
Company: Blackhawk Network, Pleasanton, CA
Entry Submitted By: MWW Group
Company Description: Blackhawk Network is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products in stores and online and business solutions including reward and incentive programs that offer flexibility through an array of card brands and fulfillment options.
Nomination Category: Management Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Executive of the Year - Financial Services
Nomination Title: Talbott Roche, President
Tell the story about what this nominee achieved since January 1 2010 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
As co-founder and president of Blackhawk Network, Talbott Roche is a vibrant,
influential leader for the company and prepaid industry. In her role, Roche is
responsible for driving sales of all current businesses as well as developing
new products and channels for expansion. With her leadership, Blackhawk Network
has leveraged its retail heritage to become the market leader in prepaid
product innovation. Roche has helped create a successful billion dollar
business by consistently introducing ground-breaking categories and services to
the company’s Gift Card Mall™ and Prepaid Center product lines.
In the past year, Roche successfully launched Blackhawk’s Prepaid Center in
grocery and convenience stores across the country. The Prepaid Center includes
Blackhawk’s new Visa branded reloadable prepaid debit card, PayPower and
Reloadit Pack, which can be used to reload a PayPower card. PayPower is a
prepaid debit cards with no credit check, no overdraft fees and no minimum
balance. In addition, PayPower has no additional fees for Customer Service,
Direct Deposit or Alerts via email or text messages about daily balance and
bill payment activity.
Roche also helped drive company efforts to expand Blackhawk Network’s award-
winning Gift Card Mall into online channels. Her efforts helped secure
partnerships with leading ecommerce sites including, eBay, Buy.com and
Facebook. She led additional partnerships with the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and
the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, which allowed Blackhawk to offer event-
branded Visa prepaid gift cards.
In November, her determination and success in making Blackhawk the industry
leader was recognized with her promotion to President. In her new role, Roche
has increased revenue and consistently stepped up to new leadership challenges.
With the 2010 introduction of the Prepaid Center in thousands of U.S. grocery
stores, Roche and her team have helped the post recession consumer stay in
control of their spending. By building products that are simple and safe,
Roche’s commitment to the consumer has provided Prepaid Center customers value,
convenience, and an easier way to manage money.
In 2010, Roche was recognized by Paybefore, the leading prepaid industry
publication, as one of the 10 Most Powerful Women in Prepaid. She also received
the publications’ highest honor, a Paybefore Award for Industry Achievement.
Roche’s overall influence on the prepaid industry has never been more visible
and impactful than during her recent work in Washington D.C. In 2010, Roche
worked with a coalition to get a CARD Act extension passed for prepaid cards.
The ECO-Gift Card Act was signed into law by President Obama. Through her
efforts, the prepaid industry avoided the destruction of approximately 150
million plastic cards – a business success for not only Blackhawk but the
industry and the environment.
As the most senior female executive at Blackhawk Network, Roche is a mentor to
female employees who see her path to President as demonstrating the potential
for career development. In addition, her role on the NBPCA Board’s Executive
Committee provides her the opportunity to be a mentor to women in the prepaid
industry.
List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
NBC’s Press:Here – Ep 88 Blackhawk Network PART 2, April 3, 2011:
http://pressheretv.com/?p=1374
NBC’s Press:Here – Ep 88 Blackhawk Network, April 3, 2011:
http://pressheretv.com/?p=1379
Paybefore – Blackhawk Launches GiftCardMall.com iPhone App, February 11, 2011:
http://paybefore.com/newsbriefs/default.aspx?id=17202&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Press Release – GiftCardMall.com iPhone Application Allows Users to Send Gift
Cards to Loved Ones, February 9, 2011:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/giftcardmall-com-iphone-application-allows-users-to-send-gift-cards-to-loved-ones.html
Paybefore – Blackhawk Launches Gift Card Mall App on Facebook, December 28,
2010:
http://paybefore.com/newsbriefs/default.aspx?id=16792&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Press Release – Gift Card Mall™ Helps Facebook Users Change Their Gifting
Habits, December 24, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/gift-card-mall%e2%84%a2-helps-facebook-users-change-their-gifting-habits.html
Press Release – Blackhawk Network’s GiftCardMall.com Recognized in Web
Marketing Association’s WebAwards, December 17, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network%e2%80%99s-giftcardmall-com-recognized-in-web-marketing-association%e2%80%99s-webawards.html
Paybefore – Gift Card Mall Available on eBay, December 16, 2010:
http://paybefore.com/newsbriefs/default.aspx?id=16750&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Press Release – Blackhawk Network’s Gift Card Mall™ Now Available on eBay,
December 14, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network%e2%80%99s-gift-card-mall%e2%84%a2-now-available-on-ebay.html
Press Release – Blackhawk Network Expands Gift Card Selection and Partner
Network, December 7, 2010: http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network-expands-gift-card-selection-and-partner-network.html
Paybefore – Industry Views: Election Results and Financial Services Reform,
December 2010:
http://paybefore.com/articles/default.aspx?id=16570&terms=%22Talbott+Roc... *
Paybefore – People on the Move: Talbott Roche, Blackhawk Network, December
2010:
http://paybefore.com/articles/default.aspx?id=16604&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Paybefore – Blackhawk Network Expands Digital Content Program, December 24,
2010:
http://paybefore.com/newsbriefs/default.aspx?id=16548&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Press Release – Blackhawk Network’s Gift Card Mall Earns Coveted Parent Tested,
Parent Approved (PTPA) Seal of Approval, November 24, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network%e2%80%99s-gift-card-mall-earns-coveted-parent-tested-parent-approved-ptpa-seal-of-approval.html
Press Release – Blackhawk Network Grows Digital Content Program to 15,000
Grocery Store Locations, November 23, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network-grows-digital-content-program-to-15000-grocery-store-locations.html
Press Release – Talbott Roche Appointed President of Blackhawk Network,
November 16, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/talbott-roche-appointed-president-of-blackhawk-network.html
Press Release – Blackhawk Network Executive Named Stevie Award Finalist,
November 2, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network-executive-named-stevie-award-finalist.html
Press Release – The Gift that Gives Back: Causes.com Joins Gift Card Mall™,
October 19, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/the-gift-that-gives-back-causes-com-joins-gift-card-mall%e2%84%a2.html
News Highlight – Blackhawk Network’s Talbott Roche Named Stevie Award Finalist,
October 18, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network%e2%80%99s-talbott-roche-named-stevie-award-finalist.html
Press Release – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse MYPLASH Gift Cards Now Available at
Gift Card Mall™, September 1, 2010: http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/the-twilight-saga-eclipse-myplash-gift-cards-now-available-at-gift-card-mall%e2%84%a2.html
Paybefore – Prepaid Cards and the Environment, September 2010:
http://paybefore.com/articles/default.aspx?id=15834&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Press Release – Blackhawk Network Expands Prepaid Reload Network, August, 31,
2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network-expands-prepaid-reload-network.html
Press Release – Blackhawk Network Announces New Financial Services Products,
August, 23, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/blackhawk-network-announces-new-financial-services-products.html
Press Release – Almost 50% of Gift Card Shoppers Wait Until the Last Minute to
Purchase A Gift, August 10, 2010: http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/almost-50-of-gift-card-shoppers-wait-until-the-last-minute-to-purchase-a-gift-2.html
Press Release – Consumers to Earn Rewards Faster With Gift Card Purchases in
Canada, July 26, 2010:
http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/consumers-to-earn-rewards-faster-with-gift-card-purchases-in-canada.html
Paybefore – Blackhawk Wins Award for Online Gift Card Mall, July 2, 2010:
http://paybefore.com/newsbriefs/default.aspx?id=15036&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Press Release – GiftCardMall.com Wins Stevie® at 8th Annual American Business
AwardsSM, July 1, 2010: http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/giftcardmall-com-wins-stevie%c2%ae-at-8th-annual-american-business-awardssm.html
The 2010 American Business Awards – Executive of the Year - Financial Services,
Finalist; June 21, 2010:
/aba/management-award-category-honorees
Press Release – GiftCardMall.com Offers Visa® 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Gift Cards,
June 11, 2010: http://www.blackhawknetwork.com/giftcardmall-com-offers-visa%c2%ae-2010-fifa-world-cup%e2%84%a2-gift-cards.html
Paybefore – 10 Most Powerful Women in Prepaid: Talbott Roche, Senior Vice
President, Blackhawk Network, May 2010:
http://paybefore.com/articles/default.aspx?id=14248&terms=%22Talbott+Roche%22*
Press Release – GiftCardMall.com Named Best in Category in Fourth Annual
Paybefore Awards, March 8, 2010: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/GiftCardMallcom-Named-Best-in-Category-in-Fourth-Annual-Paybefore-Awards-1194870.htm
Press Release – Blackhawk Network's Talbott Roche Receives Prestigious Industry
Achievement Award, March 8, 2010: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Blackhawk-Networks-Talbott-Roche-Receives-Prestigious-Industry-Achievement-Award-1128236.htm
Paybefore – 2010 Industry Achievement Winner: Talbott Roche, March 2010:
http://paybefore.com/articles/default.aspx?id=13694&__taxonomyid=206*
Press Release – Gift Card MallTM Partners With Microsoft to Launch Xbox LIVE
Prepaid Cards, February 2010: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Gift-Card-Mall-Partners-With-Microsoft-to-Launch-Xbox-LIVE-Prepaid-Cards-1110261.htm
Paybefore – Celebrating Achievement in the Prepaid Industry, January 2010:
http://paybefore.com/awards/default.aspx#12*
* Subscription required – please contact Leanne Miller (lmiller@mww.com) for
full articles.
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the nominee:
Talbott Roche is President of Blackhawk Network, responsible for driving sales
of all current businesses as well as developing new products and channels.
Through her vision and leadership, the company has become a market leader in
prepaid product innovation, marketing and merchandising. Talbott has been
recognized for her many career achievements and as a visible industry advocate.
She serves as executive committee member on the Network Branded Prepaid Card
Association (NBPCA) board of directors and has been recognized as a top
executive in the retail and prepaid industries. In 2010, she received the
Paybefore Industry Achievement Award for her leadership.