Head of Global Payments and Liquidity and Wholesale Digital
Wells Fargo
With three decades as a change agent transforming the financial services industry, Ather Williams III serves as head of Global Payments & Liquidity and Wholesale Digital at Wells Fargo.
He leads a multi-billion-dollar business that delivers a comprehensive suite of payment and liquidity solutions for Commercial, Corporate & Investment Banking, and Wealth Management clients. In this role, his combined responsibilities enable him to drive enterprise-wide transformation and deliver innovative client solutions in a rapidly evolving industry.
Ather’s career reflects a deep intellectual curiosity and a passion for building from the ground up. His prior roles include consultant, financial analyst for The Walt Disney Company, Silicon Valley executive, and senior leadership positions at some of the largest U.S. banks.
Before joining Wells Fargo, Ather spent nearly a decade at Bank of America, where he led the multi-billion-dollar Global Transaction Services business and later served as president of Business Banking, advising over 30,000 small and mid-sized U.S. companies. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, overseeing business strategies, products, and technology solutions in Treasury & Securities Services.
Recognition:
Leadership and board memberships:
Ather serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Shield of California where he chairs the Finance and Investment committee and is a member of the Audit committee. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the premier organization for Black leaders globally. At Wells Fargo, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Wells Fargo Foundation, is executive sponsor of the Patent Executive Group, and co-executive sponsor of the Black & African American Connection (B&AAC) employee resource network.
The global financial services industry is at a pivotal moment. Faster ways to move money, evolving customer expectations, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technology are transforming how banking operates. Over the next five to ten years, financial institutions must evolve beyond processing transactions to become smarter, continuously operating platforms that learn over time within an increasingly networked financial ecosystem. In this session, we’ll explore how banks can stay competitive with fintechs and technology companies by enabling instant, secure, and seamless payments while also unlocking the power of data to deliver insights that help clients combat fraud, grow their businesses, and improve working capital management.