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Barbara Span

Vice President of Global Public Affairs for Western Union

Barbara Span

Barbara Span is Vice President of Global Public Affairs for Western Union, a Fortune 500 company providing services in 200 countries and territories around the world. She has responsibility for public policy, regulatory issues and advocacy programs. Barbara plays a key role in Western Union initiatives that focus on economic development and job creation, financial literacy and small business and entrepreneurship. Her policy focus for Western Union is on a spectrum of issues, ranging from migration, financial inclusion, immigrant integration and economic development to alternative financial services and underserved consumers. She has a leadership role in the African Diaspora Marketplace, a joint initiative with USAID and the U.S. Department of State that creates access to finance and technical assistance for small businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to Western Union, Barbara's work has been with leading domestic and international payment processors following a career in the advertising industry. Barbara is Vice Chairman of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Counsel on Migration, Chairman of the Board of Jobs for America's Graduates DC and has served on many community boards. She is a Northwestern University Alumnus, and has attended the Harvard Business School Strategic Program on Microfinance.