With more than two decades of experience in digital payments innovation, Kishore Sunderajulu is transforming financial technology leadership. An expert in tokenization and EMV payments, he has collaborated with more than 100 financial professionals and institutions. With these foundations in place, Sunderajulu continues to facilitate global fintech transformation initiatives.
Sunderajulu began his career with contributions to EMV and chip card migrations, building a digital payment ecosystem across continents. One of his most notable roles was at Discover Financial Services, where he architected and launched innovations such as secure remote commerce, contactless payments, and digital wallet integrations. With foresight, Sunderajulu ensured regulatory compliance with mandates including PCI DSS, SCA/PSD2, and the Durbin Regulation.
In this role, Sunderajulu led the nationwide issuance of Discover Debit EMV contactless cards for secure, touchless payments across the United States. Furthermore, he developed and governed the company’s Contactless (D-PAS) specifications and architected the Emerging Payments Platform on the Discover/Pulse switch, introducing a scalable tokenization framework for payment security.
Perhaps most notably, Sunderajulu spearheaded the development and enablement of the EMVCo 3DS 2.3.1 solution for the Discover Payment Network and engineered a multi-cryptogram framework integrating tokenization with card-based transactions. This industry-first innovation improved authentication accuracy by 30% and reduced fraudulent chargebacks by 25%.
“At Discover,” Sunderajulu stated, “I saw firsthand how strategic innovation [could] modernize legacy infrastructure and redefine how consumers interact with money. These experiences reinforced my belief that true payments innovation lies at the intersection of technology, security, and human behavior.”
The future of payment systems depends on compliance with regulatory and security standards, and leaders like Sunderajulu ensure results in this space. At Discover, he was given two President Plates Awards for his exceptional leadership and measurable business impact, one of the company’s highest honors.
Following his work at Discover, Sunderajulu transitioned to his current position at Marqeta, where he leads product strategy and development. Still focused on transaction security, Sunderajulu is also exploring applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in payments. As he introduces agentic AI in fintech, he is helping to define ethical AI in financial services across eCommerce and mobile.
“In my current role at Marqeta, I lead product strategy and development focused on delivering secure, scalable, and intuitive payment experiences across global markets,” Sunderajulu said. “Each initiative reflects a consistent objective—balancing security, compliance, and user experience to define the next generation of payment infrastructure.”
Outside of his professional career, Sunderajulu is also actively involved as a researcher and thought leader. He has published scholarly research in several peer-reviewed international journals, including the International Journal of Science and the Advanced International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research. Additionally, he has given presentations on global fintech and applications of AI in payment.
Looking toward the next phase of his career, Sunderajulu has his sights set on innovation and leadership. He intends to drive large-scale transformation initiatives to redefine the future of digital commerce, including AI-driven payment systems and secure, inclusive digital finance enabled by blockchain technology. Ultimately, Sunderajulu hopes to transform digital finance with accessibility and trust.