The two newest members of the Arizona Technology Council’s board of directors bring expertise in global payment networks and technology, as well as information technology talent development.
Cheryl Eckardt, vice president of Global Network Service Technology at American Express, and Craig Jackman, founder and president of Paragon IT Professionals, were unanimously elected to three-year terms at recent quarterly Council board meetings.
Eckardt is responsible for the technology delivery of the American Express Payments Network, a high-performing, secure set of capabilities that processes more than 40 million global financial transactions every day.
She previously was vice president of Finance Technology, where she partnered with the chief product owners to accelerate finance platform modernization while delivering new business capabilities focused on regulatory compliance and advanced analytics. Eckardt also held leadership responsibilities in Global Risk and Compliance, Global Banking Technology, and the Colleague Experience Group.
Jackman has grown Paragon into a national firm with a full-time team of 25 and a contract services team of more than 200 consultants. The company offers contract and direct-hire IT staffing, as well as a project services division.
While Paragon’s core markets have historically been in Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, Jackman expanded operations into Arizona in 2019. Paragon has established a strong local presence as it continues to grow its Arizona market initiative with a dedicated team supporting technology clients across the state.
