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Kurt Strawhecker Web

Kurt Strawhecker

Managing Partner & Board Chairman

Kurt Strawhecker, founder and Chairman of TSG, is a distinguished leader in the payments industry, and a member of the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) Hall of Fame.

Identifying a need for specialized merchant acceptance payments industry consulting, Kurt founded TSG in 2006 alongside former client Jamie Savant. His son, Mike Strawhecker, joined the company at that time and currently serves as TSG’s President. Kurt is recognized as an industry thought leader and has championed the concept of the “Evolved Acquirer” since 2014. He has successfully guided numerous clients in developing innovative business strategies that target specific industry verticals. Recently, this approach has evolved into Embedded Banking partnerships with software developers. Kurt’s leadership emphasizes making data-driven decisions and adopting a proactive approach to industry specialization.

Kurt began his career in advertising and marketing. He joined First Data (now Fiserv) in 1985 as its first “non-IBM” management hire. He established a division that introduced innovative advertising into credit card statements and played a pivotal role in the company’s international expansion into the UK during the 1990s. Upon returning to the U.S., he contributed to forming the payments industry’s initial joint ventures and managed the “Omaha Platform.”

In addition to his 2024 Hall of Fame induction, Kurt’s contributions to the industry include nearly 20 years of leading ETA Committees and serving on its Board of Directors. He was honored as ETA’s Member of the Year in 2009, and under his leadership, TSG was named Business Partner of the Year in 2010. His advocacy for data-driven decision-making has significantly influenced industry practices. Kurt’s guiding principle, “Life doesn’t reward you for what you know, but for what you do,” reflects his commitment to actionable results.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, he has also lived in Los Angeles and London, bringing a strong Midwest work ethic to his business philosophy. Kurt and his wife Kathy have three grown children and eight grandchildren, all 10 or under, which keeps them quite occupied.