Bobby Thomson

Bobby Thomson is Head of US Government Relations at Visa Inc., a position he assumed in May 2013. His responsibilities include advancing Visa’s legislative and public policy priorities, engaging key stakeholder groups in government and the private sector, as well as providing leadership over all federal and state lobbying activities for Visa within the United States.

Before joining Visa, Bobby was with American Express Company for twelve years where he served as Vice President, Federal Government Affairs. In that role, he was the Company’s lead financial services lobbyist responsible for financial services policy issues that came before the U.S. Congress and the Administration. He also had responsibility for the American Express political action committee as well as the company’s political affairs program.

Prior to that, he was Senior Assistant to the Governor of Illinois where he handled federal policy issues for the State of Illinois in its Washington, DC office. Mr. Thomson also worked for Beneficial Corporation, and its successor, Household International, in a variety of public policy and corporate affairs positions.

Thomson holds a MBA from the George Washington University, where he graduated with honors. He holds a BA from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, and is a graduate of DePauw’s Management Fellows Program. He is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma academic honor society and is a past graduate of the Leadership New Jersey program.

Thomson serves on the Board of Trustees of Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois, where he serves as Treasurer and is a member of the Executive Committee. He also serves as Chairman of the Investment Subcommittee, which oversees Illinois College’s $140 million endowment. He received an honorary BA from Illinois College in 2009.

Thomson is a member of the Ford’s Theatre Society Board of Governor’s Directors Circle, as well as a member of the Exchequer Club of Washington, DC and the Government Relations Leadership Forum. He currently serves as Chairman of the Electronic Transactions Association Government Affairs Committee and is a member of the Board of the Information Technology Industry Council. He is a past member of the board of the Public Affairs Council in Washington, DC and is a past chairman of the Card Policy Council of the American Bankers Association.