Partnership includes sponsorship of EWPN’s 2026 Annual Conference and support for its growing community in Lithuania, led by Tribe’s Rūta Kairytė
London, UK. 12 August 2026: Tribe Payments, a global issuer and acquirer payments technology company, has entered a year-long partnership with the European Women Payments Network (EWPN) to support greater diversity and career progression across the payments industry.
The EWPN is a not-for-profit, pan-European community supporting women working in payments, fintech, cards and financial services. Through its network of Country Ambassadors, it gives women opportunities to connect, share experiences and advance their careers through local events, workshops, mentoring, research and its annual conference.
As part of the partnership, Tribe will be a Silver sponsor at this year’s EWPN Annual Conference, which takes place on 2-3 November.
Blayne Pereira, Head of Marketing at Tribe Payments, commented: “What I admire most about the EWPN is the organisation’s commitment to championing all walks of diversity, beyond simply their primary ethos of women in payments. I was fortunate enough to see this first hand at their 2024 annual conference, when they platformed the inspirational Kris Foster and his work with Project Nemo on disability inclusion.
“We are proud to begin a year-long partnership with EWPN and support its work to make the payments industry more inclusive, while creating more opportunities for people to connect, progress and have their voices heard.”
In addition to the new corporate partnership, Tribe is represented within the EWPN’s Country Ambassador network by Rūta Kairytė, its Commercial Director for Northern Europe. Rūta became EWPN Country Ambassador for Lithuania earlier this year and now leads its activity in the country.
Rūta has more than 15 years’ experience in fintech and payments, including over nine years at Tribe, where she has been part of the company’s journey since its earliest days. She previously led Tribe’s Lithuanian operation as Managing Director and later its product delivery function before becoming Commercial Director for Northern Europe in 2025.
Based in Lithuania, she now leads commercial activity across the Baltics and Nordics and has helped grow Tribe’s Kaunas office into its largest office and engineering hub, with more than 150 employees.
Rūta’s appointment comes as Lithuania’s fintech sector continues to grow, but women remain underrepresented at the highest levels of business. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality’s 2025 Index, women hold 28% of board positions at the country’s largest listed companies. Although this has risen by three percentage points since 2023, women still occupy fewer than three in every ten seats at the table where major business decisions are made.
Rūta commented: “Lithuania has built a fintech sector with a strong international reputation, and there are many brilliant women helping to drive it forward. But we still see the numbers fall away as you move into executive positions and roles with real decision-making power.
“I became an EWPN Country Ambassador because talking about representation is not enough. Women also need access to the networks, opportunities and experience that help them move into positions of influence. I’m proud to work for a company where women make up two-thirds of the senior management team and have significant commercial and strategic responsibility. I want to help make that less of an exception across the wider industry.
Earlier this summer, Rūta and Tribe hosted the first Lithuanian meet-up at Tribe’s Kaunas office, bringing together women from across the country’s payments and fintech sector.
Rūta continued: “Our first meetup at Tribe’s Kaunas office showed that there’s a real appetite for this community. I want it to be a space for honest conversations about career progression – from negotiating pay and stepping into leadership roles to returning to work after having children. Nobody should have to navigate these times alone.”
Nadia Edwards-Dashti, Executive Board Member of EWPN, added: “We are delighted to have Tribe joining us as a year-long partner. Tribe’s wider support will help us build stronger connections between women in Lithuania and our European network, while creating a more inclusive payments industry for everyone.
“Similarly, it has been great to have Rūta on board as a Country Ambassador. She has been part of Lithuania’s payments sector for many years and understands both how far it has come and where more work is still needed. Rūta brings deep industry experience, a direct approach and a genuine commitment to helping other women progress – all qualities that will make her a strong ambassador.”
About the European Women Payments Network
Founded in 2015, the European Women Payments Network is a not-for-profit, pan-European community for women working in payments, fintech, cards and financial services.
EWPN supports its members through networking events, workshops, mentoring, research, awards and its annual conference. The organisation is run by volunteers, with its revenue used to support its community and programmes.
For more information, visit: https://www.ewpn.eu/