Leadership in Challenging Times: A Conversation with Gary Norcross, President & CEO FIS

"When the pandemic first hit, we watched it emerge out of China, but we all thought it would be very similar to SARs or MERs where the impact was limited. And we all remember the day when the WHO deemed it a pandemic. It's been a very dramatic challenge for us in leadership on how to respond," says Gary Norcross, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of FIS. In an interview with Lori Esposito Murray, president of the Committee of Economic Development of The Conference Board, Norcross shared how FIS is putting colleague safety first, transferring critical services to home offices, and leaning in on daily communication to share best practices with its global staff.

Looking ahead, Norcross also shared that, “We are starting to see economic recovery.” Norcross feels optimistic partly because he links the current disruption to increased innovation. Focusing on the business issues of customers struggling to grow and recover from this crisis, he says, is “how innovation will occur.” 

The CED discussion series, Leadership in Challenging Times, interviews business leaders about the unprecedented challenges facing the nation and how they are helping chart a path forward for both their companies and communities in which they operate.