Hock, Dee Ward

Hock, Dee Ward

(1930– ) business executive; born in Utah. He grew up in North Odgen, Utah, and was largely self-educated. He found his niche in financial services and became the CEO of the newly formed National BankAmericard Inc. (1970) which he renamed Visa International in 1977. He foresaw a global electronic data network and he led Visa past both Mastercard and American Express in the bank-card industry. He pioneered electronic bank transfers, magnetic strips on cards, and the internationalization of financial services. After having revolutionized his industry, he retired in 1984.