ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 11, 2025--
Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA), announced today the appointment of Joseph P. Stangl as Chief Financial Officer, effective August 11, 2025.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250811069890/en/
“I am pleased to welcome Joseph to the AFBA team,” said General Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), President of AFBA. “Drawing on a wealth of financial experience, a strong nonprofit background, and military service, he is well-positioned to support and enhance our mission.”
Joseph is a seasoned finance professional with a strong foundation in accounting and regulatory compliance, shaped by experience across public, government, and nonprofit sectors. A Certified Public Accountant, he began his career in public accounting before transitioning to government finance, where he implemented internal controls and ensured compliance with public sector regulations. His nonprofit experience includes managing complex financial structures and support functions at the District of Columbia Bar. In his most recent position at Air & Space Forces Association, Joseph led major initiatives to modernize financial reporting, navigate tax and donor regulations, assess and report on risks, strengthen internal controls, and align investment strategies with long-term goals. Joseph holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kutztown University. He proudly served for four years in the U.S. Air Force.
"Joining AFBA in this capacity is a true privilege," Joseph shared. "I’m dedicated to advancing the enterprise’s mission and supporting its scaling efforts."
About AFBA
With the support of the General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) was established in 1947 in the basement of the Pentagon to ease the strain on military members and their families who, at the time, could not purchase life insurance that would pay a death benefit if the member was killed in combat. Today, headquartered in Alexandria, VA, AFBA continues to honor its mission, in war and peace, promoting the welfare of its members by providing survivor and other benefits to those who serve this great nation, including members of the uniformed services, first responders, government employees, and their families. AFBA has 915,000 members with $57 billion of death benefits in force and has paid $2 billion of death benefits since inception. AFBA death benefits are primarily underwritten by its affiliate, 5Star Life Insurance Company (a Lincoln, Nebraska domiciled company).
Joseph P. Stangl, Chief Financial Officer of Armed Forces Benefit Association
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 17, 2026--
Alipay+, a global digital payment gateway under Ant International, today announced that it will enable global travellers to make QR code payments at millions of merchants across Argentina through integration with the country's national QR payment scheme Transferencias 3.0, in partnership with PVS, a fintech company specialized in developing customized payment solutions in Latin America.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260717276406/en/
This service helps to enhance global travellers' travel experiences in Argentina, allowing them to pay seamlessly at restaurants, malls and tourist attractions. Using an Alipay+ partner payment app, they can now scan the national QR code displayed at all merchants to make cross-border payments across Argentina, similar to when they make digital payments in their home countries.
Alipay+ now connects 150 million merchants to over 50 global digital wallets and banking apps, reaching 2 billion user accounts. The merchant network includes those connected through over 10 national QR schemes across Asia and Middle East. Alipay+ partner apps will be enabled for cross-border payments in Argentina in phases. This would help local merchants, especially small businesses, to serve more international customers while continuing to use their existing QR acceptance infrastructure.
Argentina is home to one of the world's most advanced mobile payment ecosystems, where QR code payments is an integral part of everyday commerce. At its core is Transferencias 3.0, the national interoperable instant payment infrastructure developed by the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA), which enables consumers to pay with any participating digital wallet or banking app by scanning a single QR code.
“The way people pay is changing rapidly, and merchants need payment experiences that evolve at the same pace,” said Lucio Colunga, CEO of PVS. “Through our partnership with Alipay+, we are giving merchants across Latin America access to one of the world's largest digital payment ecosystems, connecting them with more than 2 billion user accounts worldwide. This enables international travellers to pay with the wallets they already know and trust while creating new growth opportunities for businesses across the region. This is another step toward a more connected, interoperable and global payments ecosystem.”
"Argentina's highly interoperable digital payment ecosystem creates a strong foundation for seamless digital commerce," said Weixiao Jiang, General Manager for North Asia and the Americas, Alipay+, Ant International. "We're honoured to integrate with the national QR payment scheme through the partnership with PVS. By connecting travellers from key international markets with a broad network of merchants, we hope to help boost inbound visitor spending, supporting the country's tourism economy while bringing more opportunities for local businesses."
With an average of over 20 million daily transactions, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. It supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes across Asia, Europe, and the Americas with a comprehensive suite of solutions, ranging from payment and account services to embedded credit services, treasury management and other AI-powered financial innovations.
This latest initiative follows Alipay+'s partnership with PVS in May 2026 to roll out cross-border mobile payment service in Argentina and Chile. In addition, Ant International became the Argentina National Football Team's official sponsor for the Asia region (excluding the Middle East) in March 2026.
Beyond Argentina, Ant International is expanding partnerships with global and local payment service providers, fintech companies and digital platforms to broaden access to cross-border payments and inclusive financial services for businesses and consumers across Latin America. Recent initiatives include the co-launch of a digital wallet and the advancement of digital payments in Mexico, as well as expanding access to financing for underserved SMEs and individuals in Brazil.
Alongside QR code payment, Alipay+ NFC (near-field communication) enables cross-border transactions through its partnership with Mastercard. Starting with AlipayHK, GCash and Kakao Pay, users can now make NFC payments at Mastercard-enabled merchants worldwide, including across Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American markets.
About Alipay+
Ant International's Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
By connecting to Argentina's national QR payment scheme, Alipay+ now enables global travellers in the country to make convenient QR code payments at merchants nationwide.
