Total System Services Establishes Presence in Europe
Names Senior Manager to Head European Operations
Columbus, Ga., Aug. 5, 1999 – Continuing to expand its international presence, Total System Services, Inc.® (TSYS®) (NYSE: "TSS"), today announced plans to open an office in London within the next few weeks. TSYS Vice President Bruce Bacon will lead the European expansion initiatives, serving as Managing Director, European Operations, and will be responsible for business development, strategic planning, and client relations in Europe.
"Total System is enthusiastic about establishing a permanent presence in Europe, and we are confident that card issuers and acquirers will find tremendous value in our processing solutions and approach to the business," said TSYS President Philip W. Tomlinson. "TSYS has devoted significant attention to the European market, and we have initiated action to prepare our processing platforms for the unique requirements of this market. In addition, Bacon's significant international expertise, leadership qualities, financial experience and customer service focus provide TSYS with excellent representation in Europe."
Representing a significant step in TSYS’ international expansion strategy to become the global processor of choice, the European initiative builds on TSYS’ growing international business in Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and most recently Central America.
"I am excited about TSYS’ commitment to the European market," said Bacon. "Increasingly, card organizations are demanding flexibility and innovation, and these are hallmarks of TSYS in the markets we currently serve. TSYS’ products and services will present European card organizations with exciting new opportunities to better manage and grow their portfolios."
An MBA graduate of Columbus State University and graduate of the ABA National School of Bank Card Management, Bacon has 20 years experience in international business, financial, administrative, and project management. He joined Total System Services in 1996 as Vice President, Interchange Accounting, International Services Division. In that position, he worked closely with the TSYS de México joint venture and initiated the study on international clearing and settlement system which led to the development of TSYS’ global interchange accounting system.
Plans are underway for the TSYS European office. Bacon said, "We will soon complete the site selection for our European office. Our UK presence will provide us with convenient access to major card markets throughout Europe and position us to provide excellent customer service, leading-edge technology and support."
TSYS’ accounts on file more than doubled from June 1998 to June 1999. Currently, TSYS processes 192 million accounts representing 269 million cardholders of which almost 20 million are international consumers. From Columbus and its three international offices, TSYS processes one-third of the credit cards issued in Mexico, has gained a market share of 21 percent in Canada within six months, and recently added accounts in 15 countries in the Caribbean. In addition, TSYS entered the Central American market with the signing of Honduras’ second largest bank.
TSYS is one of the world’s leading information technology processors of data, transactions and payments for domestic and international issuers of credit, debit, commercial and private-label cards. TSYS’ sophisticated systems offer online accounting, data processing, electronic commerce services, portfolio management, account acquisition, credit evaluation, risk management and customer service. Through our family of companies, TSYS services the entire lifecycle of card accounts making it possible for more than 192 million accounts enabling an estimated 269 million cardholders to use their cards any time, anywhere. Headquartered in Columbus, Ga., TSYS, (www.totalsystem.com) is an 80.8 percent owned subsidiary of Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE: "SNV") (www.synovus.com) named the Best Company to Work for in America by FORTUNE magazine.
Contacts:
Danita Gibson-Lloyd
Corporate Communications Manager
ph. (706) 649-5578
dglloyd@totalsystem.com