Mobile Payment Industry News: Smart Card Alliance Latin America Announces 2010 Executive Committee

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Smart Card Alliance Latin America Announces 2010 Executive Committee

SOURCE: The Smart Card Alliance

PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ- The Smart Card Alliance Latin America Chapter (SCALA) today announced its 2010 executive committee including new Chair Fernando Mendez of Visa, Inc. The executive committee leads the organization's advisory board.

SCALA, an affiliation of the Smart Card Alliance, focuses on building awareness and adoption of smart card technology in Latin America. Its membership includes smart card industry leaders and government organizations located across the region, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela.

Peers from chapter member organizations chose the executive committee based on their leadership qualities and commitment to supporting SCALA's efforts in developing the smart card market in Latin America. The new SCALA executive committee is:

Chair - Fernando Mendez, Visa Inc.

Vice Chair - Karina Prado, G&D Burti

Secretary - Humberto de la Vega, HID Global

Observing General Member - Vincent Tenaglia, GET Group

Observing Government Member - Mauricio Augusto Coelho, Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia da Informação (ITI)

"In the five years since we formed SCALA, the Latin American smart card market has undergone dramatic changes, with great progress in the migration to EMV chip payment technology, and more governments beginning secure identity and credentialing initiatives," said Edgar Betts, associate director of the Smart Card Alliance Latin America Chapter. "SCALA has been there every step of the way, expanding its membership and providing knowledge and awareness of smart cards throughout the region. We are excited for the new executive committee to continue this work driving the progress of the smart card market in Latin America."

About the Smart Card Alliance Latin America (SCALA)

The primary mission of the Smart Card Alliance Latin American chapter is in line with the overall goal of the Alliance: to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart cards. The Alliance plans to use specific projects such as bilingual education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums to keep Latin American chapter organization members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought.

About the Smart Card Alliance

The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology.

Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. For more information please visit http://www.smartcardalliance.org.

Contact:

Deb Montner

Montner & Associates