PEOPLE IN THE NEWS: Natwest's New Consumer Unit Hires Card Pro

William F. Keenan, a U.S. West card executive, has joined Natwest Bank Delaware as senior vice president of marketing and business development.

Jersey City-based National Westminster Bancorp moved its commercial lending operations to the new facility in February, infusing it with $2.2 billion of assets.

All consumer credit will be merged under the Delaware banner, including credit cards, student loans, auto loans, and lines of credit.

Mr. Keenan, who spent two years as managing director of U S West Credit Card Services in Phoenix, is moving east to be closer to his family.

He will report to Andrew Haste, president and chief executive of the Delaware bank.

Mr. Keenan will be responsible for strategic development, new product and marketing development, and acquisitions. His objective is to "grow the business substantially," he said.

The "marketing driven, start-up organization" is looking to expand its footprint from the New York-New Jersey area to the national level, he said.

Mr. Keenan has been in the card business for 10 years. Prior to his stint at U S West, he spent over three years at First Omni Bank Delaware as vice president of marketing and customer service. He was sales and marketing director at Mellon Bank Corp. for one year, worked for Atlantic Financial Federal Savings and Loan for one year, and got his start in banking at Beneficial National Bank.

Mr. Keenan's responsibilities at Natwest will be more broadly based in consumer lending. Still, he is keeping abreast of new card developments.

He is on the board of the Smart Card Forum, and noted that National Westminster Bank, Natwest's British parent, owns Mondex, an electronic payment systems company. He said Natwest Delaware will be a "major profit and growth player" in the card industry.

National Westminster Bancorp, with $1.1 billion in card outstandings at yearend 1994, entered the cobranding arena in January, issuing the Penn Traffic MasterCard, which offers rebates on groceries.

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