MasterCard Reshuffles as Member Chief Quits

MasterCard International shifted responsibilities of two senior executives after a third announced his retirement.

Gary Flood, 38, has taken over the senior vice presidency for member relations in the United States from William J. Brennan, 59, who will officially retire June 30. Mr. Flood was most recently senior vice president, consumer credit products.

And Sheila Scarry, 34, senior vice president, U.S. deposit access, will become responsible for strategies in consumer credit products for the U.S. region. She will continue to manage debit and Mondex products.

MasterCard has gone through several big shakeups in the past six months, most notably the news that chief executive officer H. Eugene Lockhart would be leaving. Also, the Purchase, N.Y.-based association recently ended a five-year relationship with the advertising agency Ammirati Puris Lintas.

In filling key positions from within, the association is continuing a recent pattern. To succeed Mr. Lockhart it named Robert W. Selander, who has been executive vice president and president for Europe-Middle East- Africa-Canada. And last year Beth Horowitz was brought from MasterCard in Australia to be vice president, cobranded and affinity marketing.

"Given the job ahead of MasterCard to regain market share, these internal moves are good, well-thought-out decisions," said James L. Accomando, president of Accomando Consulting Inc. in Fairfield, Conn.

Mr. Flood will be moving back to familiar territory. He began his career at MasterCard in 1986, in the member relations department, and then advanced to manage the Northeast region. He left that post to promote the standard card portfolio before winning the senior vice presidency in consumer credit products.

Ms. Scarry is a 13-year veteran of MasterCard. She moved through the ranks from the finance department to card account management before being appointed director of gold card marketing. In 1991 she became vice president member relations; in 1994 she was promoted to regional vice president and regional manager for member relations in the East. She became a senior vice president last year.

Filling key jobs through promotion helps make for a seamless transition, Mr. Accomando said. Someone from outside might "change things 180 degrees," he observed.

Mr. Brennan has spent eight years in MasterCard's member relations department; he managed the western region office in San Ramon, Calif., for the first five.

"Bill has certainly done a good job," Mr. Accomando said. In 1988 MasterCard had only two offices; now it has six. Mr. Brennan "can walk away from MasterCard with his head held high," the consultant said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he popped up someplace else, but my gut level tells me it would be more in a consultancy role or as an industry resource. I think he might move back to the West Coast-and with the energy level he's got, I'm sure there is something out there for him."

Though Ms. Scarry might want to make her own mark in consumer credit products, Mr. Accomando said, any changes would probably be gradual. He noted that she and Mr. Flood have worked together since the mid-1980s and so are familiar with each other's strategies.

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