Card Briefs: Visa Hires CoreStates, National City Execs

Visa U.S.A. has hired two banking industry veterans in top executive posts.

Visa named William F. Githens, 49, as senior vice president of member relations, and Anthony N. McEwen, 45, to head its deposit and cash products division.

Mr. Githens succeeds William M. Moore, who was promoted to executive vice president. Mr. Moore's new responsibilities include management of key domestic and international strategic initiatives that affect the association's market development.

Mr. Githens will be based in New York, where he will oversee all activities of Visa's member institutions in the eastern United States.

He was previously president and chief executive officer of Synapquest Inc. in Wilmington, Del., a subsidiary of CoreStates Financial Corp.

He also held senior management positions at Card Linx, CoreStates merchant acquiring business and First Pennsylvania Corp. Mr. Githens reports to David Brooks, executive vice president of Visa USA.

Mr. McEwen, a 20-year banking industry veteran, goes to Visa from $49 billion-asset National City Corp., where he was senior vice president for consumer and small-business products and services.

In his newly created position at Visa, Mr. McEwen will oversee Visa check card and Interlink programs, Visa Cash and other chip products, and Visa's automated teller machine programs.

In addition, the executive vice president will chair Visa's U.S. Deposit Products Executive Council.

Mr. McEwen will report to Michael Beindorff, executive vice president. A Visa spokesman said Visa "is making a big push toward debit in 1997." Mr. McEwen adds "more horsepower."

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