Home Savings Hires Remote Banking Expert

manager at KPMG Peat Marwick, to develop and supervise electronic banking initiatives. Mr. Crone, a consultant and speaker on topics relating to remote banking technologies, started work this month as senior vice president at the H.F. Ahmanson & Co. subsidiary, which is the nation's largest thrift. Also with the title of co-director of electronic banking, Mr. Crone will be working alongside Donald Spano, senior vice president at Home Servicing of America, the company's loan service center. Mr. Spano, who has project management expertise, will oversee operations and controls in the new electronic banking programs. Mr. Crone's hiring sends a strong signal that Home Savings intends to pursue alternative banking delivery systems. It is the only thrift among more than 20 banks and financial service companies that have joined alliances with Intuit Inc. and Microsoft Corp. to provide on-line banking access through personal financial management software. Like other major thrifts, Home Savings has been bulking up on retail banking expertise, recently hiring Carl Forsythe of Banc One Corp. as executive vice president of retail services. Mr. Crone joined KPMG Peat Marwick in 1987 and was director of its center for electronic banking. He has worked on nearly 50 projects to help various companies judge, choose, and establish alternative delivery systems and services. He has published more than 50 articles on financial institutions' use of technology, spoken at many conferences and forums, and recently co-wrote a book, "Banking and Finance on the Internet." Previously, Mr. Crone spent nine years as a marketing manager in the financial systems division of Burroughs Corp., later merged into Unisys Corp. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Southern California.