Headlines:
TSYS Hires Six Sigma Specialist
Total System Services Inc. has hired a Six Sigma expert, Jeanne McDowell, as "group executive of operational excellence."
The main task for Ms. McDowell, who previously worked at First Data Corp., GE Capital, and Nextel Communications, is to apply Six Sigma techniques to all of the transaction processor's business lines.
Six Sigma is a statistical methodology for analyzing procedures and practices at a fine level to discover ways of improving them. The techniques originated in manufacturing companies and are now spreading into banking.
Bank of America Corp. is perhaps the financial services industry's most notable adherent to Six Sigma. The Charlotte company has said that it has used Six Sigma tools to add more than $2 billion to its bottom line, either from cost savings or increased sales.
Ms. McDowell will report to TSYS president and chief operating officer M. Troy Woods. Mr. Woods said in a Nov. 30 press release that as the Columbus, Ga., company continues to expand internationally, "it's appropriate for TSYS to implement strategic Six Sigma initiatives that will enable us to set the standards in our industry."
Exits, Promotions at Peppercoin
Two founders of the micropayment software vendor Peppercoin Inc. have left and several executives have been promoted, the company announced Friday.
Rob Carney and Perry Solomon have moved on to "pursue other interests" and the remaining two founders, Ron Rivest and Silvio Micalis, will keep their board seats. Mr. Micalis has stepped down from his post as chairman, said Mark Friedman, the company's new president, who was promoted from vice president of sales and market development. Before joining Peppercoin, Mr. Friedman had been vice president of global marketing for Lucent Technologies' software products group.
Robert Kiburz, who had been the Waltham, Mass., company's president, is now chairman and will focus on developing strategic initiatives. Robert Nix was promoted to chief technology officer and will continue to be vice president of engineering.
