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An Announcement from Auriemma’s President

Dear friends

Our firm was founded 35 years ago, in 1984. It’s been a fantastic run, and we thank you for your support and friendship over the years.

Since then, our business has evolved to meet the changing needs of the payments and lending markets. Today, our business consists of four distinct specialty areas. The largest, by far, is our Roundtable practice. We now have 35 groups spanning seven market verticals and have become the standard bearers for operational benchmarking data. We are still quite active in developing and managing co-brand programs, which was our exclusive focus when we were founded. Our research team has established itself as a leader in providing membership-driven insights into consumer behavior relating to payments, mobile payments, and credit cards. And, our finance team is active in helping lenders manage capital requirements, and value assets.

As you can see, our current mix of business has come to rely less and less on traditional consulting services. As such, we began to feel that the word “consulting” in our moniker had outlived its usefulness and indeed put us into a competitive frame where we didn’t want to be. So, we went to the drawing board to see what new name might suit us best.

I’ll be honest and say that being eponymous has its pros and cons. But, if I could turn the clock back 35 years, I’d start fresh with a company name that didn’t include my personal name. But, as you can imagine, the Auriemma name has come to be well known, respected, and trusted in our ecosystem, thanks to the hard work of lots of people whose name is NOT Auriemma! So, getting rid of the name altogether didn’t make much sense. Nor did changing our name to the acronym ‘ACG’, which we considered… it turns out, very few of our clients refer to us that way.

In the end, we settled on simply removing the word “consulting” and will now be known as Auriemma Group.

Keeping the name Auriemma recognizes the significant brand value we’ve developed. Meanwhile, going forward, the word Group will refer not just to a group of talented individuals, but to the group of separate and inter-related sub-brands they represent.

To go along with the new name, we have a new logo and monogram, as well as new corporate colors. We also have a new website: www.auriemma.group

If you take a look (and I hope you do), I think you’ll see right away that the new site has a look, feel, and tone that really reflects the people-oriented and approachable style that you’ve come to expect from our firm. The new site also makes it easier to tap into the wealth of information we produce… whether that be our annual letters, press releases, and regulatory commentary letters or, for clients, our troves of market research and benchmarking data.

Welcome to the new Auriemma Group. We look forward to speaking to you again soon and continuing our longstanding relationship with this amazing community.

Cheers!

Michael

P.S.  Our e-mail address convention will also be changing from @acg.net to @auriemma.group – so please update your records!

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Auriemma to Speak at Co-Brand EMEA Conference in London

(London):  Auriemma Group will have two speaking roles at Airline Information’s Co-Brand EMEA Conference, scheduled for 21 February in London.

David Edwards, Director in Auriemma’s Partnerships group, will chair the conference with opening remarks focused on optimising co-brand programmes and identifying opportunities as the industry absorbs new EU regulation under Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR), Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

“With the launch of new co-brands since IFR was implemented, the co-brand market is demonstrating that there is still an ability to successfully grow and be profitable,” Edwards said. “However, to be successful in this changing market, there is huge importance in understanding where opportunities for growth have been created, how to adapt to more flexible commercial arrangements and how to talk directly to new and existing cardholders to derive additional value.”

Opportunities for growth include starting new programmes in the current environment, optimising co-brands with card-linked rewards and better understanding the needs and motivations of the consumers.

Jaclyn Holmes, Director of Auriemma’s Payments Insights group, will lead a discussion on consumers’ expectations from payments players, including features that have implications on spend, engagement and acquisition. Using proprietary data from Auriemma’s UK Cardbeat study, Holmes’ presentation will detail UK consumer attitudes and expectations on retailer offers and benefits, card personalisation and card selection criteria.

“With the right messaging, card issuers and co-brand partners can develop successful offers, encourage stronger engagement and build consumer trust,” Holmes said. “But to do so, it’s critical to recognise cardholders’ lack familiarity and understanding of regulatory language. There’s opportunity to build consumer education, and the brands and issuers who get the communications right will be at an advantage.”

Attending retailers can schedule a one-on-one meeting with Auriemma’s team to discuss how the firm’s research and advisory work can help navigate the current environment most effectively.

About Auriemma Group

For more than 30 years, Auriemma’s mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognised experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships, and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximise their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in London and New York City. For more information, call +44.(0).207.629.0075.

About Ai | Airline Information

Ai is an established leader and innovator in commercial aviation conferences. Since 2005, Ai has hosted thousands of airline and travel professionals at the company’s groundbreaking conferences, forums, workshops, webinars and networking events.

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Auriemma Welcomes Managing Director and General Counsel to Senior Leadership Team

(New York, NY): Auriemma is proud to announce the addition of Mindy Harris as Managing Director and General Counsel, starting November 1, 2017. She joins Auriemma from Nordstrom Bank, where she was SVP, General Counsel and Compliance Officer.

Harris will contribute to client engagements across Auriemma’s existing four lines of business with her vast knowledge and experience overseeing the regulatory compliance function at card issuers and negotiating a diverse array of contracts including card partnership agreements.

“Mindy will elevate our game as we support clients trying to navigate the complex burdens of regulatory compliance issues in today’s environment,” said Marc Sacher, EVP at Auriemma. “She understands how that influences ongoing operations, as well as how those obligations impact partnership structures among issuers, brand partners, and even third-party investors.”

Harris also will serve as General Counsel for Auriemma. In this role, Harris will advise the firm on legal, regulatory and compliance matters and will be responsible for the firm’s legal affairs.

“Auriemma is admired as a trusted advisor to the consumer credit card and payments industries,” said Harris.  “I am delighted to join Auriemma at this exciting time of sweeping change across the financial services landscape. I look forward to working alongside Auriemma’s outstanding team of industry experts as they drive ongoing innovation and success for our clients.”

In her previous role at Nordstrom Bank, Harris built and led high-performing legal, compliance, and enterprise risk management teams that supported Nordstrom’s co-brand card programs and bank.

Before joining Nordstrom Bank, Harris served as in-house counsel focusing on credit cards and consumer payment systems at banks and servicers including U.S. Bank, Plus System, Inc. and Rocky Mountain BankCard System.  She is a board member and past president of the Credit Card Bank Compliance Association.

 

About Auriemma Group

Auriemma is a boutique management consulting firm with specialized focus on the Payments and Lending space.  We deliver actionable solutions and insights that add value to our clients’ business activities across a broad set of industry topics and disciplines.  Founded in 1984, Auriemma has grown from a one-man shop to a nearly 50-person firm with offices in New York and London.  For more information, contact Marc Sacher at (212) 323-7000.

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Auriemma to Lead Money20/20 Panel — Wendy’s & Dunkin’: Payments Innovation in the Quick-Service Restaurant Industry

Auriemma Group (Auriemma) is proud to announce its latest speaking role at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas.

Marianne Berry, Managing Director of Auriemma’s Payments Insights practice, will moderate a session focused on mobile payments in quick-service restaurants. The session will dissect how mobile payments have been used to drive traffic, streamline ordering, improve service times and increase consumer loyalty. Panelists include two iconic QSR brands and the technology partners that helped them bring these innovative solutions to market.

The session, scheduled for Monday, October 23, 10:40 – 11:30am will explore:

  • What payments technologies will help reinvent how we experience quality food served fast?
  • How are customers adopting these new technologies?
  • What are the benefits for QSR merchants and their greatest implementation challenges?

Panelists include Denis Bouchard, Head of Payments, The Wendy’s Company; Ben Kaplan, Group Vice President of CashStar, Blackhawk Network; Sherrill Kaplan, VP Digital Marketing & Innovation, Dunkin’ Brands; and Mike Braatz , Chief Product Officer, ACI Worldwide.

Mark Your Calendar!

Wendy’s & Dunkin’: Payments Innovation in the Quick-Service Restaurant Industry

Monday, October 23 |10:40 – 11:30am | Titian, The Venetian Level 2 (Commerce Track)

About Auriemma Consulting Group

Auriemma is a boutique management consulting firm with specialized focus on the Payments and Lending space.  We deliver actionable solutions and insights that add value to our clients’ business activities across a broad set of industry topics and disciplines.  Founded in 1984, Auriemma has grown from a one-man shop to a nearly 50-person firm with offices in New York and London.  For more information, contact Marc Sacher at (212) 323-7000.

 

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Auriemma Launches CAMBER, a Searchable Research Portal

(New York, NY):  Auriemma Group’s consumer studies will now be more widely and immediately accessible to its subscriber base, thanks to CAMBER, a newly developed searchable research portal.  This new self-serve option gives subscribers greater accessibility to Auriemma’s research—Cardbeat®, Cardbeat UK, The Payments Report, and Mobile Pay Tracker.

Subscribers can search through research published since 2015 and download abstracts as well as full issues within the company’s subscription. As a new offering, CAMBER brings the subscriber experience into the digital age without replacing the high-touch, personalized service subscribers have come to expect from Auriemma.

Self-serve: Subscribers now have a library at their fingertips, shortening the lag time between request and receiving relevant data.

Digital access: Finding relevant payments data is more convenient than ever, with more visibility into the subscribing company’s publications. In addition, subscribers will be able to view abstracts of all research publications, including topics their company may not currently subscribe to.

New search capabilities: Users can now search with more granularity across hundreds of data sets and reports, with topics spanning rewards cards, mobile payments, top-of-wallet selection and more.

This is the first stage in a multi-year digital roadmap for Auriemma publications. Future iterations will include enhanced search functionality, a topic request wizard, and webinar downloads.

About Auriemma Group

Auriemma is a boutique management consulting firm with specialized focus on the Payments and Lending space. We deliver actionable solutions and insights that add value to our clients’ business activities across a broad set of industry topics and disciplines. For more information, contact Jonathan O’Connor at 212-323-7000.

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Auriemma Launches Apple Pay Consumer Adoption Study

(New York, NY):  Auriemma Group announced Thursday the launch of Apple Pay Tracker, a longitudinal study that will monitor adoption and usage of the mobile wallet throughout 2015.

The study, comprising bimonthly surveys of 3,000 iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users over the course of the year, will illuminate Apple Pay’s impact on payment providers, retailers, and other industry stakeholders.

“Apple Pay may change where people shop, how they pay, and the overall balance sheet of the payments system,” said Marianne Berry, Managing Director of Auriemma’s Payment Insights practice. “Issuers, merchants, networks, investors—all need to monitor these changes and have the flexibility to respond immediately to challenges.”

Every eight weeks throughout 2015, subscribers will receive a report tracing current levels of Apple Pay activation and usage by a randomized sample of 500 iPhone 6 owners. In addition to measuring growth in the adoption curve, subscriber reports will include information gleaned from in-depth interviews with respondents detailing their reasons for adopting—or bypassing—the service. Each iteration of the research will examine a unique subset of users, ranging from early to mainstream adopters as the market matures. Interviews with respondents will explore:

  • Motivations for usage
  • Changes to behavior and purchasing habits
  • Impacts on the customer relationship and brand attribution
  • The role of social influences in adoption and usage
  • Perceived security benefits and concerns
  • User experience and likelihood to recommend Apple Pay to other

“There is intense interest in both the industry and mainstream media about Apple Pay,” Berry said. “While transaction volumes and other aggregate data will be widely reported, these statistics won’t explain the behavior driving the numbers.“For example, how much growth in transaction volume is being driven by regular users and how much is attributable to growth in iPhone 6 sales? Are consumers changing their choice of retailers depending on the availability of Apple Pay? Do consumers make a conscious choice at point of sale among the cards provisioned in their Passbook, or does the default card become the most frequently used?”

Apple Pay Tracker joins a suite of market intelligence and syndicated research studies offered by Auriemma’s Payment Insights practice. In addition to mobile payments, Auriemma conducts consumer research focused on credit, debit, and prepaid products.

“Whether or not Apple Pay reaches broad acceptance,” Berry said, “millions of consumers will pay with their phones for the first time. This may be the long-awaited catalyst that ignites mobile payments.”

 About Auriemma Consulting Group

Auriemma is a boutique management consulting firm with specialized focus on the Payments and Lending space.  We deliver actionable solutions and insights that add value to our clients’ business activities across a broad set of industry topics and disciplines.  For more information about Auriemma’s research, please call 212-323-7000.

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