“I’ve known Eric for more than a decade. He is a highly knowledgeable, articulate commentator on retail payment systems who understands the importance of market forces and the interplay of multi-sided markets. Early on he made a cogent case for demutualizing the retail payment networks. There are (at best) only a few individuals with his depth of understanding of payment-network competition and the often unintended negative effects of regulation who have the ability to articulate it in a way that his readily comprehensible. Eric’s truly been a tireless and effective evangelist for market rather than government regulation.”
Noah Hanft, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution and former General Counsel MasterCard.
“I’ve known Eric for over 35 years. His broad experience working with and for a wide-range of consumer credit and payments market participants — banks, networks, consumers, regulators, and processors — provides him a unique perspective of industry trends, interests and likely reactions. His thoughtful, market-oriented synthesis of the payments ecosystem allowed him to be among the first to call for demutualization of the bankcard associations and identify potential challenges to the Fed’s interpretation of the Durbin Interchange Amendment, which the courts termed among the worst drafted pieces of legislation.
What distinguishes Eric as an advisor is his fearless ‘call-it-as-he-sees-it’ approach. Those who wish to be challenged and consider alternatives to conventional thinking will find him a refreshing change from more traditional consulting advisors.”
Alan Schiffres, Industry risk and credit management expert, President Avalon Group Advisors, LLC
“Over three decades Eric has been my colleague, nonexecutive board member, and trusted no-nonsense sounding board. He tells it straight. No sugar coating. Eric’s a payments industry thought leader.”
Kevin Knight, Former Chairman & CEO Nordstrom FSB and President Nordstrom Credit and former Head of Consumer Credit and Debit Products, North America at Visa.
“Eric has a great background in the card and payment systems industries, and a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of managing the lifetime value of cardholders at the individual level. He is bright, enterprising and IT savvy.”
Dave Nissen, Former CEO GE Consumer Finance, former MasterCard International and USA board member
“Eric has a penetrating understanding of the economics and technologies underlying international electronic payment systems.”
Jan Hendrikx, Former Board Member MasterCard International & CEO Eurokartensysteme
“Eric has a deep and comprehensive understanding of the economics and technologies underlying international bankcard payment systems.”
Alan Goslar, Former EVP Visa International
“Eric is an innovative thinker with wide experience in consumer and commercial finance businesses. He also understands the financial services IT landscape. He understands first hand that effectively harnessing information technology is critical to building financial services businesses, to delivering products and to competing more effectively. Eric is genuinely curious and relentlessly tests where and when technologies can genuinely create better business models.”
Allan Hackney, Former CIO John Hancock Financial Services, former Head of Operations & Technology AIG Consumer Finance Group
“Eric was our expert and on point for new credit card and consumer finance ventures we launched, and those we considered launching, in deathcare, healthcare, tax finance, and a variety of indirect private label retail finance programs.”
David Erb, Former Head of Corporate Development, Nations Financial Holding
“Eric has a keen appreciation of balancing risk and reward, of understanding outsourcing tradeoffs, and of innovating and creating enterprise value, in financial services in the US and internationally.”
John Stockton, Former General Counsel, Nations Financial Holding”
