WAKEFIELD, Mass. — The PCI Security Standards Council, an industry-standards body that provides management of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, security requirements for PCI PIN entry devices and the Payment Application Data Security Standard, has named Rob Tourt, vice president of network services at Discover Financial Services, its council chairman.
Tourt is expected to take the position Jan. 1, 2008.
Tourt succeeds current chairperson, Seana Pitt, who is the vice president of merchant policy and data quality for American Express' global network operations. Pitt has led the council since its inception in September 2006.
According to a news release, the council's bylaws call for the rotation of the chairperson every year among each of the five payment-card brands that make up the council's board of directors. The card brands are American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc.
Tourt, an industry expert in payments security with more than 15 years of risk-management experience, has been with Discover since 1986. He has held a variety of roles during his tenure with Discover, ranging from fraud investigator, recovery collections manager and director of national sales support to vice president of network products and vice president of network operations and risk management.
Tourt holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Ohio State University and a master's degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
