LONDON -- The ATM Industry Association has just announced plans for the group's expansion into the Southern Hemisphere and the appointment of a new executive director for Europe.   The search for the new executive director is already underway, and the new leader will be tasked with consolidating and growing ATMIA Europe, according to International Director Mike Lee. For more information on the position, click here.

Lee, formerly a South African citizen, will relocate to Africa at the end of 2002 to focus attention in 2003 on the association's two new chapters, ATMIA Africa and ATMIA Australasia. Lee will also work on building key contacts in Latin America through the year, with an eye on expansion into that region.   Lana Harmelink, ATMIA's director of operations, will continue to manage the North American chapter, which was ATMIA's first chapter and currently has the largest membership base. Harmelink recently set up the Industry Mutual Defense Fund for dealing with industry legal and lobbying cases internationally. She is looking at three similar threats of new taxation being imposed on ISOs in Texas, Hawaii and Canada.

Lee helped establish the European chapter of ATMIA in September of 2000 and has led it ever since, also serving as the ATMIA's international director from mid 2001 onward.

The new Australasia chapter, covering Australia, New Zealand and neighboring islands in the South Pacific Ocean, was established in late 2001. So far, Credit Union Services Corporation Australia, Cashcard Australia, Mayne Logistics Armaguard, Global Network Services, First Data Asia Pacific, S2 Systems, Extracash, Electronic Banking Solutions, NCR Asia, De La Rue Cash Systems, Diebold Asia, Triton, Carreker Corporation and Hyosung Computer, based in Korea, have joined ATMIA Australasia.   ATMIA will host its first Australasian conference, "Pacific ATMs," in Sydney at the Four Points Sheraton Sydney Convention and Exposition Center on May 27-29.

A launch of the new ATMIA Africa chapter is planned for June 13 in Sandton, South Africa. ATMIA Africa has already signed ATM Solutions Ltd., an independent deployer, as a foundational board member, as well as independent Nigerian deployer SmartPay Nigeria. Other ATMIA members in South Africa include First National Bank and Standard Bank.

"Countries like Australia, South Africa and Brazil have large emerging ATM markets. It is important to show them that our value proposition to members is strengthened through involvement in industry issues like ATM security and ATM advertising, taking lessons from North America and the United Kingdom to these vibrant regions of the future, while, at the same time, learning new lessons over there that can be brought back to where our association's roots lie," Lee said.