HOUSTON - Fred Spratlin, senior vice president and manager of Electronic Banking for First Tennessee Bank, has been named chairman of the PULSE EFT Association's Board of Directors.
Spratlin, who has worked at First Tennessee for more than 35 years, has been a member of the PULSE Board for four years and has served as a member of the executive committee. Prior to that, Spratlin was on the board of Gulfnet, which PULSE acquired in 1997.
Spratlin was involved with the VISA/PLUS ATM network at its inception and is a past president of TAG, the national Diebold users group. He has served on the ABA National Standards Committee and several advisory boards for VISA U.S.A. He is currently a task force member with the Southern Alliance of States Electronic Banking Initiatives group and also is a member of the Tennessee Bankers Association Strategic Technologies Committee.
Stan Paur, PULSE president and chief executive officer said, "(Spratlin) is a thoughtful individual whose insights into electronic payment applications are supported by years of hands-on involvement in both retail and commercial banking projects."
Spratlin said he is energized by the growth of PULSE, a financial industry-owned, not-for-profit shared electronic funds transfer network.
"As the industry continues to evolve and new technology allows us to implement new payment options at an unprecedented pace, I believe it is absolutely critical for financial institutions to maintain a high level of influence over electronic banking," Spratlin said. "PULSE is also committed to playing a leadership role in helping shape public policy at all levels for the benefit of our members, and I look forward to the challenges and opportunities we will face in the coming years."
PULSE links an estimated 60 million cardholders with more than 76,500 ATMs and 300,000 POS merchant locations throughout the United States, processing 700 million transactions annually. Its members include more than 2,700 banks, credit unions, and savings and loans in a 22-state service area.
