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European payments consultancy adds new members

July 20, 2003

LONDON -- European Payments Consulting Association (EPCA), a European Economic Interest Group which is comprised of independent payment consulting companies across Europe, has increased its membership to six, extending its operations in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK to include the Netherlands, Turkey and France.

Hugo Godschalk, chairman of the EPCA, said in the release that his company is now the largest independent specialist payments consulting association in Europe, with the ability to deliver payments research and consulting assignments in all of the major European Union countries.

New member Arti Stratejik Management Consultants is based in Istanbul with principal officers Metin Unal, Ismail Yalcinkaya and Cem Ertem, specialists in retail banking and payments.

"We increasingly find our customers in Turkey and the CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) expect us to deliver assignments based on Western European experience, not just our domestic market," said Metin Unal.  "As a member of the EPCA, we have now greatly extended our reach and knowledge and skills base."

In the Netherlands the new member is S.Lelieveldt Consulting, which specializes in the regulatory aspects of payments and electronic money. In France, the new member is smartdreams, whose activities are focused on payments and new payment solutions (e-commerce, m-commerce).

Godschalk said the EPCA expects further growth in 2003 and is now seeking new members in Spain, Italy and Greece.

Founded in 2001 by PlusCON ApS in Copenhagen, Paysys Financial Services Cons GmbH in Frankfurt and Payment Systems Europe Limited in London, EPCA's objective is to link independent payment consulting companies across Europe. Members of EPCA share experience and collectively bid for pan European assignments, according to the release.