TSYS Debt Management Chairman Richard de Mayo To Retire

    COLUMBUS, Ga., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TSYS Debt Management
 (TDM) today announced the retirement of its Chairman of the Board, Richard de
 Mayo, effective March 31.  De Mayo intends to return to the private practice
 of law.
     Before his appointment at TDM, de Mayo began practicing law with the law
 firm of Howard, Wiggins & Smith in Atlanta, where he worked for five years.
 As a part of his early practice of law, he represented creditors as well as a
 large collections agency, and thus he made appearances in the state courts
 throughout Georgia for the first five years of his practice.  He also served
 as special assistant attorney general for the State of Georgia.
     In 1979, de Mayo merged his law practice to form Wallace & de Mayo, P.C.
 He has almost 30 years of legal experience and has served on numerous bar
 committees.  Currently, de Mayo serves on the Board of Visitors, Emory
 University; Board of Advisors, George West Mental Health Foundation; Board of
 Visitors, Camp Seafarer/Camp Seagull; Board of Directors, Northern Kenya
 Wildlife Trust; Member, State of Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission;
 Officer, Old War Horse Lawyers Association; Member, American Bar Association,
 Consumer Finance Committee.
     "Under Richard's direction, TDM has seen tremendous growth.  In 1979, the
 company began with two team members, and today it has grown to more than 300
 and has also become the largest legal network and the largest bankruptcy
 management company in the United States.  Although we will greatly miss
 Richard and his contributions to TSYS, his legacy will continue to thrive in
 the industry through TDM.  We wish the best of luck to Richard and his family
 in his retirement.  Chuck Kinney, TDM president and CEO, will continue to lead
 the company's strategic direction and daily operations," said Richard W.
 Ussery, TSYS CEO and Chairman of the Board.
     In 1999, Synovus acquired the debt collection and bankruptcy management
 business offered by Wallace & de Mayo.  After the acquisition, the company was
 named TSYS Debt Management, and de Mayo became president and CEO until he was
 named Chairman of the Board in 2001.  TDM became a wholly owned subsidiary of
 TSYS in 2002.
 
     About TSYS Debt Management
     With the most sophisticated collections applications in the industry, TSYS
 Debt Management(SM)(TDM), a wholly owned subsidiary of TSYS, offers clients
 low-cost, high-value early out and recovery collections and agency management,
 bankruptcy process and legal account management, and skip tracing services.
 Located in Atlanta, Ga., TDM handles any or all portions of a client's
 collections business.
     TDM provides fully integrated technology offerings like the National
 Attorney Network (NAN), its legal management unit, which is the nation's
 largest legal collections network, serving retailers, banks and finance
 companies.  NAN facilitates and manages the placement of legal collection
 cases at the account level from the creditor to the collection law firm.
 
     About TSYS
     TSYS (NYSE:   TSS) (www.tsys.com) brings integrity and innovation to the
 world of electronic payment services as the integral link between buyers and
 sellers in this rapidly evolving universe.  Synovus (NYSE:   SNV) owns an 81-
 percent interest in TSYS. For more information, contact news@tsys.com .
 
 

SOURCE  TSYS