Bank of America to Combine Global Card Services and Deposits

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America today announced that it is combining the leadership of Global Card Services and Deposits under Susan Faulkner. The combined business will report to Joe Price, president, Bank of America Consumer, Small Business & Card Banking.

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"This structure continues the evolution of our Consumer businesses toward a more nimble, responsive customer-focused organization," Price said. "This enhancement strengthens our operating model and organizes it around our customer segments, how we deliver our capabilities to customers, the service we provide them, and the products we develop for them."

Ric Struthers, who has led Global Card Services, has decided to leave the company, but will stay on to help with transition. "This is the ideal time to begin the next phase of my career," he said.

"In his more than 30 years in banking throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, and as one of the principal founders of MBNA, Ric has shown leadership and vision managing the largest credit card portfolio in the world," Price said. "He and his team navigated our unsecured lending business through the most significant consumer credit crisis in 50 years. In just one year, Ric rapidly repositioned the card business, significantly reducing our exposure to credit losses and simplifying our credit card suite by introducing, easy-to-understand, basic products. He also led the development of a first-of-its-kind Credit Card Clarity Commitment™ for 40 million customers. This initiative was complemented by his commitment to helping more customers in need, resulting in modifications to more than 1.4 million consumer and small business credit card customers in need."

"We believe that Susan is the right executive to operate the combined product unit in a rapidly evolving and challenging environment," Price continued. "We continue to change the way we offer and price products, emphasizing clarity, choice and control in response to changing customer needs. Integrating the development of our card and deposit products will help create greater value for customers, especially as the way they choose to make payments continues to evolve."

Faulkner, 47, whose title will be Deposits and Card Product Executive, will have dual offices in Charlotte and in Wilmington, Del., where the card business will continue to be based.

"Because of leaders like Ric Struthers, Delaware has been an incredibly good place to do business that has served Bank of America and our legacy company very well," said Brian Moynihan, Bank of America president and chief executive officer. "We are pleased to remain one of the state's top private employers where we continue to base our credit card operation and operate a number of other businesses.  We look forward to maintaining our presence in the market."

Faulkner has been with Bank of America for 25 years. Since 2007, she has served as Bank of America Customer Segments, Deposits and Payments executive, reporting to the president of the consumer bank. Prior to this, Faulkner was Global Consumer & Small Business Sales, Service & Marketing executive.

Faulkner serves on the Board of Directors of the Consumer Bankers Association. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of the Central Carolinas and is active with the Urban Ministries Center. In 2008, the Charlotte Business Journal named Faulkner to their list of Top 25 Women in Business.

Faulkner received a bachelor's degree in finance from Georgia Southern University and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Georgia.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 59 million consumer and small business relationships with 6,000 retail banking offices, more than 18,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to more than 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

www.bankofamerica.com

SOURCE Bank of America