Realogy and AT&T executives land on TSYS board of directors
Credit-card and payment processor TSYS has elected two new members to its board of directors — one the chief executive officer of real-estate firm Realogy, the other a top executive with AT&T.
Columbus-based TSYS said Tuesday that the election of Richard Smith and Thaddeus Arroyo will bring its board back up to an even dozen members. The move follows the exit of three board members in recent months, those being the routine departures of Jim Blanchard and Jimmy Yancey in the spring, and Pamela Joseph in September.
Blanchard and Yancey are retired Synovus executives, while Joseph was a short-term president and chief operating officer who resigned suddenly in September, taking a $2.3 million exit payment with her.
More: TSYS restructuring cuts continue, but firm says it’s still in hiring mode
More: TSYS president getting nearly $2.3 million upon leaving company
Smith, whose oversight as Realogy Holdings Corp. chairman, CEO and president includes the Coldwell Banker, Century 21, ERA, Better Homes and Gardens and Sotheby’s International Realty companies, will participate on the TSYS compensation committee, the company said.
Arroyo, who is CEO of AT&T Business, is responsible for the firm’s global business technology operations, which spans nearly 200 countries and territories, serving nearly 3.5 million customers. He will serve on the TSYS technology committee.
“Thaddeus and Richard bring vast knowledge and expertise from their respective industries to TSYS,” Troy Woods, TSYS chairman, president and CEO said in a statement. “We welcome these well respected, highly regarded executives who will serve as invaluable assets, as we continue to expand our presence in the rapidly evolving payments industry.”
TSYS spokesman Cyle Mims said he understands that the board of directors will remain at 12 for the immediate future. Woods is chairman of the board, which is responsible for helping to guide company strategy and voting on critical decisions made by executive management.
Smith and Arroyo will join the board that, aside from Woods, includes:
▪ Kriss Cloninger III, president of Aflac
▪ Walter W. Driver Jr., chairman-Southeast with Goldman, Sachs & Co.
▪ Sidney E. Harris, retired professor and dean at Georgia State University, J. Mack Robinson College of Business
▪ William M. Isaac, senior managing director with FTI Consulting and former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
▪ Mason H. Lampton, chairman of the board at Standard Concrete Products
▪ Connie D. McDaniel, retired vice president and chief of internal audit with The Coca-Cola Company
▪ Philip W. Tomlinson, retired chairman of the board and CEO at TSYS
▪ John T. Turner, private investor
▪ Richard W. Ussery, retired chairman of the board and CEO at TSYS
Here are the official bios released Tuesday of Smith and Arroyo:
Richard A. Smith
“Smith serves as the chairman, CEO and president of Realogy Holdings Corp., a technology-enabled leading provider of residential real estate services, including brokerage, franchising, relocation and title and settlement services. In his role, Smith oversees Realogy’s businesses, including its well-known industry brands such as Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA, Sotheby’s International Realty and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Realogy has more than 277,000 sales agents affiliated with its brands with franchised offices in more than 100 countries. Smith has led the company’s business operations since 1996. Smith is a member of the Business Roundtable and previously served as a commissioner on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission. He serves on the executive committee of the Policy Advisory Board for Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, is an honorary member of the Easter Seals National Board of Directors, a member of Columbus State University Foundation Board of Trustees, and a former member of the New Jersey Economic Growth Council.”
Thaddeus Arroyo
“As the CEO of AT&T Business, Arroyo is responsible for the company’s integrated global business technology solutions organization, which serves nearly 3.5 million business customers in nearly 200 countries and territories, including nearly all of the world’s Fortune 1000 companies. Previously, Arroyo was CEO of AT&T Mexico LLC, where he led the ongoing expansion of AT&T high-speed mobile network and distribution channels in Mexico. Throughout his career, Arroyo has held diverse executive positions. As president of Technology Development, he led the transformation of AT&T’s technology strategy and under his leadership as chief information officer, AT&T was widely recognized for its thought leadership and creativity in technology innovation and execution. He is an active board member for the National Center for Women & Information Technology and the Hispanic IT Executive Council. Arroyo is a governance fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors. He also serves on the SMU Cox School of Business Executive Advisory Board.
This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Realogy and AT&T executives land on TSYS board of directors."