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Palladian Financial Holdings Hires Director of Strategy and Planning

Formed in July, 2009, in partnership with leading national private equity firm GTCR, Palladian is focused on creating a leading consumer and small business finance company with an emphasis on credit card issuance and customer loyalty / rewards. The company is currently working on a standalone basis and in partnership with other financial services institutions to acquire and manage credit card and loan portfolios, while building a service delivery platform for customer-focused products and services. Ms. McGinnis will work with Michael Rhodes, CEO of Palladian, to identify and acquire credit assets and to assemble a world-class management team to serve customers and partners. GTCR plans to invest up to $300 million to support Palladian's growth strategy.

"We are thrilled to welcome Julie to our team," said Rhodes. "We believe this is a compelling time to be involved with credit offerings. Julie's experience in, and deep understanding of, the credit and banking businesses will be extremely beneficial as we build and service a focused portfolio of high-quality assets. Together, we'll bring a partnership-based approach to agent banking and other select financial services."

"Michael and I have been fortunate to have played an integral role in some of the most successful companies in the history of consumer lending and credit card loyalty," Ms. McGinnis said. "The environment is now right for us to assemble our own team and capabilities to acquire and manage significant consumer and small business credit assets. Michael's track record of success, coupled with GTCR's financial commitment, will allow Palladian to grow quickly in today's dynamic market, driven by recent changes in the economic and regulatory environment."

While serving as Chief Marketing Officer at MBNA, Michael Rhodes was responsible for acquiring billions of dollars in credit card receivables, supporting dozens of conversions, and delivering innovative solutions that contributed to MBNA's superior growth and performance relative to its industry peers.

Ms. McGinnis brings nearly fifteen years of strategic planning, marketing and human resource management experience in the financial services industry having worked at both American Express and Barclays. Julie started her career as a business consultant at Bain & Company. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

About Palladian Financial

Palladian Financial, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, is a financial services company focused on agent banking, consumer and small business credit, payments and loyalty/rewards in the North American market. For more information about Palladian, visit www.palladianfinancial.com or contact Julie McGinnis at 302-299-1586 or jmcginnis@palladianfinancial.com. Michael Rhodes can be reached at 302-421-8202 or mrhodes@palladianfinancial.com.

About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC is a private equity investment firm and long-term strategic partner for outstanding management teams. The Chicago-based firm pioneered the investment strategy of identifying and partnering with exceptional executives to acquire and build companies through a combination of acquisitions and strong internal growth. GTCR currently manages more than $8 billion of equity capital invested in a wide range of companies and industries. More information about GTCR can be found at www.gtcr.com.

Sean Mogle
Weber Shandwick Worldwide
(312) 988-2046
smogle@webershandwick.com