The Western Union Company, a worldwide leader in money transfer
services, today announced that Lord Dennis Stevenson, Chairman of HBOS
plc., and Linda Fayne Levinson, an independent advisor to
professionally funded, privately held ventures, will be elected to its
Board of Directors. These individuals will join Jack M. Greenberg, the
Non-Executive Chairman of Western Union's Board; Christina A. Gold,
President and Chief Executive Officer of The Western Union Company;
and five previously named individuals to form a world-class Board
committed to building value for shareholders. Western Union is
expected to undergo a tax-free spin-off from First Data Corp. on Sept.
29, 2006. The directors are expected to assume their roles immediately
prior to Western Union's separation from First Data.
In addition to Greenberg and Gold, the Western Union Board of
Directors, announced in late August, will include Dinyar Devitre,
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Altria Group,
Inc.; Betsy Holden, former Co-Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Foods,
Inc.; Alan Lacy, former Chief Executive Officer of Sears Holdings
Corporation; Roberto Mendoza, Chairman of Integrated Finance Limited;
and Mike Miles, President and Chief Operating Officer of Staples, Inc.
"The addition of Dennis Stevenson and Linda Fayne Levinson to the
Western Union Board of Directors will further enhance the
international character of our Board as well as its high-caliber
global marketing, finance and consumer expertise," said Christina
Gold, President and Chief Executive Officer of Western Union. "I am
confident that we have established the right team to guide Western
Union as we continue expanding the company's offerings to consumers
around the world."
First Data announced its decision earlier this year to separate
the fast-growing Western Union consumer payments business into an
independent, publicly traded company through a tax-free spin-off of
100 percent of Western Union to First Data shareholders. The
independent Western Union company, which will include the Western
Union, Orlandi Valuta and Vigo brands, will be the largest money
transfer company, providing consumers with fast, reliable and
convenient ways to send money around the world, pay bills and purchase
money orders.
Biographical Information
Lord Stevenson, 61, is Chairman of HBOS plc., a worldwide banking
institution in the United Kingdom. Until November 2005, he served as
Chairman of Pearson plc., the media group that owns the Financial
Times, Prentice Hall and Penguin. His past board memberships include
roles on the Boards of Manpower Inc and British Sky Broadcasting Group
plc. among others.
Linda Fayne Levinson, 64, is an independent advisor to
professionally funded, privately held ventures and Non-Executive Chair
of VendareNetblue, Inc. Levinson was a partner at GRP Partners, a
venture capital firm, from 1997 through 2004. In that role, she
invested in and served as Director of several private companies that
made successful transitions into public companies, such as Overture
Services, Inc., lastminute.com, plc. and Cybersource, Inc. Earlier in
her career, Levinson served as a Senior Vice President at American
Express Travel Related Services, Inc. In 1979 she was elected the
first female partner at McKinsey & Company. Levinson presently serves
on the boards of NCR Corporation, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. and
Ingram Micro, Inc. Previously, Levinson served on the Boards of
Genentech, Inc. and Adminstaff, Inc.
About Western Union
Western Union, together with its affiliates Orlandi Valuta and
Vigo, are leaders in global money transfer, providing people with
fast, reliable and convenient ways to send money around the world, pay
bills and purchase money orders through a network of over 270,000
agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories. For more
information, visit www.westernunion.com.
