Mahala Expands Board of Directors, Appoints President
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) November 11, 2013 -- Mahala, a secure mobile payments system for merchants, content owners and nonprofits, has appointed Ana Guevara and Ed Sztuka to the company’s board of directors.
Guevara, a former vice president at UPS and Walmart, has years of experience in international trade and development. Sztuka, who will also serve as Mahala’s president, has built and sold successful tech companies and will provide merger and acquisition expertise as well as operational discipline.
“With the impending global roll-out of Mahala mobile payments, management is thrilled to have such an experienced team,” said Sonny Fisher, Mahala CEO and founder. “These distinguished individuals bring exceptional business acumen. They will be a valuable resource as Mahala grows domestically and expands abroad.”
In addition to her role as a business executive with two global brands, Guevara served in top-level federal government positions. She was appointed by the U.S. president to the board of the World Bank Group, where she served as Alternate Executive Director for the U.S. Chair. In that position, she helped oversee World Bank commitments to member countries, including projects for economic enterprise, remittances, conditional cash transfers and sustainable tourism.
She previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Trade in the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she was responsible for an office that represented 80 percent of the U.S. GDP.
During this time, Guevara:
• Helped expand the global ventures of multi-billion dollar service industries by complimenting their operations with strategies that built local public and government support, leveraged strategic partnerships, and invested in projects that contributed to social prosperity.
• Participated in, and led, successful international trade, market access and standards harmonization negotiations for the U.S. government, and on behalf of private businesses and associations/coalitions, including those with NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, APEC, Brazil and China.
• Developed strategic partnerships that optimized the nexus between business and social impact, including those for education, women entrepreneurship and disaster relief.
Sztuka was formerly vice president and general manager of the telecom business unit at Fluke Networks/Danaher Corp. Prior to his tenure there, Sztuka held several marketing and engineering leadership roles, including co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing for DeskNet Systems, a startup specializing in the development of test and measurement solutions for emerging telecom technologies, which was ultimately sold to Fluke Corp.
During his 20-plus-year career, Sztuka:
• Built and led a business to $100 million in revenue, oversaw the delivery of innovative solutions, and achieved high levels of profitability.
• Developed strategic supplier relationships with carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and Bell Canada, and successfully negotiated several multi-year support and supplier contracts.
• Developed and led worldwide channel expansion strategy, including retail distribution as well as channels in EMEA, APAC and the United States, reaching new market segments.
“In my search for a board and management position, I was looking for a disruptive solution,” Sztuka said. “Mahala is that solution. Not only does Mahala monetize social media and advertising, it empowers content owners such as musicians, as well as merchants and nonprofits, by putting them in control. Mahala, to say the least, offers a compelling value proposition.”
Guevara and Sztuka will join the following executives to the board of directors:
• Fisher, one of the youngest CEOs to list a company on the South African stock exchange.
• Joe Creamer, Mahala chief legal officer, and former vice president and senior attorney at UPS.
• RJ Shoe, Mahala chief financial officer, and former finance manager and business development manager for the U.S. Postal Service.
News of the appointment follows the company’s beta release of its mobile payment apps for merchants and users. The company has partnered with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White to power his charity fundraiser, a fundraiser for nonprofit SERV International, and sales for indie musician Mandy Gawley’s newest single.
The company also recently returned from AppsWorld Europe, where executives were panelists, hosted the Appster Awards, and presented the award for the Best Consumer App of the Year.
With Mahala, no card readers are needed. Consumers just scan Mahala’s secure QR codes with their phones – online or in person – to complete transactions. The S-QR™ enables payments anywhere, including websites, videos and Facebook – without forcing users to go to another site to pay.
Mahala Wallet for consumers and Mahala Merchant are available for iPhone and Android users. Mahala is accepting beta merchant partners. To learn more, go to http://www.mahala.us.
About Mahala
With Mahala secure mobile payments, merchants, content owners and nonprofits can finally accept money anywhere – without installing card readers or being charged fees.
Consumers simply scan Mahala’s secure QR codes with their phones to complete transactions. The S-QR™ enables payments without forcing consumers to go to another site to pay.
Mahala was formed in Atlanta in 2012 by retail technology expert Sonny Fisher, one of the youngest CEOs to list a company on the South African stock exchange.
Justin Rubner, Mahala, http://www.mahala.us, 404.271.0775, [email protected]
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