PRINCETON, N.J. -- Taking the future of its brand to heart, Heartland Payment Systems, a leading payment processor and provider of merchant business solutions, has hired a branding and strategic marketing expert to join its ranks, the company has announced.
The Princeton, N.J.-based company has hired Michael McMillan as its new chief branding officer. Company officials said McMillan will be responsible for leading branding and marketing initiatives "to drive business objectives and build brand preference and equity for Heartland products and services."
"At Heartland, we attribute our continued success to providing our customers with innovative solutions, backed by honest relationships and transparent terms," said Bob Carr, chairman and CEO of Heartland Payment Systems, Princeton, N.J. "We trust Michael to bring Heartland's vision and values to life and help us capitalize on the growth potential we see in the market, as he has done through effective, award-winning solutions for clients worldwide."
For 20 years, McMillan was CEO of McMillan Associates, West Dundee, Ill., a visual communications firm he founded in 1984. More recently, he has toured globally as an inspirational speaker and was president of McMillan Media, where he focused on thought leadership and consulting engagements on the topics of creative thinking, innovation and making positive change.
McMillan's clients have spanned Fortune 100 corporations, small entrepreneurs, sports and music legends, and nonprofit organizations and institutions.
"Heartland has climbed from a small business to a Fortune 1000 company based on its founding principles," said McMillan. "The company is well-positioned to grow, and I am excited to contribute to the team's success as we empower business owners through honest relationships, products and services."
McMillan's work on corporate identity, brand positioning and strategic marketing has been recognized by major international design, marketing, advertising and communication organization. In addition, McMillan produced Michael Jordan's New York Times best-selling pictorial autobiography, Rare Air. He has written three books: Pink Bat: Turning Problems Into Solutions, The Power of Teamwork; The 'i' in Team: Missing Ingredients for Team Success; andPaper Airplane: A Lesson for Flying Outside the Box.
Heartland Payment Systems is the fifth largest payments processor in the United States, delivering credit, debit, prepaid card processing; mobile commerce; e-commerce; marketing solutions; security technology; payroll solutions; and related business solutions and services to more than 275,000 business and educational locations nationwide. It is the founding supporter of "The Merchant Bill of Rights," a public advocacy initiative that educates merchants about fair credit- and debit-card processing practices.
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