Visa International strengthens marketing presence in Middle East

Dubai, 15 September 2003: He will be heading up the regional marketing team based in Dubai, which has recently expanded to accommodate an increasing number of activities.

With over five and a half years experience in marketing across Visa CEMEA (Central Europe Middle East and African) region, De Matos moves from Visa 's London office to assume his new position in Dubai. He will be responsible for supporting member banks marketing activities amongst a range of other functions including consumer promotions, brand campaigns and sponsorships.

Commenting on his new role De Matos said, "I am really excited to be taking on this new position, especially at a time when marketing in the Middle East is becoming increasingly dynamic. My goal is to ensure that Visa continues to be the most recognised card brand in the region and that we continue to develop powerful marketing campaigns that encourage cardholders to understand, experience and embrace cards as a relevant tool for daily payments such as petrol or groceries."

"Marketing of payment cards is not about telling people to spend more, it is about educating consumers on the fact that Visa cards can help financially and contribute in a positive way to their lifestyles. As we embark on our largest marketing campaign ever in the Middle East, 'Win a Dream Home', I am confident that this promotion will bring fantastic benefits to cardholders and merchants and be a huge success for Visa across the region."

When responsible for marketing activities in CEMEA, De Matos led a range of successful campaigns including the launch of Visa Electron in South Africa and the Visa sponsorship of Salt Lake City Winter Olympics spanning across 11 European countries. He has also headed the Merchant Marketing function for over two years, where various marketing initiatives assisted in the growth of Visa retail transactions in Czech Republic by over 100 per cent.

De Matos began his career as a marketing executive for the Deloitte & Touche in Lisbon, Portugal, where he developed marketing strategies for B2B activities across the country. De Matos holds a Masters in Science in International Marketing from the University Of Strathclyde, UK and a BA Hons in Business Administration from Instituto Superior de Gestao, Portugal. He speaks four languages including Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.