Bartercard Australia (controlled by Brian Hall, Trevor Dietz and
Tony Wiese) has acquired the entire 60% stake of the majority
shareholder of Bartercard Ltd. (UK), the international licensor of
the Bartercard business-to-business trade exchange and global
cashless payment system. Bartercard has been operating for over 21
years in Australia and has 55,000 international business members
trading in six countries over $1 billion a year.
Founded in 1991 (by Wayne Sharpe, Brian Hall and Andrew Federowsky)
Wayne Sharpe now steps down from the role of Executive Chairman and
CEO of the Bartercard Group of companies after selling his majority
stake.
The Bartercard Australia team plans to continue investing in
transactional-based technology, thus making it easier and more
convenient for business members to barter trade. Hall affirmed, �We
also hope to ignite the international expansion program into other
countries to create more travel and import/export opportunities for
members worldwide. We are looking forward to the challenge ahead
that is to make Bartercard as well known to business owners as Visa
and MasterCard, by becoming the non-cash global trading currency of
the world!�
Although started in Australia, the parent company moved to the UK
over a decade ago when Sharpe relocated to London. Bartercard Europe
headquarters will continue to be led by UK CEO Simon Barker, and the
new majority owners have major plans for expansion via their core
franchising/licensing model into the UK and European markets.
Bringing the ultimate ownership �back home� will help deliver a
bright new future for Bartercard globally according to outgoing CEO
Wayne Sharpe. �Australians have played a huge role in Bartercard�s
global expansion,� he explained. �It�s with great pride I look back
on the past 21 years, and I have no doubt that the new ownership
will invigorate growth.�
Bartercard Australia will announce a series of new restructuring
roles internally in coming weeks and its entire executive management
team is excited about the future and the significant opportunities
this change brings to the company.
Wayne Sharpe, who led Bartercard since its inception and humble
beginnings on Australia�s Gold Coast, will now concentrate all of
his efforts in development of his new Sydney-based carbon-trading
company, Carbon Trade Exchange. (Australia is scheduled to enact a
carbon tax in July, 2012.)
For more information go to:
www.bartercard.com.au or
www.bartercard.com.
