BARTERCARD BOOSTS MEMBERSHIP PUSH WITH NEW BOSS

BPS Technology Limited (ASX:BPS) has appointed a new boss for Bartercard Australia as the company ramps up plans to double its membership base to 100,000 by the end of next year.

Clive van Deventer, the former general manager of Accor Vacation Club Asia, has been named CEO of Bartercard Australia.

The move takes the pressure off former CEO Brian Hall who will now focus on the group's international operations which have recently expanded to include China.

Hall was previously in charge of both Bartercard Australia and Bartercard International and was responsible for overseeing the group's 24,000 merchants and 54,000 cardholders globally.

The newly listed BPS, which last month reported a maiden net profit of $3.3 million for the December half year, has chosen van Deventer's for his skills in the development and growth of memberships, customer engagement and loyalty programs.

Van Deventer, who assumed the Bartercard Australia position this week, has more than 25 years' business, sales and marketing experience, the last 15 in senior executive positions, including Wyndham Worldwide and Accor.

Bartercard has more than 20,000 members in Australia, and almost 1400 of those are located in the Gold Coast region.

BPS, which owns Bartercard and technologies that support barter trading systems around the world, is heavily focused on its global strategy which has kicked off with a joint venture in China with local partner Australian Capital Express.

The Chinese operation will target manufacturers seeking to sell surplus stock through the Bartercard network and BPS will receive a 6 per cent service fee on turnover.

BPS chief executive Trevor Dietz has previously identified opportunities in India and South Africa, which he expects to come to fruition during the current half year.