Bologna, Italy and Austin, Texas, 12/08/2008

CRIF, a worldwide leader in credit reporting, business information and decision support systems, today announced it has named Larry Howell Chairman of the company’s International Advisory Board. In addition, CRIF announced that Mr. Howell will serve as Chairman of the Board for Teres Solutions, a top U.S.-provider of lending automation software to credit unions and financial institutions, which CRIF acquired in July 2008. In his new roles, Mr. Howell will help both organizations meet growing demand for their credit and lending solutions around the world.

“I’m honored to join the boards of CRIF and Teres Solutions,” said Mr. Howell. “Together they are changing the way business is done in the credit and lending markets by helping organizations to quickly innovate in new and exciting ways. I look forward to working with the boards and executive teams to help guide CRIF and Teres Solutions through this time of unprecedented growth and global expansion.”
Mr. Howell has over 40 years of experience working in the credit and financial services industry. He was most recently president of TransUnion International for Asia and Europe, where he oversaw credit operations in several markets, including India, Italy, Thailand, Mainland China, Russia and Hong Kong. Mr. Howell joined TransUnion in 1973 as manager of the New York Credit Bureau. Before joining TransUnion he managed six credit bureaus in major cities throughout the U.S. Mr. Howell currently serves on the board of directors of the Business Information Industry Association and is a graduate of St. John’s University in New York and currently resides in Bologna, Italy.
“Larry has extensive experience helping companies successfully expand into new markets around the world,” said Tim Kelly, CEO of  Teres Solutions. “His guidance and expertise will prove invaluable as we continue to branch out internationally and expand the breadth of our product offerings for organizations everywhere.”

“We’re honored to have Larry join the CRIF family,” said Carlo Gherardi, CEO of CRIF. “His proven track record of helping companies like ours to grow and flourish will benefit us in our quest to bring great solutions to our customers around the globe.”
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