Press
Card advisor R.K. Hammer hits 25-year milestone
(June 30, 2014) — Internationally-known payments industry advisor, R.K. Hammer, has reached its quarter century mark, providing value-added card solutions to financial institutions in the U.S. and in 50 countries abroad.
“A Twenty-five Year History has a way of Humbling an Organization”
Company Founder and CEO, Bob Hammer, noted, “To have provided essential card advisory solutions to so many successful organizations along the way is very gratifying and humbling to us. Equally important is to have worked for decades with such talented global card executives and their teams on best practices helping them achieve higher levels of card member satisfaction and financial performance.”
“R.K. Hammer is greatly appreciative of the support given by key card industry management throughout the past 25 years. Like other firms who survive for so long, we know that much of our success was indeed driven by others: joint venture partners whose guidance on certain card projects and their expertise and example helped us along our path, other card advisory enterprises who used our services and trusted R.K. Hammer with mission critical research, and of course the financial institutions themselves who bet on our growing track record, especially in the early years.
A company brand with a 25-year history attracts some loyal supporters – yet, not always so in year one. We never forgot that. Luck, planning, execution and hard work ultimately pays off.”
“No One Succeeds Alone”
Why is R.K. Hammer still here after all these years: our takeaway is good advice from mentors and partners, the company’s operating results, attention to detail, and fighting for clients rights and expectations. Hammer cites suppliers and deal partners and others willing to give them a chance to get started in the beginning; including some of the world’s largest investment banks, the National Associations, global blue-chip consulting firms, and card issuers throughout the U.S., all who took a look and apparently liked the work they saw being done. We’re grateful for their support.
“Early mentors still come to mind, too, adds Hammer; card industry legends that were very influential in the early life (and even through today) of R.K. Hammer company. No firm does it alone, and we always appreciate that,” Hammer notes.
“There is no time to rest. After 25 years we eagerly look to our next generation of game-changing card projects, and we remain grateful for the past and confident in the future of our industry.”
“Expanding What Worked and Adjusting what Didn’t; Yet Rarely Deviating from their Sweet Spots”
Always known for 150+ Credit Card Portfolio Valuations and Sales since 1985, over the years R.K. Hammer also became the go-to firm for Expert Witness Testimony in situations where card clients found themselves in litigation, Best Practices Enterprise Consulting, and a more recent trend, analyzing industry metrics and trends through their newly created subsidiary, Card Knowledge Factory®. Having managed over 800 agent card programs also gave R.K. Hammer a robust foothold in that important segment of the card payments space, guiding card issuers seeking to enhance their card offerings and returns by partnering with others.
Hammer adds, “The most important thing we came to learn about a brand reputation over the decades: you have to get up and earn it all over again each new day.”
“Regulation, Competition, & Technology” – The Big Three for Financial Institutions, Still”
It was recently said that the greatest challenges for the future of financial institutions in general and the card business in particular are regulation, competition and technology. That is an interesting observation, considering that the exact same statement was made by R.K. Hammer when they first opened their doors 25 years ago. Hammer’s conclusion today: “We still expect even more restrictive regulatory oversight, fierce competition for every quality account, and a rapid succession of technological advancements in the payments space products and delivery systems, the likes of which may well take your breath away as they emerge.”
“We’ve all got our work cut out for us if we are to keep up the pace, and continue to serve clients well.”
More information about innovative card solutions from R.K. Hammer may be viewed by going to: rkhammer.com and cardknowledgefactory.com