AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, February 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Payment software provider Welcome Real-time today announced the appointment of Francois Dutray as CEO. The Supervisory Board chose François Dutray for his in-depth knowledge of the bank industry and his leadership experience which will be key assets to continue the growth of the company.

Francois Dutray has an extensive track record in the payment industry, serving at top level executive positions with major international organizations including First Data Corporation, as managing director, strategy and business development, Visa International, as group executive vice president of product development and strategic initiatives, Motorola, as vice president and general manager of worldwide smart card solutions, and Sligos, one of the largest IT companies serving the banking industry in France, where he served as Executive Vice President.

"We are all very enthusiastic about working with François," said Aneace Haddad, Welcome's founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "François' rich payment background and strong management experience will help shape Welcome as we continue our growth and global expansion."

About Welcome Real-time

Welcome Real-time (http://www.welcome-rt.com) is a leading provider of business solutions which make credit and debit card acceptance more attractive to merchants, so that merchants see new value in payment cards, encourage card usage, and reduce pressure on pricing. Welcome's technology drives credit and debit card programs in 21 countries across the globe and has received industry awards such as the "ROI of the Year Award" by The Banker magazine (2004) and the "Frost & Sullivan Industry Innovation & Advancement Leadership Award" (2006). Welcome is headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, France, with offices and R&D facilities in Singapore, Madrid, Miami, Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

Press Contact : Marjorie Banès, Tel: +33-4-42-97-58-62, m.banes@welcome-rt.com