Halifax plans to double size of card division

Halifax Card Services is planning to double the size of its operation – including its marketing department – as part of ambitious plans to build its customer base to 3 million card-holders by 2003.

The company is now seeking seven senior marketing executives, including a sales and marketing director and a head of direct marketing, and plans to create a number of other marketing roles in the near future.

The move follows the acquisition of Bank One in June, which has been merged with Halifax’s card business. The whole operation is now based at Bank One’s former offices in Cardiff.

A company spokesman says all Bank One staff have relocated and that none have left as a result of the deal. He adds: “This is an expansion of the operation – there have been no redundancies.”

The most senior vacancy – for a sales and marketing director – has been available since the previous post-holder, Paul Bridge, left last year. It is not known whether he had a job to go to.

As part of the expansion, Halifax will launch a range of new card brands and affinity schemes. It already runs programmes with Yahoo!, Wimbledon tennis championships and Manchester City Football Club.

Like most card providers, Halifax relies heavily on direct marketing to recruit customers.