Financial Services >> CEO Interviews >> September 11, 2000
RONALD N. ZEBECK serves as Chairman and CEO of Metris Companies Inc., an
information-based direct marketer of consumer credit products and
enhancement services. He has more than 26 years of management experience
in direct marketing and financial services, having previously built
successful credit card businesses at Citicorp, Advanta and General
Motors. Since joining Metris Companies (formerly Fingerhut Financial
Services) as President and CEO in March 1994, Mr. Zebeck has grown the
company into the 11th-largest credit card issuer in the country, with
4.1 million customers, $7.8 billion in receivables and more than 4,200
employees. Before joining Metris, Mr. Zebeck served as Managing Director
of the GM Card at General Motors Corp. from 1991 to 1993. In 1992 he
created and launched the GM credit card, which set an industry record by
amassing one million accounts less than one month after its
introduction. Prior to General Motors, Mr. Zebeck spent six years at
Advanta Corporation and Colonial National Bank USA, first as Director of
Strategic Planning, then as Director of Marketing. During that time, he
helped develop Advanta into one of the most sophisticated direct
response companies and credit card lending organizations in the country.
Mr. Zebeck is credited with developing the Advanta Gold Card, one of the
first no-fee gold card programs introduced on a national scale. Before
Advanta, Mr. Zebeck spent 10 years with Citicorp, where he rose from
junior marketing positions to Senior Product Manager of Citibank, NA. In
the latter position, he was responsible for Citicorp's VISA, Choice (the
predecessor to the Discover Card), Diners Club, Ready Credit,
CitiShopping and CompuCard programs. Mr. Zebeck is currently a member of
the Global Board of Directors and the US Region Board of Directors of
MasterCard International. He served as Chairman of the US Region Board
of Directors in 1999. Mr. Zebeck has received numerous industry awards
and honors, including Direct Marketer of the Year from the Direct
Marketing Association in 1993, Best Direct Marketer in America from
Direct Magazine in 1993, Marketing Executive of the Year from Credit
Card Management in 1993, Leader of the Bankcard Business from American
Banker in 1997, and Direct Marketer of the Year from the Midwest Direct
Marketing Association in 1999. Ernst & Young recently named him a
regional Entrepreneur of the Year. A native of Baltimore, Mr. Zebeck
earned a double major in Marketing and Business Administration from
Towson University. Profile
Metris?
Mr. Zebeck: Metris Companies is actually a by-product or a spin-off
dating back to 1996. We were originally part of
