Paul L. Hunter - President, CEO and Chief Sales Officer
A Tampa businessman for more than 25 years, Mr. Hunter became involved in the payment industry by investing and serving on the board of a small developer of electronic payment technology. That company was sold in 2000. The following year, Mr. Hunter started Sterling Payment Technologies with a long-term commitment to building a payment processor from the ground up.
Mr. Hunter received a BBA in Finance from the University of Georgia in 1977. Before and during college he worked in the banking and grocery industries. After receiving an MBA from Georgia State University in 1980, he held a position with Smith Barney selling stocks, bonds, and private placements primarily to small financial institutions, large private investors and retirement plans.
In 1987, Mr. Hunter began a successful auto service business that grew to 160 employees. He owned and managed the business for 15 years before selling it. The business is still in operation under new ownership.
Currently, Mr. Hunter serves on the board of EMI Industries, a restaurant and retail products company, and Sterling Funding. Over the last 20 years, he served as an advisor/director of a multi-state convenience store chain, a national food service equipment manufacturer, a bank holding company, and a technology developer for merchant payment processing.
Thomas J. McHugh - Chief Operating Officer
Prior to joining Sterling in 2010 as COO, Mr. McHugh was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Genpass, the second largest ATM processor in the United States. At Genpass, Mr. McHugh managed a staff of 300. His responsibilities included managing the company’s networks, leading its research and technology groups, coordinating strategic merger and acquisition activity, and managing compliance and audit efforts.
Prior to joining Genpass, Mr. McHugh was Group Executive Vice President of STAR Systems Network, Inc., where he managed the information services division. STAR Systems Network is the largest processor of ATM and POS transactions in the United States. Mr. McHugh was responsible for all technology and operational aspects related to the strategic acquisitions of the Most and BankMate Networks, as well as the merger of the Honor and STAR Networks.
Mr. McHugh also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with GENSAR Technologies, Inc. He directed the technology, operations, product development and customer service functions. GENSAR Technologies grew to become the seventh largest POS third party processor in the United States. In August of 1996, GENSAR Technologies successfully expanded its business and was acquired by First USA Paymentech.
Christine Burns, CPA - Executive Director – Controller
After graduating from the University of South Florida, Chris Burns began her professional career in accounting with the Pinellas County Government in 1989. From there she moved to the private sector and managed the accounting department for Universal Solutions International, Inc. (USI), the nation’s first service provider for the processing and accounting of unusable products for the consumer and healthcare markets. USI’s services include financial debit and credit solutions for damaged, recalled, returned and refused products.
Ms. Burns’ responsibilities included management of the corporate accounting staff and the company’s two subsidiaries. During her seven years with USI, Inc., she became a CPA.
Ms. Burns joined Sterling Payment Technologies in January 2001. In addition to managing Sterling’s Accounting Department, she deals directly with Sterling’s external auditors and in four years of audited financial statements, there have been no audit adjustments required.
Stephen D. Kane - Senior Executive Officer Business Development, Mergers and Acquisitions
Over the past 25 years, Stephen Kane has completed over 160 acquisitions and has worked with a number of leading private equity firms in the U.S. He has also served on the boards of ENDATA Corporation, First Financial Management Corporation (FFMC), PMT Services, NOVA Corporation, and First American Payment Systems, L.P.
Mr. Kane developed his business management and acquisition skills during a 15-year tenure at American General Life Insurance Company, the fourth largest stock life insurance company in the U.S. In 1987, he began focusing on the transaction processing industry when he sold ENDATA to First Financial Management Corporation, where he served as Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer. FFMC became the largest U.S. merchant acquirer, and in late 1995 was sold to First Data Corporation for $7.1 billion. In 1997, Mr. Kane formed his own business-consulting firm, Stephen D. Kane Enterprises, L.L.C., where he assisted in numerous public and private company mergers and acquisitions.
In 1999, Kane founded International Payment Services, L.L.C., and through an acquisition formed International Check Services, which was the third largest check guarantee firm in the U.S. before being sold to TeleCheck. He then became Chairman and CEO of iShopSecure, Inc. (now Verid, Inc.), an identity verification and authentication solutions company serving both the credit card and financial services industries.
In 2003, Mr. Kane joined First American Payment Systems, L.P., as Senior Executive Vice President, Business Development, Mergers and Acquisitions and became a Director of the company. First American then completed strategic acquisitions and expanded from 30,000 to approximately 115,000 merchants and is now the nation’s sixth largest privately held processor.
Mr. Kane holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. He currently serves on the University of Alabama Law School Foundation Board of Directors.
