In this global role, Kazamias takes responsibility for the strategic leadership of GFG Group, guiding implementation of the company plan and operational performance of all the GFG Group companies.

GFG Group Chairman Ralph Green says the new appointment is highly strategic as the company looks to accelerate growth for its electronic payments products and services, particularly in developing countries across Africa, Asia and South America.

Originally from Australia, Andreas Kazamias is currently Chief Information Officer for online foreign exchange trading group Easy Forex, based at the company's headquarters in Cyprus. Easy Forex has clients in over 160 countries, with offices in the UK and Poland, and a separately licensed company in Australia. The CIO role is a global position. Kazamias takes up the CEO role at GFG Group on 11 March 2013.

Andreas Kazamias has spent nearly thirty years in senior or leadership roles in the financial services industry at companies in Australia, across Europe and in the UK, including First Data, FBME, ACI, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Pulse International, St George Bank, National Bank of Greece, Hellenic Bank, JCC Payment Systems, and Cashcard.

Kazamias has a long association with GFG Group, beginning when he selected GFG Group's card system while CEO of FBME in Cyprus.

"Andreas took over a basic card centre at FBME and established a successful new card and e-Commerce acquiring company - from concept, to project management of every dimension, through to full operation," Ralph Green says. "As a customer, Andreas demanded the best from everyone but particularly himself. He's not afraid to push payments product boundaries, while remaining pragmatic about business and customer needs and compliance requirements. We're delighted he's accepted the CEO role at GFG Group."

Kazamias says GFG Group's electronic payments solutions, spanning cards and mobile alongside its leading edge softoftware testing tools, have great potential for further development and provide a strong platform for growth - particularly in developing countries where GFG Group's speed of implementation combined with bank-grade security give the company a strong competitive edge.

"In regions such as Latin America, that are just starting to make the switch to chip card technology, GFG Group's PCI compliant systems have an advantage," Kazamias says. "I also see major opportunities in expanding GFG Group's footprint through third-party sales and support channels."

"My key responsibility is to provide high-level strategic leadership to GFG Group but also, critically, what I'd like to achieve cannot be done by me alone - I see this very much as a team effort at all levels," Kazamias says.