Firethorn Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tripp Rackley stated, "As Firethorn sets the standard for mobile banking and payments, Rod's operational expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand the company to satisfy industry demands. Complementing our already stellar management team of financial services and wireless experts, Rod's twenty-seven years in telecommunications brings additional expertise as Firethorn builds out its network of financial service providers and wireless carrier partners."

"Mobile banking is the most exciting and emerging development in the financial and wireless industries today. I believe strongly in the leadership team and its vision for Firethorn, its go-to-market strategy, its fully integrated services and support model as well as the company's exceptional technology," said Dir. "Through Firethorn's unique federation strategy, we are well positioned to provide financial institutions and wireless carriers with a new channel for consumers, combined with a solid roadmap to alternative payment functionality including contactless payments."

Mr. Dir was most recently Chief Operating Officer at Cincinnati Bell, Inc., for all of the company's business segments, including: wireless, broadband, local access, long distance and data center and managed services. He was responsible for the daily management and performance of consumer and business sales, marketing, product development, engineering, network and customer care operations.

Prior to Cincinnati Bell, Mr. Dir served as Chief Operating Officer of Powertel (now T-Mobile), an Atlanta-based wireless carrier that operated in 12 states and 34 markets throughout the Southeast. For Powertel, Mr. Dir was instrumental in developing the market and growing the company's subscriber base to over one million subscribers. Mr. Dir also played a significant role in building T-Mobile USA's nationwide retail business prior to joining Cincinnati Bell.

Firethorn delivers the most powerful yet flexible mobile banking and payment solution on the market. From a single, secure application, consumers can view account balances, transfer funds, check credit card open-to-buy limits, receive and pay bills, and quickly clear contents if the device is ever lost or stolen.