Although Fenimore had a solid background in technology and payments processing, political infighting at Integrion is widely blamed for his decision to quit after less than three years at the helm. The organization then limped along for another six months under a succession of interim managers before expiring. Spectrum has also grappled with leadership problems. For more than a year, the company was run by a management consultancy. Determined to avoid that kind of problem, Viewpointe has decided that its management team, including the CEO, will be picked from its member banks and then devoted full-time to the joint venture.
Outside analysts cite other suggestions for improving the performance of consortiums.
One is to keep the initial capital outlay small enough to bring in the maximum number of members, voting or otherwise. Another is to assign equal weighting to all board members regardless of size. That will encourage smaller banks to enter without fear of their interests being subsumed by the larger founding members, who often contribute the lion's share of initial capital. To avoid consensus-building problems, the consortium's founders must have a clear objective and governance framework. Member banks should clearly understand those rules and how they fit with their own guidelines.