

BlackLine Advisory Group advisor John Romer has been promoted to Director of Merchant Services. Romer joined BlackLine in 2014 focusing on merchant-acquiring payment strategy, client payment analysis and strategy, and payment product management.
Romer has more than 30 years’ experience as a leading expert in the payment processing industry. In his day-to-day work at BlackLine, Romer helps clients get review processing bids and supports issuing requests for bids. He assists in everything from starting up payment facilitator programs to evaluating new processing systems and acquisitions and company reviews. His experience includes growing merchant business for Fifth Third Bank as they launched their national merchant processing program, which grew to one of the largest in the country. He took a lead role supporting the unique processing needs of some of the country’s top retailers. While at Fifth Third Processing Solutions (later known as Vantiv, and now, Worldpay), he supported the development of Payment Card Industry (PCI) encryption and client PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) compliance support tools.
BlackLine, an electronic payments advisory firm, was founded by industry veterans Patrick Moran and Howard Herndon in 2014 after they noticed a lack of coordination among the commercial, managerial and legal aspects of electronic payments. Since that time, they’ve grown to a team of nearly a dozen industry professionals providing strategic business insight on everything from payments strategy, data breaches and compliance to blockchain and cryptocurrency transactions. Clients have included Fortune 500 network communications company Windstream Holdings, Inc., Global Healthcare Exchange LLC (GHX) and premiere caterer and hospitality company Lancer Hospitality. BlackLine is an affiliate of full-service corporate law firm Frost Brown Todd, where Herndon is a member and leads the firm’s electronic payments practice.
About BlackLine Advisory Group
BlackLine Advisory Group is a consulting firm with the industry’s most holistic set of skills under one roof, delivering strategic and legal insights for every aspect of the financial technology industry. Comprised of experienced professionals and licensed attorneys, the firm helps clients navigate the complex and ever-changing financial technology landscape. To learn more, visit www.blacklineadvisorygroup.com.