Rakuten Loyalty, a subsidiary of online marketplace platform operator Rakuten Inc. that manages and develops consumer loyalty programs for retailers, has hired an executive. John M. Reistrup becomes the company’s vice president of client and consumer relationships.

“John’s incredible blend of expertise in loyalty, payments, mobile, and e-commerce, make him a perfect fit for Rakuten Loyalty as we continue to deliver rewards acceleration technology to leading brands around the world,” says Michael Jaconi, CEO of Rakuten Loyalty. Rakuten Loyalty did business under the name FreeCause until December, when it was rebranded as Rakuten Loyalty. Rakuten Inc. bought FreeCause in 2009.

Reistrup previously was chief operating officer of MobiTree, a developer of web sites and mobile apps for sports teams. He also held positions at alternative payments provider Bill Me Later, a unit of eBay Inc., and at payment processing firm Billing Services Group. At Rakuten Loyalty he will develop strategic partnerships and consumer marketing and analytics capabilities, and lead the integration of new technologies into Rakuten Loyalty’s platform.

Rakuten Inc.’s chairman, CEO and co-founder Hiroshi Mikitani will deliver a keynote address entitled Spanning the globe for e-commerce opportunity” at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2013 in Chicago in June.