'˜Coming of age' for Callcredit as firm posts record results

The firm’s chief executive said the figures represented Callcredit’s having “come of age” as it registered record results, as well as launching a new identity designed to position the business for continued growth both in the UK and internationally.

As part of its results reporting, Leeds-based Callcredit also confirmed its ambition for the future: to become the UK leader in consumer insight, decisions and engagement while growing its business and reputation worldwide.

Mike Gordon, chief executive, Callcredit Information Group, said: “Today marks a milestone in the Group’s history. By maintaining excellent client relationships and staying focused on a strategy of investing in product and service development aligned to our customer’s needs, we have grown to become an industry leader. Today’s results represent seven consecutive years of profitable double digit revenue growth and provide the springboard for further UK and international expansion.”

Growth during the period was both organic and acquisitive. The Group’s client base expanded with a number of key account wins across multiple sectors and was augmented by a number of strategic acquisitions. To support this, IT infrastructure investment also increased by more than a third year-on-year.

Commenting on the drivers for growth, Mike Gordon continued: “During 2016 and the first half of 2017, we have made significant acquisitions and key appointments which will accelerate our business both in the UK and internationally.

“We bought customer experience specialist, Numero, in March 2016 and device fraud protection firm, Recipero, in September 2016. At the beginning of 2017 we restructured our wider operating model, appointing both a head of North America and a separate head of International Markets.

“Last month we acquired leading Spanish fraud prevention and anti-money laundering business, the Confirma group of companies, and appointed a head of Spain.”

Callcredit was formed in 2000, out of a business that focused on marketing information and has featured the same visual identity for the majority of this time. From these beginnings, it quickly evolved into a challenger to the main credit reference bureaus.