New CEO plans to keep Callcredit growing

Leeds-based Callcredit Information Group, which is a major provider of consumer credit data, has announced that Mike Gordon will succeed John McAndrew as the company’s chief executive before the end of the year. Mr Gordon, who is currently based in New York, was previously executive vice president for sales, services, and marketing at Fair Isaac Corp (FICO). FICO is a predictive analytics and decision management software company which is listed on the New York stock exchange. Mr Gordon was previously FICO’s vice president and managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, which became the company’s most rapidly growing sales region under his leadership. FICO’s services include the FICO Score, which is regarded as one of the standard measures of consumer credit risk in the US. Speaking to The Yorkshire Post from San Diego, Mr Gordon paid tribute to Mr McAndrew’s achievements as Callcredit’s CEO. He said he was looking forward to joining “an exciting team”.

He added: “Continuing the rapid growth patterns in the UK will be a focus. I’m a big fan of a combination of organic and inorganic growth. If the core is solid, that gives a solid base to grow. I would love (Callcredit) to become the leader in the market.”

A Chicago-based private equity firm won the race to buy Callcredit last year in a deal said to be worth £500m. The sale process attracted 20 suitors, but management chose GTCR to back its growth plans.

Callcredit is one of Yorkshire’s fastest-growing corporates with organic sales up nearly 15 per cent last year to £126m. With GTCR’s support, it is looking east from its base in Leeds for acquisition and partnership opportunities in Europe and Asia.

Earlier this year, Mr McAndrew told The Yorkshire Post that the preferred exit is an initial public offering in the next four to five years, rather than another private equity sale or purchase by a larger rival. Skipton Building Society founded Callcredit in 2000 and sold it nine years later for a reported £120m to Vitruvian Partners. The London private equity house its stake to GTCR in 2013. Callcredit has 1,100 staff in the UK, and it also has operations in Japan, China, Dubai and Lithuania.

Mr McAndrew said yesterday: “I’m delighted that Mike has chosen to join us and lead Callcredit in this next phase of growth, development and success.”

A Callcredit spokesman said: “John will be pursuing other interests, both business and increasingly personal, particularly with his family.”