Callcredit announces record results

Callcredit Information Group has announced reported record results, at the same time launching a new brand identity.  The Group recorded an 18% increase in gross revenue to £201 million (2015: £170 million). Over the same period, group operating profits outpaced revenues, growing by over 20%. The results confirm Callcredit has very much come of age – whilst still the fastest growing of the main UK credit bureaus, it now also occupies the number two position based on UK revenue.

As part of its results reporting, 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, CEO, 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.”

Reflecting on the record results, strategy and brand evolution, Mike Gordon concluded: “A sharpened strategic focus and an emphasis on empowering information, give us a clear roadmap and impetus for the next stage of our ongoing growth. Our strong UK base and expanding international operations mean we are increasingly well positioned to serve both our domestic and international clients. Our clear ambition and new values better reflect who we are and what we do. With GDPR, PSD2 and Open Banking all on the horizon, regulatory and technological change is having a profound effect on people’s habits and expectations. To better serve them, institutions need to move faster and think smarter. We continue to invest heavily in our capabilities to ensure we meet the ever-expanding needs of businesses and individuals in an increasingly data-reliant world.”