Paul Randall marks 15 years at Creditinfo Group
We recently sat down with our CEO, Paul Randall and asked him 15 questions to mark his 15 years at Creditinfo Group. Get to know a little more about Paul as he celebrates this milestone:
- Describe yourself in 3 words? Competitive. Curious. Optimistic.
- What was your first job? JD Williams in Manchester -a clothing retail outlet that sold clothes on credit.
- How many countries have you worked in? Over 50 countries and counting.
- How long have you worked in the credit industry? Over 35 years; not only just the credit industry, but also in telcos, retail, and utilities.
- What has been your most shocking discovery working in this industry so far? I think some of the practices on collections. I feel that collections processes need to be more humane. There is also the fact that there are additional costs to customers particularly those who are borrowing short term. There is a place for short term lending, which has a higher cost than low risk lending, however this needs to be done fairly.
- What has been your highest moment working at Creditinfo Group? Meetings with central banks particularly in West Africa in Senegal. The BCEAO is very prestigious organization, which is very well respected, and for us to demonstrate that we could provide meaningful services to that region, was very important. Other great moments were winning major tenders with organizations such as Pefindo and Safaricom.
- Out of all the markets we are present in, which one intrigues you the most and why? So many markets intrigue me in different ways. I think the variety is what intrigues me the most – working from SME’s, business lending, all the way to trade credit, and everything in between.
- Working at Creditinfo opens doors to meeting a lot of personalities to look up to. Who have you met so far that has influenced your career? There are a number of personalities in the in industry that I’ve met and worked with. I have been lucky to have had a lot of good leaders. I have also learnt from team members, that gave me important feedback. When I was in banking, I had a risk management director Caroline Hendra, who was really inspiring as she went into a very male dominated banking environment in the 90’s, and through her intelligence, she transformed the business. Graham Platts, was also a big influence in terms of understanding of risk management and credit scoring. When I was at Experian, Mark Gaudart made it clear that it’s not only about having knowledge, but also how you communicate that information that is critical to ensuring that the message is passed. I have also learnt a lot from Reynir Grétarsson on being entrepreneurial, taking risks and having emotional intelligence when it comes to negotiation.
- How do you as Paul maintain the equilibrium between work and life? I spend my spare time on sporting activities (practicing and watching). I also make time for my family and friends, and this to me brings balance.
- As our Group CEO, how can you say this role has transformed you? I’ve learned a lot about business; understanding the appropriated strategy and how to make that happen; dynamics of people within the business and I have also been so impressed by the quality of the teams that we have and how hard they work.
- What has been your greatest motivation? Seeing the success of team members will always continue to motivate me. Witnessing their growth in different stages is always something that pushes me as well so that we all excel in the end.
- What are you currently reading? True History of the Kelly Gang – Winner 2001 Man Booker Prize (UK).
- What is your morning routine? Training in the morning – through zoom videos while overlooking the sea at 7:00 o’clock in the morning as the sun is rising is quite fantastic!
- What fun fact can you share that we don’t know about Paul Randall? As you can see from the countries I have been in, I am curious and always learning about new cultures and trying out different cuisines (anything with seafood always a favorite!)
- Parting shot? Give us a quote in Paul’s words. I like the phrase – “It is better to have fought and lost than to have never fought at all.” But I like to win!
Creditinfo Group announces new majority shareholder
Creditinfo welcomes Levine Leichtman Capital Partners as new majority investor
LONDON, UK, 8 March 2021 – Creditinfo Group, the leading global credit information and decision analytics provider, today announces that the private equity firm, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP) has become its new majority shareholder. The firm will help Creditinfo Group to keep expanding operations and support financial institutions with a full suite of best-in-class credit risk management tools.
The announcement marks another significant milestone in Creditinfo’s growth journey, as world leader in providing decision analytics and risk mitigation solutions to lenders, central banks and SMEs continues to expand. The company’s combination of international know-how and local market support, continues to fuel demand for Creditinfo’s decision analytics solutions, which use traditional and evolving data sets to help customers take an intelligent and informed approach to risk and lending decisions.
This new shareholder composition brings new impetus and direction to the company’s growth plans while also maintaining continuity for the business, with Creditinfo founder Reynir Grétarsson retaining his board seat and a significant minority shareholding.
Well-respected industry veteran, Paul Randall – who joined Creditinfo in 2007 – will lead the company through its next phase of growth as the newly appointed Group CEO, working closely with Reynir Grétarsson and LLCP.
“This investment shows Creditinfo’s potential and commitment to enable corporates, SMEs and individuals be active players in the economy” commented Paul Randall, CEO at Creditinfo Group. “We now have a new, eager and dynamic investor on board that will help us increase market penetration and expansion. They also bring a wealth of corporate experience running international businesses that will help us further strengthen our contribution to the credit risk and fintech industry. Our unique position in both advanced and emerging markets and the mix of technology our solution can incorporate give us great hopes for the future with considerable growth potential.”
Erik Nobel, Managing Director at LLCP, commented, “We are excited to support Creditinfo’s expansion and growth through this investment. LLCP’s significant experience investing in companies around the world will enable Creditinfo to further establish its leadership in the credit risk and fintech industry and support to its international client base.”
David Cowan, Senior Managing Director at LLCP, added, “We are thrilled to partner with the Creditinfo team and look forward to supporting the Company’s strategic growth plans. We believe that Creditinfo holds a unique position within their market and are confident in their continued success.”
-ENDS-
About Creditinfo
Established in 1997 and headquartered in Reykjavík, Iceland, Creditinfo is a provider of credit information and risk management solutions worldwide. As one of the fastest-growing companies in its field, Creditinfo facilitates access to finance, through intelligent information, software and decision analytics solutions.
With more than 30 credit bureaus running today, Creditinfo has the most considerable global presence in this field of credit risk management, with a significantly greater footprint than competitors. For decades it has provided business information, risk management and credit bureau solutions to some of the largest, lenders, governments and central banks globally to increase financial inclusion and generate economic growth by allowing credit access for SMEs and individuals.
For more information, please visit www.creditinfo.com
Media Contacts:
Matt Silver
Babel Agency for Creditinfo Group creditinfo@babelpr.com
+44 (0)7769 266 452
About Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, LLCP is a middle-market private equity firm with a 37-year track record of investing across various targeted sectors, including franchising, professional services, education and engineered products. Since inception, LLCP has managed approximately $11.7 billion of institutional capital across 14 investment funds and has invested in over 90 portfolio companies. LLCP utilizes a differentiated Structured Private Equity investment strategy, combining debt and equity capital investments in portfolio companies.
LLCP’s global team of dedicated investment professionals is led by seven partners who have worked at LLCP for an average of 21 years. The firm currently manages approximately $7.8 billion of assets – including its most recent flagship fund, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners VI, L.P., which closed in 2018 with $2.5 billion of committed capital, and its most recent European fund, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners Europe II SCSp, which closed in 2020 with €463 million of committed capital. LLCP has offices in Los Angeles, London, The Hague, Stockholm, New York, Chicago, Charlotte and Miami.
Media Contacts:
Mark Semer or Ross Lovern Kekst
CNC +1 (917) 439-3507 or +1 (917) 842-7205
