Publications
We publish several publications each year, which you can download here. In addition to our customer magazine, you will find our annual reports and various international studies on topics from the financial sector.
We publish several publications each year, which you can download here. In addition to our customer magazine, you will find our annual reports and various international studies on topics from the financial sector.
Hamburg, November 30, 2022
For companies, sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant. A good half (51 percent) of European financial executives think that sustainable practices will be one of the key trends in receivables management in the next two years. At the same time, by their own admission, only 31 percent of European firms are currently implementing sustainable practices in this area. In Germany it is even fewer, at 29 percent. These were some of the insights from the representative EOS Survey “European Payment Practices” 2022, which polled 3,200 companies in 16 European countries.
Two out of three companies in Europe confirm that they generally assume social and ecological responsibility. However, sustainability is often reduced to issues of climate and environmental protection only. According to the survey, only 46 percent of European companies associate a solution-driven approach to defaulting consumers with sustainable practices. In Germany the proportion is 44 percent.
“Most companies have long since recognized that sustainability is a success factor for their future development. At the same time, the receivables management sector is only gradually coming to realize that a fair and individualized approach to defaulting consumers is crucial,” explains Julius Reuting, EOS Group expert in corporate responsibility (CR). “Moreover, we are finding that when customers are awarding debt collection contracts, they are increasingly looking at whether the service provider exercises social responsibility and has a good reputation.”
Half of the European companies polled stated that they took the sustainability strategies of potential business partners into account when deciding to award a contract. This is also the case in Germany, where 52 percent of companies check the sustainability strategies of potential partners before they decide to work with them. In addition, 77 percent of respondents are basically in favor of companies being more sustainable.
In partnership with independent market research institute Kantar, EOS conducted phone interviews with 3,200 companies in 16 European countries between March 4 and April 19, 2022, to ask them about the prevailing payment practices in their respective locations. In the spring of 2022, 200 companies (each with an annual turnover of more than EUR 5 million) in each of the countries Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK answered questions about their own payment experiences and current issues relating to risk and receivables management. This is the 13th time that EOS has conducted the survey.
The EOS Group is a leading technology-driven investor in receivables portfolios and an expert in the processing of outstanding receivables. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 25 countries around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, real estate, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 6,000 people and is part of Otto Group.
For more information on EOS Group, please go to: www.eos-solutions.com
Contact for press and media
Daniel Schenk, Team Lead Corporate Communications German Market
Marc Heuer, Corporate Communications & Marketing EOS Group
E-Mail: presse@eos-solutions.com
Tel: +49 40 2850 1222
Hamburg, Germany, November 7, 2022
The EOS Group has invested in its first more than €100 million portfolio of unsecured receivables following the reopening of the NPL market in Greece. EOS is partnering with loan and real estate management company doValue Greece for support with the management of the portfolio.
The investment by the EOS Group, titled Project Virgo, is into an unsecured sub-portfolio out of Frontier 1 securitization. “This represents a substantial investment by the EOS Group in one of the largest NPL markets in Europe,” said Carsten Tidow, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors with responsibility for the Eastern European region. “We are extremely pleased to have made this investment and confident about the ongoing development of our activities in Greece.” The closing of this deal also underscored the group’s own aspiration to be a reliable partner and key player in the Greek market in future, added Tidow.
“This deal has already changed the visibility of EOS on the Greek NPL market”, said Anthony Messados, Managing Director of EOS Greece. The investment of the EOS Group as sole investor was raising great expectations that now need to be translated into a solid success story, Messados continued.
The EOS Group has already been operating on the Greek NPL market through its own local subsidiary, EOS Greece, since 2005. In conjunction with the processing of the Virgo portfolio, doValue Greece will provide support in the asset management field for a transitional period. “We are delighted to be collaborating with an experienced asset manager on the Greek market,” said Philipp Schuemann, Senior Manager in Division Management Eastern Europe at EOS Group.
do Value Greece, is a member of the doValue S.p.A. Group and holds a leading position as an independent loan and real estate management company in Greece and a growth hub in Southeast Europe. At Group level, doValue is a leader in the management of non-performing loans and real estate in South Europe, following the acquisition of the Spanish Altamira Asset Management, and is the largest non-performing exposures management company, NPL and UTP in the Italian market. doValue, having a deep knowledge of all kinds of credit exposures in all phases of their cycle, while operating across the NPLs management range at the level of strategy development, decision making and support services, in collaboration with a network of international consulting firms, real estate appraisers, brokers and lawyers. doValue Greece, at the forefront of the Greek market, combines in its activities the advantages of the existing platform and the specialized know-how of its staff with the best practices of doValue and its experience in managing loans, credits and real estate in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus.
The EOS Group is a leading technology-driven investor in receivables portfolios and an expert in the processing of outstanding receivables. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 25 countries around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, real estate, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 6,000 people and is part of Otto Group.
For more information on EOS Group, please go to: www.eos-solutions.com
Contact for press and media:
Sarah El Jobeili, Corporate Communications & Marketing EOS Group
Email: presse@eos-solutions.com
Tel: +49 40 2850 1222
Hamburg, October 19, 2022
Due to the pandemic, one in three companies in Europe is experiencing an increase in receivables management workload. At the same time, the proportion of companies that have fully digitalized their dunning processes has only gone up slightly since 2019. Just one out of five European companies has completely digitalized their receivables management. These were some of the findings from the meanwhile 13th representative EOS Survey “European Payment Practices”, which polled 3,200 companies in 16 European countries.
Whereas in 2019, 16 percent of invoices were paid late or not paid at all by private customers, this figure had gone up to 20 percent by 2022. Although more and more companies were relying on digitized dunning processes during the pandemic to deal with the increased workload, there were still far too few overall. According to the survey, just 21 percent of companies in Europe have a fully digitalized dunning process and 36 percent are only partly digitalized. This is despite the fact that digital processes already help achieve a lower error rate and provide companies with the basis for approaching their customers individually and at the right time, explains Michaela Homann, Head of Customer Communications at EOS in Germany. “In our experience, defaulting consumers want to make payments quickly, using digital means and without a lot of effort,” says Homann. “Linking technology with the perspective of the defaulting consumers improves repayment rates. This means that in the majority of email inquiries we can already identify the issues of concern in a fully automated process, making it easier for our experts to respond to complex queries,” Homann continues.
In the light of the economic forecasts in the euro zone and worsening payment practices, Justus Hecking-Veltman, Member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors and CFO, recommends that companies continue to push the digitalization process: “Companies need to stay the course and further digitalize their receivables management to reduce payment defaults.” One obstacle to introducing digital processes might be the initially high financial outlay, says the EOS financial expert. In this context, the outsourcing of specific processes can make sense. “In fiscal 2021/22 alone, EOS invested around EUR 20 million in the upgrading of its core debt collection systems and in innovative technologies. This allowed us to further improve the service we offer to companies and defaulting consumers.”
In partnership with independent market research institute Kantar, EOS conducted phone interviews with 3,200 companies in 16 European countries between March 4 and April 19, 2022, to ask them about the prevailing payment practices in their respective locations. In the spring of 2022, 200 companies (each with an annual turnover of more than EUR 5 million) in each of the countries Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK answered questions about their own payment experiences and current issues relating to risk and receivables management. This is the 13th time that EOS has conducted the survey. Find out more on our study website.
The EOS Group is a leading technology-driven investor in receivables portfolios and an expert in the processing of outstanding receivables. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 25 countries around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, real estate, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 6,000 people and is part of Otto Group.
For more information on EOS Group, please go to: www.eos-solutions.com
Contact for press and media
Sarah El Jobeili, Corporate Communications & Marketing EOS Group
Email: presse@eos-solutions.com
Tel: +49 40 2850 1222
Hamburg, October 6, 2022
Payment practices in Europe have deteriorated in the last three years: At around one in five companies, this development is leading to fears about viability. These were some of the findings from the meanwhile 13th representative EOS Survey “European Payment Practices”, which polled 3,200 companies in 16 European countries.
Although companies had been offering extended payment terms, private customers in particular were paying their bills 19 days late on average. Compared with the previous survey from 2019, where 16 percent of invoices were paid late or not paid at all by private customers, this figure had risen to 20 percent in the current survey. The companies polled cited short-term cash flow problems on the part of their customers as the main reason for these poor payment practices.
The main consequences of these payment delays and backlogs were that companies had to deal with their own liquidity issues (42 percent) and profit shortfalls (51 percent). To compensate, around a third of companies had to reduce their investments and raise prices. Accordingly, companies have a bleak view of the future. Whereas in 2019, 22 percent of survey respondents still assumed that payment practices would improve, 24 percent of the current respondents believe that they are going to get even worse. Especially in Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Bulgaria, the forecasts were particularly subdued. “It is concerning that payment practices have deteriorated significantly, especially because in the light of the current economic figures and high inflation we have to expect a further decline in payment behaviour,” says Marwin Ramcke, CEO of the EOS Group.
More and more companies are working with external receivables management service providers to recover debts. “Lack of liquidity is one of the most common causes of insolvency and the loss of jobs.” European companies should therefore continue to professionalize their receivables management and look into working with external partners, Ramcke recommends.
Eastern Europe is a particular front runner when it comes to professionalizing receivables management. Around half of the companies in the region are already relying on the support of external specialists. “Especially in view of the challenging economic figures, debt collection providers offer valuable support to companies and the economic system, because they restore liquidity,” says Christina Schulz, who heads Division Management Eastern Europe at EOS.
At the same time, expanding the digital payment methods they offer is becoming increasingly relevant for companies. Since 2019, there has been a significant raise in the availability of such options in Eastern and Western Europe, with companies in Eastern Europe almost doubling their digital payment offerings with an increase of 20 percentage points. The payment method “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) is also gaining ground: four out of ten European companies regard this payment method as the new credit card and a must in the range of payment options offered.
In partnership with independent market research institute Kantar, EOS conducted phone interviews with 3,200 companies in 16 European countries between March 4 and April 19, 2022, to ask them about the prevailing payment practices in their respective locations. 200 companies (each with an annual turnover of more than EUR 5 million) in each of the countries Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK answered questions about their own payment experiences and current issues relating to risk and receivables management. This is the 13th time that EOS has conducted the survey.
Contact for press and media:
Sarah El Jobeili, Corporate Communications & Marketing EOS Group
Email: presse@eos-solutions.com
Tel: +49 40 2850 1222
Hamburg, Germany, September 21, 2022
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group and the world's largest development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets, and the EOS Group are stepping up their cooperation in the field of non-performing loans (NPL). With Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania, the focus is on Eastern European countries, which have particular investment needs in accordance with the IFC criteria. The cooperation forms part of a recently established joint investment vehicle; the investment volume from EOS and IFC will amount to EUR 129 million over three years. EOS and the IFC have already been cooperating in the purchase and processing of NPLs in other markets since 2010.
“With this cooperation, we are strengthening our business in Eastern Europe and intensifying our activities as a sustainable investor on the NPL market,” emphasizes Carsten Tidow, Member of the EOS Group's Board of Directors responsible for Eastern Europe. “Of particular note is the consideration of environmental, social and governance factors in the selection and processing of NPLs. As a member of the Otto Group, we have placed sustainable economic activity at the heart of our work for a long time.” Within the project, goals such as the prevention of environmental damage in our work with property, ensuring the fair and socially responsible treatment of borrowers and the protection of cultural goods, for example, are just as important as the operational and financial goals.
EOS has been active in the NPL market in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania for more than ten years. Together with the IFC, the company invests, as part of the cooperation, in mortgage-backed, non-performing loans to SMEs and individuals, and takes over the asset management of NPLs and mortgages.
The banks or investors receive liquidity through the sale of NPLs and real estate in order to finance new loans or projects. At the same time, the cooperation between EOS and IFC makes it easier to normalize the liabilities of defaulting consumers. Playing a significant role in supporting and promoting the economy in the target countries of the cooperation is therefore a key aim of the cooperation.
IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises.
For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
The EOS Group is a leading technology-driven investor and service provider in the receivables management industry. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 25 countries (as of: fiscal year 2022/23) around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, real estate, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 6,000 people and is part of the Otto Group.
For more information on EOS Group, please visit www.eos-solutions.com
Contact for press and media:
Marc Heuer, Corporate Communications & Marketing EOS Group
Email: presse@eos-solutions.com
Tel: +49 40 2850 1222
Hamburg, Germany, July 20, 2022 – collection service provider with headquarters in Hamburg, had a positive, stable performance even in what was a turbulent 2021/22 financial year. Despite the pandemic and an increasingly aggressive market environment, the consolidated revenue of the Group could be increased by 1.6 percent. Total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were €282.5 million, representing a slight decline compared with the previous year (€312.4 million). This was due primarily to the war in Ukraine and the precautionary accounting measures taken by EOS in this context. Nevertheless, the verdict on the entire financial year is a positive one, because all 24 countries where EOS operates once again recorded a strong operating performance.
“We owe last year’s success primarily to our more than 6,000 employees. Every single day, and in what are volatile times, they make EOS a more dynamic and digital place,” says Marwin Ramcke, CEO of the EOS Group. “The last financial year was characterized above all by three factors: Firstly, we were able to build on our core areas of expertise in the purchase and processing of non-performing receivables while reinforcing our status as experts in this field. This was complemented by the outstanding international and cross-border cooperation between our companies in 24 countries. And lastly, increasing automation allowed us to constantly improve our business processes. In what was a challenging year, these are achievements that we as a team can be very proud of,” Ramcke continues.
Over the years, the EOS Group has earned a very good reputation as an international provider of debt collection services and as an investor in receivables packages (NPLs). Backed by the financial strength of the Otto Group, EOS was able to once again make significant investments on the NPL market. The distinct focus on process automation and the use of data-driven collection software also allowed receivables to be processed more successfully and efficiently.
“We have made promising progress towards creating a shared analytical data repository that will deliver clear benefits for managing the receivables processing in future. The associated investment was and continues to be a major step to becoming a fully digitalized group of companies,” says Justus Hecking-Veltman, CFO of the EOS Group. The development and use of chatbots in communications with consumers, or the 27/4 service portals already implemented in several countries, are further examples of the digital transformation at EOS.
With its long-standing expertise as a debt collection company and its focus on digitalization and international networking, EOS was able to reinforce and build on its leading position in receivables management in numerous markets in fiscal 2021/22. It was a record-breaking financial year for EOS especially in the field of receivables purchasing, with the Group investing a total €669 million in NPLs and real estate during this period. Thanks to this result, the volume of the previous financial year was significantly exceeded.
With its corporate responsibility (CR) strategy launched at the start of the last financial year, EOS is approaching its own commitment to sustainability in a structured manner and with ambitious goals. Joining the UN Global Compact emphatically underscores the company’s endeavors in this area. In the meanwhile, more than 16,000 companies from over 160 countries are participating in the UN initiative to make the world a fairer and more sustainable place. The numerous CR activities undertaken by EOS go far beyond environmental protection, and the company’s social and corporate engagement is already delivering its first results: As a recipient of the Top Women Leaders Award and a gold medal from prestigious rating agency EcoVadis, the EOS Group already won two accolades for its efforts in the field of CR in the last financial year.
The company also intends to build on its existing sustainability initiatives in the year ahead. “We take responsibility, not just for our own workforce and customers, but for consumers and the entire debt collection sector as well. Or to put it in a nutshell: changing for the better,” says Ramcke “Personally, I would like to drive the issue of diversity in particular. This is one of the greatest strengths of our international Group. Last year, for example, some of our committed employees established the LGBTQ+ community Queer@EOS and the women’s network W:isible.”
The region of Eastern Europe in particular reported a very pleasing annual result with a year-on-year increase in revenue of 12.2 percent. The national subsidiaries in Croatia, Poland, Serbia and Slovakia delivered a particularly strong performance. Despite the stable performance, earnings (EBITDA) in Eastern Europe were down slightly. This is attributable to the precautionary accounting measures the company took in the light of the war in Ukraine.
In the receivables purchasing segment, the investment volume in the region could be more than doubled. “In the last financial year we invested a total of €402.5 million in Eastern Europe, of which €226.5 million we invested in secured receivables and real estate,” says Carsten Tidow, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors responsible for Eastern Europe. The national subsidiaries in Greece and Poland particularly made their mark. “To benefit even more from this overall, it is important that we network with one another in the national subsidiaries to an even greater extent. Our goal for the next financial year is to encourage innovation in this way,” he stresses.
In Germany too, EOS had a successful end to the last financial year 2021/22: Although revenue declined slightly compared with the previous year due to the challenging market situation, it remained high at €274.8 million. To reinforce its leading position on the German market, EOS invested more than €100 million in receivables and real estate in Germany last year. In addition, the company pressed ahead with its digitalization process and significantly enhanced its data-based collection software. “We are constantly improving ourselves in areas like data analytics, intelligent software and agile working methods. Ultimately, however, it is our employees who are the crucial factor in our success,” says Andreas Kropp, member of the EOS Group's Board of Directors with responsibility for the German market.
In Western Europe, the national subsidiaries reported a growth rate of 9 percent. In particular, France, Spain and Denmark enjoyed a significant growth in earnings. There was significant backlog in the NPL segment, attributable to the waning of the pandemic. Because in many countries in Western Europe the courts and debt enforcement offices had been shut for a long time due to the pandemic, the widest possible return to regular operations greatly simplified the processing of NPL portfolios acquired in the previous years, and substantially increased operating performance in countries like France and Belgium. “In addition, we invested €144.5 million in receivables packages and real estate in Western Europe. The EOS national subsidiary in Spain also successfully acquired its first secured NPL portfolio. This is an important step for the region,” says Dr. Andreas Witzig, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors with responsibility for Western Europe. “We are going to continue to develop our position on the NPL market and become even more active, especially when it comes to secured receivables,” stresses Witzig.
More information, interviews and background reports about the previous financial year 2021/22 of the EOS Group are available in our virtual press area.
The EOS Group is a leading technology-driven investor in receivables portfolios and an expert in the processing of outstanding receivables. With over 45 years of experience and branches in 24 countries (at end of fiscal 2021/22), EOS offers some 20,000 customers worldwide smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, real estate, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 6,000 people and is part of Otto Group.
For more information on EOS Group, please go to: www.eos-solutions.com
Marc Heuer, Corporate Communications & Marketing EOS Group
Email: press@eos-solutions.com
Tel: +49 40 2850 1222
Hamburg, July 11, 2022 – The EOS Group has set up a new national subsidiary in Portugal. From July 2022, the Lisbon-based company operating under the name FONTEOS will begin to establish itself as a provider of receivables management services on the Portuguese market. The company will be under the management of Luís Chaves, who has long-standing experience in the Portuguese receivables market.
This development allows EOS to continue to grow as an international investor. The company is now represented in 25 countries across Europe. “Alongside our strong financial KPIs and unrivaled expertise, our greatest strengths are our international presence and our diversity. With this new company in Portugal we can continue to build on this expertise and expand our network,” says Marwin Ramcke, CEO of the EOS Group. “I am extremely pleased that we have reached such a significant milestone in terms of the number of countries that EOS is operating in. That’s 25 good reasons to celebrate.”
The EOS subsidiary aims to focus on the purchase of secured and unsecured debt portfolios and real estate. “With the new company in Portugal we are reinforcing our market position as one of the leading receivables management companies in Europe,” says Andreas Witzig, the EOS Group director with responsibility for Western Europe. “Portugal offers considerable potential for the purchasing of receivables packages. I am proud of the entire team that has made it possible to establish the new company.”
The EOS Group is a leading technology-driven investor and service provider in the receivables management industry. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 25 countries (as of: fiscal year 2022/23) around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, real estate, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 6,000 people and is part of the Otto Group.
For more information on EOS Group, please go to: www.eos-solutions.com
Marc Heuer, Corporate Communications & Marketing EOS Group
Email: press@eos-solutions.com
Tel: +49 40 2850 1222
Hamburg, April 6, 2022 – Spring is a time of renewal, and EOS is no exception: The EOS Group has launched its new corporate identity. With a new logo and corporate design, the international financial services provider is presenting itself as a modern player on the European market for receivables management. “With the new brand we are reinforcing the commitment we already communicated last year with the introduction of our claim ‘Changing finances for the better’, says Marwin Ramcke, who became the new CEO of the EOS Group in February. “With more than 6,000 employees in 24 countries, we work hard every single day to change the financial situation of our customers, partners and defaulting payers for the better. With this in mind, we are investing heavily in digitalization and are making even greater use of AI-based collection processes and our international network.”
The Group, which reported revenues of €792.5 million in fiscal 2020/21, aims to complete its worldwide brand rollout within the next 12 months. “I am delighted that the Board of Directors opted against an evolutionary development of the brand but instead took the plunge and embraced a disruptive design,” says Lara Flemming, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications & Marketing at EOS. “If we had merely tweaked the brand, we would not have done justice to the huge transformation that EOS has undergone in recent years. Now we can hardly wait to work with our international colleagues to make the new EOS brand visible at all touchpoints.”
The focus of the brand relaunch is on customers and potential employees. “With the new brand identity we want to convince even more companies that EOS is their best partner for the purchase and processing of outstanding receivables,” says Flemming. “To ensure that we live up to our commitment we are constantly looking for new talent throughout Europe that can help us move forward. Our people are our most important asset. We are therefore positioning ourselves to high potentials as a modern and attractive employer.” EOS received support with the brand relaunch from Hamburg-based Syndicate Design AG as lead design agency.
The new logo was released from the box that had framed the letters for years. “Nothing should stand in the way of our mindset and actions,” says Flemming. The lowercase ‘e’ in the new EOS logo embodies our internationality and ongoing digitalization. “In English, the ultimate global language, most words are written in lower case,” explains Flemming. “In addition, the lowercase ‘e’ is also familiar from business terms like e-commerce, where it stands for electronic, or digital processes. We felt that it was very fitting to write our company name in lowercase letters in the logo in future.” The large ‘O’ in the center of the logo symbolizes EOS’ focus and strong purpose. The unfinished ‘s’ at the end gives the logo momentum. It reflects the thirst for change of a company that has constantly reinvented itself since it was established in 1974. “Today, the world is changing faster than ever. And we are actively shaping this change. The ‘s’ in the logo says that our development will never be finished and we will always strive to adapt to circumstances,” says CEO Ramcke. “With the new brand, we are emphasizing that we want to continue to set standards, in the entire European financial sector, over and beyond the debt collection segment.”
The EOS Group is a leading technology-driven investor and service provider in the receivables management industry. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 24 countries around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, real estate, telecommunications, utilities and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 6,000 people and is part of the Otto Group.
For more information on EOS Group, please go to: www.eos-solutions.com
Hamburg, January 13, 2022 - The Chair of the Executive Board of EOS Holding GmbH, Klaus Engberding, will be leaving the international financial service provider on January 31, 2022, for personal reasons. Managing Director Marwin Ramcke, who is currently in charge of the region Eastern Europe, will become Chair of the Executive Board, effective February 1, 2022. This change also means that Carsten Tidow will take over the Eastern European business as of February 2022.
Klaus Engberding began his career in the Otto Group in 2000 as part of the Executive Board of the former joint venture OBI@OTTO. Since November 2007 he has been a member of the Executive Board of EOS Holding GmbH. In this capacity, he made a major contribution to the successful development of the region of Eastern Europe. Starting in 2008, Engberding was responsible for the German business of the financial service provider. Since March 2017, the now 54-year-old has been Chair of EOS Holding GmbH.
Marwin Ramcke, who will act as new Chair of EOS Holding GmbH, effective February 1, 2022, also started his career in the Otto Group as part of OBI@OTTO – in November 2001. In September 2007, he moved to EOS, and in March 2017 he assumed responsibility for the entire Eastern European business of the financial service provider. Since then, he has continuously pursued the successful expansion of this business.
His successor will be Carsten Tidow, who has worked for the Otto Group since October 2000. After stops at OTTO and Eddie Bauer, he dedicated many years from 2005 onwards to the consulting firm Ernst & Young. In July 2010, the manager with a degree in business administration decided to continue his career at EOS Holding GmbH. Most recently, Tidow held the position of Managing Director at EOS International Beteiligungsverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH.
Klaus Engberding, Chair of Executive Board at EOS Holding: “I would like to thank all my colleagues in the EOS Group and all my companions on this journey in the Otto Group. Your trust and the cooperative collaboration over the years has been greatly appreciated. I wish my successor Marwin Ramcke the greatest possible success in his new role.”
“I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Klaus Engberding for his successful commitment to and the further development of the EOS Group. Over the last few years, his performance has been outstanding, as he has safely steered the company through the pandemic. I wish him all the best personally and professionally for the future,” says Petra Scharner-Wolff, Group Chair of Finance, Controlling and Human Resources at the Otto Group. “At the same time, I am very pleased that we have been able to gain Marwin Ramcke as the successor to Klaus Engberding as Chair of the Executive Board of the EOS Group. He possesses all the skills required to continue the excellent work of Klaus Engberding after February 1 of this year.”
Hamburg, August 11, 2021 – Despite all the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hamburg-based EOS Group successfully concluded its 2020/21 financial year (ending on 28 February). With a slight decline in revenue of 7.1 percent to EUR 792.5 million, the financial investor and technology-driven debt collection service provider reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of EUR 312.4 million (previous year: EUR 343.4 million). Apart from the restrictions on collection activity due to statutory moratoriums in several countries, the financial year was marked by a decline in the volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) on offer on the receivables market. Nevertheless, EOS was once again able to invest a significant sum (EUR 534.3 million) in secured and unsecured receivables and real estate in need of restructuring.
“In view of the difficult conditions of the last year, the positive operating result was by no means a given,” says Klaus Engberding, CEO of the EOS Group. “We needed to continually assess the wider implications of the pandemic, make the right investment decisions and adjust our costs accordingly. I am therefore extremely proud of the fantastic achievement of our teams who faced up to these challenges and made this success possible through their dedicated collaboration.”
The ongoing development of the organization and heavy investment in IT to improve business operations were the key drivers behind the sustained stability of EOS. The values-driven yet forward-looking approach of EOS, which is part of the Otto Group, also contributed to its success. With a new corporate responsibility (CR) strategy, the EOS Group aims to firmly embed four key actionable areas into its business model in future. In this context, the focus is on solution-driven and sustainable debt relief for defaulting consumers, proactive funding initiatives and (financial) education measures, climate-neutral operation by 2030, and the championing of strict and binding industry standards in all 26 countries where the company is located.
“As one of the leaders in our industry we are absolutely aware of our responsibility towards society. Through our actions, we do not just want to help the economic system to function by improving the financial situation of our clients and of defaulting payers; we also aim to use our new CR strategy to do our part to change the world we operate in for the better overall,” says Engberding.
2020/21 | 2019/20 | |
---|---|---|
Sales revenue (in EUR million) | 792.5 | 853.1 |
of which | ||
Germany | 289.1 | 303.3 |
Eastern Europe | 249.7 | 266.7 |
Western Europe | 207.1 | 232.0 |
North America | 46.6 | 51.0 |
EBITDA (in EUR million) | 312.4 | 343.4 |
Different figures may appear in tables due to rounding.
With a turnover of EUR 289.1 million and a 36.5 percent share of consolidated revenue, Germany continues to be the region with the highest revenue within EOS Consolidated. At EUR 168.2 million, the investment level in receivables and real estate was stable. “Our success is primarily due to our operational excellence and understanding of our customers’ needs, which makes us a strong and reliable partner in the debt purchasing and fiduciary collection business,” says Andreas Kropp, member of the EOS Group's Board of Directors with responsibility for the German market. “Even in this challenging year, we continued to systematically pursue the digitalization of the company and in doing so have given a substantial boost to our future viability.”
As a longstanding member of the German Association of Debt Collection Companies (BDIU), EOS has continued its commitment to high ethical standards in the industry. In the last financial year it also established an in-house ‘hardship case community’, where specially trained personnel find solutions for cases of debt affecting people in permanently dire financial straits. Moreover, the company is committed to financial education for children and young people through its finlit foundation, whose ‘ManoMoneta’ initiative has already reached more than 100 schools.
Despite a decline in revenue to EUR 249.7 million, Eastern Europe is still the highest earning region within EOS Consolidated. EOS has its own subsidiaries in 15 countries in Eastern Europe. A major driver for this result was the substantial year-on-year increase in results in Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland. In addition, EOS was able to increase investment in NPLs in the region in the last financial year by around three percent to EUR 195.3 million. The highest NPL investments were made in Croatia, Poland and Russia.
“Thanks to our local expertise we made substantial investments in secured and unsecured NPLs again this year and are going to rigorously pursue this strategy again in the current financial year,” says Marwin Ramcke, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors responsible for the Eastern European region. “We are also pushing ahead with the digitalization process and are successively rolling out our international collection software ‘Kollecto+’, which we developed in-house, in all Eastern European countries where EOS is represented.
In addition, an international HR department was established in Hungary. As well as strategic HR issues, it will also manage the Group’s cultural change process outside of Germany.
The continued stable business performance in France, Belgium, Spain and Denmark enabled EOS to report a good result overall for Western Europe. At EUR 207.1 million, the region accounted for more than a quarter (26.1 percent) of the total revenue of EOS Consolidated. Moreover, the EOS companies in France and Belgium were able to reinforce their position as leading providers for debt purchases. In Spain too, EOS increasingly shifted its focus from fiduciary collection to receivables purchasing, and was able to build up a strong market position as a buyer of debt portfolios.
Accordingly, EOS in Spain closed the year with record investments, e.g. in three NPL portfolios comprising a total 232,000 receivables and with a nominal value of EUR 810 million. “Thanks to our longstanding experience, and despite the lower volume of NPLs on the market, we were once again a preferred partner for our customers,” explains Dr. Andreas Witzig, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors with responsibility for Western Europe. “Our companies in the region are in a good position, so we are confident of being able to continue to expand our receivables purchasing activities in the new financial year.”
In North America, EOS was able to substantially increase its earnings from receivables purchases, despite a lower revenue overall of EUR 46.6 million. Solid investments in the USA were the key to this result. In Canada too, EOS was able to improve its result on a year-on-year basis in fiscal 2020/21 thanks to strict cost discipline. “The COVID-19 crisis hit the North American market hard, but we were in the position to offset the considerable loss of revenue on the earnings side through massive cost savings,” explains Dr. Andreas Witzig, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors with responsibility for North America.
The EOS Group is one of the leading technology-driven financial investors and an expert in the processing of outstanding receivables. The company's core business is the purchase of unsecured and secured debt portfolios. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 26 countries around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its focus is on banks and companies from the real estate, telecommunications, energy supply and e-commerce sectors. EOS employs more than 6,800 people and is part of the Otto Group.
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