Webhelp

Last updated
Webhelp
Industry IT consultancy, Customer relationship and Business process outsourcing
Founded2000 [1]
FounderKerry Adler, Laura Hantho
Defunct2023 (2023)
FateAcquired by Concentrix
Headquarters175, King Street Toronto, Ontario Canada
Number of employees
100,000+ (2021)

Webhelp was a human search engine and multi-national business process outsourcing company founded in Toronto, Canada, in 1999. In 2023, Concentrix bought Webhelp. [2]

Contents

History

Founding and early years

Webhelp was founded in 1999 in Toronto, Canada, by Kerry Adler and Laura Hantho. [3] [4] Initially launched as Webhelp.com Inc., the company was a Delaware-registered corporation headquartered in Toronto. The company was established with a vision to revolutionize customer service through human-assisted online search and customer service technology.

The early business model of Webhelp centered on providing real-time, human-assisted customer support via online chat, [5] making it one of the pioneering ventures in outsourced customer experience solutions. The company's proprietary ARENA software solution was pivotal in its operations, facilitating back-office processing and online assistance. Webhelp soon secured major clients including Microsoft, AOL, and Sony. [3]

Expansion to France and franchise agreement

In 2000, Webhelp expanded its operations into France under a franchise agreement with two French entrepreneurs, Olivier Duha and Frédéric Jousset. This significant expansion was formalized through the Technology and Trademark Agreement, signed on June 6, 2000, between Webhelp.com Inc. (Toronto) and the newly created Webhelp S.A. (France). The agreement granted Webhelp France a license to operate under the Webhelp brand and utilize its proprietary technology.

The franchise agreement outlined several critical stipulations:

Webhelp France was thus launched as a separate entity under license from the original Canadian company.[ citation needed ]

Growth and evolution

Under Adler's leadership, Webhelp experienced rapid growth in North America, pioneering outsourced customer experience solutions. By 2002, Webhelp was recognized as one of Canada's fastest-growing startups, with a two-year revenue growth of 20,974%. [3]

Webhelp's expansion was not limited to North America. The company extended its operations to India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, and Budapest, providing global business process outsourcing (BPO) services. By 2003, Webhelp.com had transitioned from a consumer-facing search service to a corporate BPO provider, handling customer support and technical services for numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Separation of Webhelp France and later acquisitions

As Webhelp France continued to expand, it began operating more independently from Webhelp.com Inc. By 2005, Webhelp.com Inc. divested its remaining interest in Webhelp France, allowing the latter to function as a separate company. This separation marked a significant shift in the company's operational dynamics. Over the years, Webhelp France, under the leadership of Duha and Jousset, acquired additional outsourcing firms and eventually rebranded as the Webhelp Group.

In 2011, Charterhouse Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in Webhelp France, catalyzing its expansion across Europe. Further solidifying its market position, in 2019, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL) purchased a controlling interest in the company. This acquisition was followed by a merger in 2023, when Concentrix acquired Webhelp. [2]

In February 2013, the group purchased Falkirk call centre firm HEROtsc. [6] In 2014, Webhelp UK became a shirt sponsor of Falkirk F.C. [7]

In 2013, Webhelp was awarded a £1.5 million Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Development International, helping to create 400 new jobs. [8] In 2019, it planned to move 120 jobs handling calls for Thomas Cook from Falkirk to South Africa. [9] [10]

In August 2015, Webhelp took over from Serco the running of two call centres in Aintree and Bolton serving the Shop Direct Group. [11] Several months later, it proposed moving most of the operation to South Africa. [11]

In June 2016, Webhelp acquired GoExcellent, a Scandinavian customer experience firm which operates nine centers across Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, and employs 1,700 people. This acquisition allowed for the launch of Webhelp Nordic, and increased Webhelp's projected 2016 turnover to an estimated $1 billion (725 million Euros). [12]

By November 2020, Webhelp employed more than 55,000 people in over 35 countries. [13]

On 29 March 2023, Concentrix agreed to buy Webhelp in a $4.8 billion deal. [2] In September 2023, it was announced the European Commission had approved the acquisition, under EU Merger Regulations. [14] [15]

References

  1. ↑ "Olivier Duha (Webhelp) : « La croissance est une obsession »". Les Echos (in French). 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  2. 1 2 3 "Concentrix looks beyond North America with $4.8 bln deal for Webhelp". Reuters. Reuters. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Pearson, Kali (September 2002). "The Answer Man". Profit . Vol. 21, no. 5. ISSN   1183-1324.
  4. ↑ Hamilton, Tyler (1999-12-01). "Small Toronto firm gives Net searches a human touch". The Globe and Mail. p. 31. Retrieved 2025-12-26– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Tomaiuolo, Nicholas G. (May 2000). "Aska and You May Receive: Commercial Reference Services on the Web". Searcher. 8 (5). ISSN   1070-4795.
  6. ↑ "Falkirk call centre firm HEROtsc sold to Webhelp Group". BBC News. 19 February 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  7. ↑ Butcher, Lucy (14 March 2014). "Falkirk FC name new sponsor". SportsPro. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Salmond welcomes 400 new jobs in central belt". The Herald . 8 May 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  9. ↑ Swindon, Peter (20 January 2019). "Call centre firm fielding Thomas Cook calls sends jobs to South Africa despite £500k grant from Scottish Enterprise". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Call centre firm Webhelp to cut 120 staff as jobs go to Africa". The Times. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  11. 1 2 Butler, Sarah (3 December 2015). "Webhelp call centres for Shop Direct to close with 700 jobs lost". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  12. ↑ lefigaro.fr. "Webhelp rachète le groupe GoExcellent". Le Figaro. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  13. ↑ Campbell, Stewart. "Frédéric Jousset: the Louvre donor building a superyacht to show art around the world". The Times. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "Mergers: Commission authorizes acquisition of Webhelp by Concentrix". EU Reporter. September 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ Mitchell, Charlie (2023-09-29). "Concentrix to Rebrand After Wrapping Up Its $4BN Webhelp Deal". CX Today. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
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