Management
of Exlservice Joins with Oak Hill Capital Partners,
Financial Technology Ventures to Acquire Company
Adds financial strength
to operating capabilities and domain expertise
NEW YORK, November 18, 2002
- Exlservice Inc., a business process outsourcing
("BPO") service provider, announced
today that management has joined with Oak Hill
Capital Partners, L.P. (OHCP) and Financial Technology
Ventures (FTVentures) to acquire 100% ownership
of Exlservice Inc. from Conseco, Inc. Terms of
the transaction were not disclosed.
The current management group will remain in place,
and continue to hold a significant ownership interest
in the company. Vikram Talwar will serve as Vice-Chairman
of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, with
Rohit Kapoor as President and Chief Financial
Officer.
"This transaction transforms our company,"
stated Mr. Talwar. "We are excited to partner
with two leading financial sponsors with a long-term
commitment to our business and strong ties to
the major financial services companies that are
our target customers. Through our partnership
with Oak Hill and FTVentures, we will continue
to attract and retain the best people and to provide
the highest quality service to our clients."
Commenting on the transaction, Mr. Kapoor added:
"We are proud to be the first investment
with significant operations in India for both
Oak Hill and FTVentures. With a built-out capacity
of 1,500 seats/shift, significant cash reserves
and strong financial sponsorship from our new
investors, Exlservice is well positioned to acquire
new business and grow operations."
"Exlservice is a leading India-enabled business
process outsourcing provider with distinct process-improvement
capability, and an exceptional management team,"
said Brad Bernstein, Partner of Oak Hill Capital
Partners. "We are excited to partner with
a leader and participate in the dramatic growth
of the industry."
James C. Hale, Senior Managing Member of FTVentures
said, "Exlservice has developed deep domain
expertise in financial services and distinctive
capabilities handling complex voice and back-office
business processes. We are pleased to join in
helping the company grow its business."
Exlservice Inc. is a U.S. incorporated company
offering a wide range of BPO services from its
3 operating centers in India. With over 1,700
employees and 1,500 agent seats, EXL operates
on a 24/7 basis to provide both transaction processing
and customer contact services to companies in
the US and UK. EXL was named the # 1 BPO service
provider in India by Nasscom, the software and
BPO industry association, in their 2002 survey.
Oak Hill Capital Partners, L.P. is a $1.6 billion
private equity partnership founded by Robert M.
Bass and his team of investment professionals.
Oak Hill Capital makes significant investments
through acquisitions, build-ups, recapitalizations,
restructurings, strategic joint ventures and the
purchase of minority stakes across a wide range
of industries. OHCP is part of the Oak Hill platforms,
a series of alternative asset management partnerships
with more than $8 billion of capital under management.
FTVentures was the first venture capital firm
in the U.S. to focus on technologies that benefit
the global financial services industry. FTVentures
now has more than $623 million in total capital
under management and is a leading investor in
information technologies. FTVentures invests primarily
in private companies with developed products and
services in three key areas: software and infrastructure
solutions, e-commerce solutions and payments technologies.
FTVentures' investors are 39 of the world's leading
financial institutions and include AIG, Bank of
America, BNP Paribas, Charles Schwab, Credit Suisse
Group, Deutsche Bank, DBS Bank, GE Capital, HSBC
Holdings, Key Principal Partners, National City,
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB), Standard
Chartered Bank, US Bancorp and Wells Fargo.