Author: Sebastian Storm Pallesen

The Board of Appeal informed on 7 December that they have overturned the Financial Supervisory Authority’s decision to withdraw the license to carry out debt collection, and Collectia is consequently upheld by the board.

This is good news, and a confirmation that the work and the measures carried out through 2023 have had an effect.

In May, NFSA wanted to withdraw the company’s license to carry out debt collection, based on the inspection carried out in the autumn of 2022. Collectia appealed the case to the board of appeals and on 7 December 2023 the conclusion was in place.

The Appeals Board ruled in favour of Collectia and we are therefore keeping the licence. The tribunal particularly highlights Collectia’s extensive change measures over the past year as a central part of the conclusion.

– It is not surprising that we are keeping the licence, because I firmly believe that the measures that have been implemented have been good and effective. At the same time, we are grateful that the tribunal assessed the company on the basis of the work that has been put in, says Christian Mysen, who was appointed as the new general manager in May of 2023.

In the past year, Collectia has made significant changes at the highest level in the organisation, changing and improving systems, as well as establishing new frameworks for risk management and internal control. The investments made in operations put the company in a very good position for growth in the Norwegian market in the coming years.

– We are now looking ahead to 2024. We have a highly competent organization in place in Norway, a solid group behind us and all the prerequisites to achieve our ambition to become a market leader in the Norwegian market as well.

The investments in infrastructure have been completed, and we are entering the new year with growth ambitions, concludes Mysen.

CEO of Collectia Group, Anders Rosenbeck, is satisfied with the decision of the appeal board and has clear ambitions for growth in the Norwegian market.

– With Christian in place as general manager in combination with heavy operating investments, we have a unique opportunity to grow in the Norwegian market. We have delivered very good results in Sweden and Denmark – now we will carry out the same growth journey in Norway.

At Collectia, we strive to operate a green workplace and contribute to a sustainable future. Through a series of initiatives, we have reduced our environmental impact in recent years. With our latest effort, we have achieved a 27% energy saving, equivalent to 18,004 kWh in just five months compared to the same period last year. This was partly achieved by installing new light sources with motion sensors. By implementing this solution, we have managed to significantly reduce energy consumption while creating a more efficient and environmentally friendly work environment.

But we don’t stop here. We have taken more steps to promote a greener workplace and drive a sustainable business model.

Reduction in Paper Usage: A Step Towards a Digital Future

Collectia has recognized the historically high paper consumption in the debt collection industry and has therefore taken steps to reduce paper-related activities. This has been done by introducing digital processes, electronic document management, and encouraging conscious paper use.

Did you know that an energy saving of 18,004 kWh is equivalent to:

These comparisons are based on approximate average values and may vary depending on the specific power consumption of appliances and electricity prices in your area.”

Sustainable Energy for our Buildings and Cars

Another effort is our investment in solar energy at the headquarters in Brøndby. The solar panel system generates sustainable energy for all buildings and contributes to an annual reduction equivalent to 12.8 tons of CO2.

We have also made it easy for our employees and guests to choose environmentally friendly transportation options. Charging stations for electric vehicles have been established in the parking lot of the headquarters. This solution promotes the transition from conventional vehicles with combustion engines to electric vehicles in the company’s car fleet in the parking lot.

Sustainable energy for our buildings and cars
Another effort is our investment in solar energy at the headquarters in Brøndby. The solar panel system generates sustainable energy for all buildings and contributes to an annual reduction equivalent to 12.8 tons of CO2.

We have also made it easy for our employees and guests to choose environmentally friendly transportation options. Charging stations for electric vehicles have been established in the parking lot of the headquarters. This solution promotes the transition from conventional vehicles with combustion engines to electric vehicles in the company’s car fleet in the parking lot.

Utilization of Food Waste and Trash: Creating a Circular Economy

Collectia has focused on waste sorting as part of its efforts to create a circular economy. With modular waste systems in all departments, we ensure that all employees actively participate in waste sorting, contributing to recycling and resource optimization.

In our cafeteria, we have implemented an innovative approach where we actively use leftovers from previous meals to create new and tasty dishes. A special tradition we have introduced is a weekly vegetarian dish and a “leftover day” every Friday, where we serve a delicious meal based on the week’s leftovers. If there is any food remaining, employees are welcome to take it home. This not only reduces waste but also promotes an awareness of the value of fully utilizing food resources.

Employee Involvement: Collective Engagement in a Greener Business

Employee involvement is crucial for Collectia’s green journey, as we recognize that our employees are our most important resource. To ensure their engagement, we have established a digital suggestion box where all employees can contribute their ideas for green initiatives. It’s important that everyone in our organization feels they are working in a progressive company with deeply rooted green values and that their work actively contributes to our common goals.

An inspiring example of employee-driven innovation is our energy-saving project, which was actually initiated based on a suggestion from an employee. Collectia is proud to have a workplace that not only has skilled employees but also passionate ones, working towards our shared vision of a more sustainable future.

We Aim to Lead the Industry

Acting responsibly towards our customers, their customers, our employees, the environment, and society at large is deeply ingrained in our organizational culture. We aim to be a driving force for change and a positive role model for other companies wanting to take steps towards a sustainable and green future. In our view, this approach adds both human and business value.

Collectia has been on an extensive growth journey both in terms of acquisitions but also organically. We have evolved and improved the business, so we find it essential to revisit our purpose. Therefore, we can finally announce our new mission, vision, and values for Collectia, which will ensure a link between our long-term plans for the future of Collectia and our short-term tasks.

The Collectia Way

Our Values

Sustainability and social responsibility are deeply rooted in Collectia’s DNA. Being headquartered in one of the world’s greenest countries, we feel obligated to take the lead in reducing emissions beyond our borders. That’s why we partnered with Xplora and United Cities, launching a worldwide project in early 2022 to turn physical activity into humanitarian work.

Why Lebanon?

A Bright Future for the Lebanese

Development of the solar plant in Bchaaleh, Lebanon.

I want to inform you that I will be stepping down as CEO of the company, effective August 1st. Anders Rosenbeck, an experienced business leader who has worked in senior roles in the financial and technology sector, has been appointed as the company’s new CEO.

Exactly 21 years ago, I joined the Collectia family and started my exciting and challenging journey with the company. I have seen how a small Danish company could grow into a pan-Nordic IT company with a focus on credit scoring and credit management services. We have grown from 50 employees in Denmark to almost 300 employees across our offices in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Germany.

I am very proud of our way of doing business. At Collectia we have a core set of values based on integrity and respect. Acting responsibly towards our customers and their debtors, our employees, the environment, and society, in general, is deeply embedded in the Collectia organization and culture. Further, we have a leading proprietary IT platform, CollectIT / C-Work, which allows us to deliver more for our customers including faster payments and higher collection rates. I will continue being a part of the Collectia Group as a board member, and I look forward to still being part of our company’s continuous growth and success.

A big thanks to all our customers across the group. I am delighted that you have chosen us as your supplier for such an important part of your business.

Welcome to Anders Rosenbeck

Anders has a Master of Civil Engineering from DTU and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from CBS. For the past 20 years, Anders has worked in the financial sector focusing on business development and technology. Most recently, Anders has been CEO of Tia Technology, servicing insurance companies in 25 countries. The company, owned by the private equity fund EQT, was sold at the end of 2020.

Anders is 52 years old and lives with his wife and the two youngest of their three children.

We are incredibly pleased to announce the launch of our new credit rating platform, Qatchr!

Features and Services

Who is Qatchr?

Yesterday we held Collectia Day 2022, where we met with our clients and suppliers for an exciting and eventful day filled with good speakers, which we enjoyed in good surroundings.

Back in March, we were pleased to announce that we had acquired Kredinor in Denmark as a part of our expansion strategy. We are pleased once again because we are welcoming yet another strong player to the Collectia Family. This time we are strengthening our position in the Norwegian market, where we have acquired the well-established debt collection company, Equity Gruppen AS. In recent years, the company has proven to be a fast-growing company with a focus on digitization and good IT integrations for various accounting programs – an approach that Collectia generally possesses, as we also see the clear link between invoicing services and the subsequent follow-up.

As previously communicated, Collectia Group already owns the Norwegian debt collection company Crone AS. The companies will merge and become Collect AS. The merger will enable Collectia to establish itself as an even more solid and stronger player in the Norwegian market, where we already serve many customers.

“We see the acquisition of Equity Group as a huge opportunity for all parties. The synergy effect of this makes it possible to take larger shares of the Norwegian and Nordic markets – while at the same time safeguarding the values ​​that underlie the two companies,” says Otto Havneraas, CEO of Crone AS.

How Does it Affect the Customers?

For customers who do not use our Norwegian department to recover Norwegian claims, the acquisition has no effect. But for those, who use the Norwegian department, will experience a better service in the form of optimized and streamlined collection solutions. Christian la Cour Valentin, CEO of Collectia Group, adds:

“The Equity Group is a very attractive partner for Collectia to acquire and diversify our Norwegian presence. We are pleased to welcome the Equity Group to the Collectia Group and believe that we can deliver even better products and services across our markets together.”

It is with great pleasure that we can inform you, that we on the 31st of March acquired the Danish part of Kredinor (formerly known as KIS) as part of our ambitious expansion strategy.

At Collectia, we are incredibly proud to welcome another strong player to the Collectia Family. We are convinced that the acquisition will complement our existing business, positively support our further development, and create even more value for our customers.

We are getting about 40 new but experienced colleagues who will add new knowledge and additional manpower to our growing organization, as well as further strengthen our position in the Danish market. We believe that there is a great similarity between our values, corporate culture, and business conduct, which is just one of the reasons why Kredinor is a strategically good match.

We will focus on exploiting the underlying synergies, but at the same time continue with the things that Kredinor and Collectia are each good at.

How does the acquisition impact the customers?

We continue the business as before. This means that the case processing continues unhindered, and we will make sure that the customers are kept up to date on an ongoing basis. The acquisition will only have a positive impact on our customers. We will optimize our current solutions and be able to provide an even better service in the future.

At Collectia and Kredinor, we look positively ahead, as we see integration as a fantastic opportunity to offer the Danish market an even better product.

We are also opening an office in Finland

The Kredinor acquisition is part of our growth strategy in Denmark, but we are also expanding our business in our other markets – most recently with the acquisition in Germany. At the beginning of the year, we added the German company Dr. Duve Inkasso into our group. Now we are also able to announce that we will have our own office in Finland per. April 12th, 2021. Thus, we will also be able to service our customers who have customers in Finland with our own office.