Two Leaders in Russian Debt Collection Market Combining to Create Massive ARM Firm

National Recovery Service (NRS) and First Collection Bureau (FCB) — Russia’s leaders in collection services outsourcing and debt purchase — today announces a strategic partnership at the shareholder level.

Two FCB investors, Baring Vostok Capital Partners and Da Vinci Capital, both leading Russian Private Equity Funds, initiated the project.

Сlients of both FCB & NRS will benefit from full scope of collection services and increased efficiency at all collection stages. The two companies will together employ the most advanced technological systems as well the most comprehensive field collection network in Russian Federation. Combining resources will result in increased volumes of NPL purchases not only in traditional retail banking segment but also in microfinance, telecom, commercial and utility segments.

NRS operates three state-of-the-art call centers in Russia (Moscow, Volgograd and Novosibirsk). It has presence in 83 regions of Russian Federation and employs 1,700 staff.

NRS clients include more than 400 of the most significant companies in financial, insurance, telecom, commercial and utility markets. In the last year NRS recovered more than 10 billion rubles for its clients.

FCB is in the largest purchaser of NPLs in Russia. FCB has major retail banks as clients and manages more than 100 billion rubles in its many portfolios. FCB’s more than 800 employees form the largest field visiting and legal collection network in Russia, operating in more than 7,000 cities and towns.

“Debt management is an essential part of Russian financial system,” says CEO of the National Recovery Service, Artur Aleksandrowicz. “NRS has invested heavily in broad capabilities for further technological development and efficiency to increase recoveries for clients. The combination of resources and technology platforms of NRS and FCB will help their clients to achieve their goals in capital adequacy and maintaining reserve requirements”.

FCB CEO Pavel Mikhmel said, “This partnership will allow FCB to broaden its banking sector partners and strengthen its leading position in the market for  NPL purchases in Russia”.

Sergei Vlasov, Chairman of the Board of FCB says, “This combination of two market leaders will provide strong benefits for NRS banking sector clients. High effectiveness in field collection by FCB will be added to the high effectiveness of call center collection by NRS. Shareholders of both companies are glad to announce the completion of the deal and will quickly coordinate efforts of NRS and FCB to achieve best results for both their clients.”

National Recovery Service was founded in 2005. NRS provides full scope of collection services such as writing, calling, legal and bailiff services on behalf of banks, insurance and telecom companies as well as for B2B, utility and Microfinance clients. NRS is a founding member the National Association of Professional Collection Agencies (NAPCA). It is also a member of the Association of Russian Banks (ARB), Association “RUSSIA” and a financial ombudsmen system. NRS has membership in major international associations including CSA (UK), ACA International (USA), FENCA (Europe), and DBA International (Debt Buyers Association International).

First Collection Bureau was founded in 2005 in Khabarovsk and became a pioneer in the collection business in Russian Far East and Siberia. FCB is estimated to possesses over 30% share in Debt purchase market in the retail banking segment. FCB has broad branch network and services portfolios purchased from major Russian banks. FCB is a member of the National Association of Professional Collection Agencies (NAPCA).

Baring Vostok Capital Partners focuses on private equity investments in Russia and the CIS. The BV Funds currently have over $3.7 billion of committed capital. Its investor base consists of pension funds, university endowments and sovereign wealth funds from North America, Western Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Since 1994, the BV Funds have invested over $2 billion in 63 companies in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other countries of the Former Soviet Union. Some 42 of these investments have been fully or partially exited.

Da Vinci Capital is a leading independent asset management company, exploring Russian and CIS markets since 2007 and investing in leading innovative mid-size companies. Operating in financial services, informational technology, business infrastructure and other sectors, Da Vinci Capital has more than $300 million under management.