Kroll Acquires U.K. Employee Screening Company

August 10, 2004

Kroll Inc., the global risk consulting company recently acquired by Marsh Inc., announced that Kroll Background Worldwide Limited (KBW), its London-based international background screening subsidiary, has acquired FPR Limited, one of the U.K.’s leading pre-employment screening companies.

The “acquisition solidifies KBW’s position as the foremost background screening company in both Europe and in the United Kingdom,” said the bulletin.

KBW’s business in the U.K. includes both local and international employee and vendor background screening, currently conducted by Kroll PRM, a subsidiary located in Brighton. Kroll said that as a result of the acquisition, “PRM and FPR will be merged into a single operating entity, which will conduct business under the name ‘Kroll FPR.'”

FPR’s former owners, David Spencer-Butler and Michael Whittington, will join the new company as managing director and operations director, respectively.

Based in East Grinstead with more than 80 staff. FPR was founded in 1992 by Spencer-Butler, following a number of years service in the financial services industry at board level. In addition to employment screening, FPR’s services include Reference Bank, described as “an outsourced solution for reference provisioning and Employment Verifications System (EVS), an on-line employment verification software solution. ”

Michael Shmerling, president of Kroll’s Background Screening Group, indicated: “By expanding our blue-chip client base and broadening the range of our services, this acquisition has effectively secured our position as Europe’s first choice for background screening. Equally important, our expanded capabilities enable us to meet the high demand for local and global employee screening services coming from the clients of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Kroll’s parent company.”

David Spencer-Butler also affirmed the benefits of the acquisition, noting that “Kroll’s international network will provide our clients with a far broader spectrum of services on a global scale. Besides benefiting our clients, this deal gives FPR’s staff the opportunity to be part of the world’s largest risk consulting company and remain at the forefront of reducing employee risk.”

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Uk

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