Capgemini administers Unilever's financial services for Latin AmericaPublished: September 26, 2008
Within the framework of Offshoring Cluster, implemented by CORFO [Chilean economic development agency], a new multinational with headquarters in France recently commenced operations in Chile. We refer to Capgemini, one of the world's foremost providers of consultancy, technology and outsourcing services, a company that is responsible for providing the Unilever financial services in Latin America.
This joint operation stems from an agreement signed by both companies, which came into force in last May and has a duration of 7 years. This agreement enables Capgemini to administer all of the financial & accounting processes resulting from business carried out by the consumer products giant, including certain tax transactions in the case of the Brazilian subsidiary.
"This decision is in line with Unilever's strategy to prioritise efficiency, reduce complexity and boost the best practices associated to outsourced suppliers" says John Bird, SVP Finance & IT, Unilever Americas.
The realization of this initiative stems from the undertaking that has existed between both companies since October 2006, which enabled the same model to be successfully set up in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
"We welcome the arrival of Capgemini, a company that adds to the list of more than 50 international centres that have set up in Chile. Our challenge as a nation is to achieve exports of at least US$M1,000 by 2010 and consolidate ourselves as an offshoring platform. Without doubt we have made huge progress given that since 2004 we have been an emerging location for international services and we consistently move up the international rankings of the most competitive countries" adds Mario Castillo, Head of Investment Promotion Division of CORFO.
This integration means roughly 400 Unilever professionals will transfer to the Capgemini Group for the purpose of consolidating its presence in Latin America. This will provide 1,100 BPO professionals (Business Processes Outsourcing) targeted at providing financial support services to Unilever in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
"This agreement is an important milestone for Capgemini BPO, as we continue to expand our global excellence delivery footprint and strengthen our leadership position in BPO financial shared services", said Hubert Giraud, Head of Capgemini BPO.
"We look forward to leveraging our Latin American centers as a major asset in our network of global delivery centers."
Chile Offshoring PlatformIt is worthwhile mentioning that the offshoring industry is one of the most dynamic on the international stage, with a 2006 value of US$M65,000 and forecast yearly growth of 40%. The forecast is that by 2010 this figure will reach US$M281,000. In this regard, Chile seeks to position itself as a destination for this kind of investment, bridging gaps and making the most of existing potentialities through a joint strategy with companies, universities, business organisations and other Government organisations. With this in mind a public/private board was set up to develop offshoring. This board initially has resources of $M6,000, of which $M1,500 will be targeted at bilingual training of 1,000 young professionals in 2008.
UnileverUnilever's mission is to provide quality of life through its different products, mainly related to nutrition and personal grooming. It is one of the biggest worldwide companies in consumption products, with a presence in more than 100 countries. It has a workforce of around 174,000.
With sales in excess of €M40,000, its portfolio includes some of the top brands in different categories, including Knorr, Hellmann's, AdeS, Axe, Sedal and Omo.
www.unilever.comAbout CapgeminiCapgemini, one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services, enables its clients to transform and perform through technologies. Capgemini provides its clients with insights and capabilities that boost their freedom to achieve superior results through a unique way of working - the Collaborative Business Experience - and through a global delivery model called Rightshore®, which aims to offer the right resources in the right location at competitive cost. Present in 36 countries, Capgemini reported 2007 global revenues of EUR 8.7 billion (approximately US$12 billion) and employs over 83,000 people worldwide.
More information is available at
www.capgemini.com.