Date
07.13.21
One Equity Partners Agrees to Sell OneLink Holdings
Leading BPO and CRM Services Provider More Than Tripled EBITDA Under OEP’s Ownership
NEW YORK – One Equity Partners (“OEP”), a middle market private equity firm, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell OneLink Holdings (“OneLink” or “the Company”), a leading provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, to Webhelp. Webhelp is a leading global provider of customer experience (CX) and business solutions. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 2013, OneLink provides digitally enabled customer experience CX, BPO, CRM, automation and other technology services to leading North American and Latin American businesses. The Company has an employee-first culture and operates 17 call centers through a network of over 14,000 agents who are recognized internally as “Incredybles®.” These agents deliver high-touch customer service to OneLink’s customer base of leading e-commerce, consumer, payments, technology, and travel and leisure businesses.
OEP acquired OneLink in December 2017 and worked closely with management to drive outsized growth, primarily through organic growth initiatives. Under OEP’s ownership, OneLink has expanded its nearshore delivery footprint in Latin America and has significantly grown its U.S. and Latin American customer base. As a result of these initiatives, OneLink’s EBITDA has more than tripled during OEP’s ownership period.
“We partnered with OneLink management in 2017 because we had a shared vision around the growth and development of the Latin American customer experience and BPO market. We both believed that if we focused on improving the work experience and investing in the professional and personal growth of the OneLink ‘Incredybles®,’ we could create a better, more efficient customer experience and BPO platform. OneLink’s industry-leading agent retention, tremendous growth and profitability, and this outcome, which follows significant strategic interest, are testaments to the notion that we can simultaneously deliver exceptional service and products while creating quality jobs and enriched work experiences,” said Greg Belinfanti, Senior Managing Director, OEP. “We are honored to have partnered with the OneLink management team and believe they will be able to thrive together with Webhelp, thanks to both businesses’ strongly aligned culture and people-first approach.”
“OEP’s strong expertise in BPO and CRM services made them a great partner. Their expertise in the industry has helped support our mission, growth and the ability to serve our customers,” said Eduardo Salazar, CEO of OneLink. “We currently have strong momentum and are well-positioned to continue our growth trajectory and to extend our industry leadership.”
“We would like to thank Eduardo and his entire team for supporting our vision to scale OneLink’s growth and to continue their strong dedication to serving their customers. Our successful exit reflects OEP’s strengths in partnering with businesses such as OneLink and transforming them into market leaders,” said Inna Etinberg, Principal, OEP. “OneLink’s business was resilient throughout the pandemic and, as the world returns to normal, we are confident that OneLink will continue to succeed in supporting a complete range of digitally-enabled CX, BPO and technology needs.”
OEP was advised by Rothschild as an exclusive M&A advisor. Greenberg Traurig served as legal counsel.
Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE served as exclusive financial advisor to Webhelp, while Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel. KKR Capital Management and Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE acted as financing providers.
The transaction is expected to be completed before end of Q4 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
About One Equity Partners
One Equity Partners (“OEP”) is a middle market private equity firm focused on the industrial, healthcare, and technology sectors in North America and Europe. The firm builds market-leading companies by identifying and executing transformative business combinations. OEP is a trusted partner with a differentiated investment process, a broad and senior team, and an established track record generating long-term value for its partners. Since 2001, the firm has completed more than 300 transactions worldwide. OEP, founded in 2001, spun out of JP Morgan in 2015. The firm has offices in New York, Chicago, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. For more information, please visit www.oneequity.com.
About OneLink
OneLink is a near-shore provider of BPO services whose founders have more than 25 years of experience in the industry. The company now handles more than 40 million customer interactions per year. OneLink has changed the dynamics of the industry, complementing a process-based business with a culture focused on employee happiness. For more information, please visit www.onelinkbpo.com.