SP DATA PROMOTES BRIAN CATO TO PRESIDENT OF CANADIAN OPERATIONS
Contact Center Company to Add Over 300 Canadian Jobs in 2012 to Serve Fortune 1000 Clients in Telecommunications, Financial Services and Energy
TORONTO – January 10, 2012 – SP Data, North America’s premier contact center solutions company, today announced the appointment of Brian Cato, a highly regarded industry leader with 25 years of experience in management, operations and customer care, as president of Canadian operations.
Cato, a six-year veteran of SP Data, most recently served as Senior Vice President of Operations, charged with managing the Canadian call centre operations.
“Brian is a key member of the SP Data team, always going way beyond the call and representing our brand with unparalleled leadership, vision, passion, hard work, and strong business ethics. Brian's promotion is truly based on our philosophy of meritocracy,” said Dan Plashkes, SP Data CEO.
As president, Cato anticipates the company will add 300 to 400 jobs in the Ontario area in 2012.
He is responsible for end–to-end process accountability for pre- and post-sales customer contact, budget management, vendor management and negotiations, management and strategic direction of the day-to-day business operations of the Canadian operations and expansion into a variety of industry sectors including telecommunications, financial services, logistics and energy.
Prior to SP Data, Cato served as President of Onlinetel Corp, a niche internet and long distance provider based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In this role, Cato led the company’s strategic sales, service and marketing initiatives and drove the company’s revenue growth from less than $1 million to over $15 million.
Earlier, Cato served as senior vice president of customer service for Denver-based telecommunications provider ICG Communications. While at ICG, Cato supervised nearly 3,200 employees across the United States and drove a customer-centric reorganization of the company’s support operations.
Cato began his call centre career in the mid 1990’s at the original S&P Data and for 10 years was instrumental in the growth and management, some of his notable achievements include the development and launch of the first Inbound/Outbound Call Centre in North Bay, Ontario.
Cato is based in SP Data’s Canadian headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
SP Data Ohio to create 400 jobs...
Link to Dan Plashkes, SP Data's CEO - TV Interview - part 1
Link to Dan Plashkes, SP Data's CEO - TV Interview - part 2
Link to WKYC.com Article
Link to Newspaper Article
OHIO - Department of Develpment - News Room
JOB CREATION TAX CREDITS APPROVED FOR BUSINESS EXPANSION
Projects Expected to Generate Investments to Ohio’s Economy
For immediate release
October 27, 2008
COLUMBUS – Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher today announced that the Ohio Tax Credit Authority has approved Job Creation and Job Retention Tax Credits for 14 businesses involved in location or expansion projects that, if located in Ohio, are expected to create 1,620 jobs, and retain 3,388 positions for Ohioans.
“Our state’s commitment to the growth of opportunity and prosperity for all Ohioans is evidenced by today’s investments in these companies,” said Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. “Ohio’s welcoming business environment and forward-thinking tax structure work in concert to build a bright future for both multinational corporations and innovative start-ups.”
S&P Data, LLC, (SP Data), to be located in the Village of Richfield (Summit County), has been awarded a 35 percent job creation tax credit for a five-year term for the establishment of a new facility in the Village of Richfield. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $311,231 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. A call center industry leader, SP Data employs 700 people globally. SP Data provides outsourced inbound customer care service to multi-national corporation clients. The project in Richfield involves leasing an existing vacant building. This $175,000 project is expected to create 400 positions within three years of the project’s initial operations.
The Job Creation Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit against the Commercial Activity Tax or income tax. The Job Retention Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit against the Commercial Activity Tax or income tax. The credits equal a percentage of new state income tax withheld on retained, full-time employees in Ohio. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority is a five-member independent board consisting of taxation and economic development professionals from throughout the state that is responsible for reviewing and approving applications for state tax credit assistance. The Authority also has oversight responsibilities that include monitoring and reporting the progress of approved tax credit projects. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority’s approval of incentives indicates the state’s commitment to the company, and precedes a final decision of the company to accept or decline the tax incentives approved.