Experian at a Glance

A group of London merchants start swapping information on customers who fail to settle their debts. One such association, the Manchester Guardian Society, formed in 1826, later became an integral part of Experian.

Jim Chilton joins his uncle’s law firm in Dallas, Texas. He begins to list both good and bad credit risks and persuades merchants to pool credit information. Later the Chilton business became part of Experian.

Abraham Rose founds Universal Stores in Manchester, in the UK. Later known as Great Universal Stores (GUS), it becomes one of the UK’s largest home mail order companies and its vast stores of data gave birth to Experian’s UK operations.

Simon Ramo and Dean Wooldridge, two of the world’s most famous aerospace engineers, appear on the cover of TIME magazine. In 1961, Simon Ramo predicts the ‘cashless society’. They later form TRW, a partnership with Thompson Products.

A consortium of Brazilian banks forms Serasa. Like its American and British counterparts, Serasa undergoes waves of technical advancement, installing its first computer in 1981 and linking its database to the banks by 1989.

A strategy is started to use analytical skills to develop new targeted marketing products. New products were launched just as the boom in direct marketing gets under way.

TRW dips its toe into the direct-to-consumer market, with a service called Credentials. However, the concept was ahead of its time and it would require the development of the internet to establish the consumer as a customer.

Experian is formed when the UK and US businesses are combined under the ownership of GUS.

On 10 October 2006, Experian demerges from GUS to become an independent company listed on the London Stock Exchange, with an initial share price of £5.60. Under Don Robert’s leadership, Experian aims to develop its business worldwide.

Experian takes a controlling interest in Serasa, the world’s fourth largest credit bureau and the biggest in Brazil. This is the most significant step since the British and American businesses were combined in 1996.

Heart of Experian launches, to inspire the commitment and involvement of every employee. Don Robert states that: “At Experian, either everyone is a rock star or no one is a rock star. We get things done in partnership.”

A new era dawns for Experian as a new team takes over with the retirement of Sir John Peace, one of Experian’s founders. The pioneering spirit remains as strong as ever as Experian pushes forward into promising new high growth markets.