Leading Irish business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Abtran began when its founder, Pat Ryan, took on a Japanese firm as a client in 1997. Through an Irish program for engineering professionals, Ryan spent four years in Japan, where he worked at Alps Electric Co. Ltd., whose subsidiary, in Cork later became his first client. Since then, Abtran has shifted its focus to three main segments: public and financial services in Ireland and the energy sectors in Ireland and the U.K.
One of the firm’s biggest milestones was when it secured its first public-sector contract in 2001, when Ryan’s team helped Ireland’s Department of Finance in the introduction of the euro. It set up contact centers and provided fulfillment or logistics services as part of that project.
“Our business is fundamentally a people business driven by strong processes and technology. We found our base in customer contact center outsourcing and back office processing,” Ryan said.
Celebrating 21 years in the business, Abtran is strengthening its leading position in the BPO industry. Looking back, Ryan said: “All my experiences with the Japanese helped me steer the business to where it is today. I appreciate all this and we will continue to improve.”
