Teleperformance
Teleperformance SE is a French multinational business process outsourcing company founded in 1978 by Daniel Julien, specializing in digitally integrated customer experience management services, including front-office support, back-office operations, and AI-enhanced solutions for global clients.[1][2]
Headquartered in Paris, the company operates in over 170 countries with approximately 446,000 employees as of December 2024, serving sectors such as technology, finance, and government with omnichannel customer interactions.[3][4]
In 2024, Teleperformance generated revenue of €10.28 billion, reflecting steady growth amid integration of AI technologies and acquisitions like Majorel, though it has encountered challenges from specialized services slowdowns.[5][6]
The firm has achieved recognition for its scale and innovation in outsourcing but faces ongoing controversies, including allegations of exploitative working conditions for content moderators exposed to child sexual abuse material in Colombia, investor lawsuits over misleading disclosures on labor practices, and worker strikes in Greece citing union-busting and invasive surveillance.[7][8][9][10]
Founding and Early History
Origins and Initial Expansion (1978–1990s)
Teleperformance was founded in June 1978 in Paris, France, by Daniel Julien, a 25-year-old economics graduate from the University of Paris, starting operations with just 10 telephone lines dedicated to third-party telemarketing and call center services.[11][12][13] Initially focused on the French market, the company provided outsourced customer interaction services, emphasizing direct marketing and customer relationship management through telephone-based operations.[11][14] By 1985, Teleperformance had become the leading call center provider in France, having innovated in areas such as integrated marketing and customer service management, which broadened its offerings beyond pure telemarketing to include customer care and technical support.[11][15][14] International expansion began in 1986 with the establishment of subsidiaries in Belgium and Italy, marking the company's first steps outside France to capitalize on growing demand for outsourced customer services in Europe.[11][12][15] The late 1980s saw accelerated growth, with additional subsidiaries opened in 1988 in Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, enabling Teleperformance to serve multinational clients across diverse European markets.[11][16][17] In 1990, the company underwent a significant restructuring through a merger led by Société Rochefortaise de Communication (SRC), an entity founded in 1910, which integrated Teleperformance's operations with SRC's marketing and public relations capabilities, forming a precursor structure that evolved into SR Teleperformance S.A. and facilitating further scale in customer experience outsourcing.[11][18] Early 1990s expansion included the establishment of Teleperformance USA in 1992 or 1993, extending operations to North America amid rising global outsourcing trends.[12][16]Growth into Global Operations (2000s)
In the early 2000s, Teleperformance accelerated its international expansion by establishing and acquiring operations in key Latin American markets to leverage cost advantages and proximity to North American clients. Following acquisitions in Argentina and Brazil in 1998, the company entered Mexico in 2002 through a targeted acquisition, enabling delivery of multilingual customer service from nearshore facilities.[19] This move supported growth in handling high-volume calls for U.S.-based clients, with sites scaling to support sectors like telecommunications and finance. By mid-decade, Latin America accounted for a growing share of the company's offshore capacity, driven by investments in infrastructure and workforce training for 24/7 operations.[20] Europe and North America saw further diversification through acquisitions focused on specialized services. In 2000, Teleperformance opened its site in Tirana, Albania, initially targeting Eastern European talent pools for cost-efficient support, which later expanded to serve over 70 clients with more than 6,500 employees.[21] The 2007 acquisition of Hispanic Teleservices Corporation from The Carlyle Group bolstered U.S. operations with enhanced Spanish-language capabilities across multiple sites.[22] That same year, purchases of Twenty4Help in Europe strengthened technical support offerings, while AllianceOne expanded debt collection and receivables management in the U.S.[23] In 2008, the acquisition of The Answer Group further integrated U.S.-focused customer interaction services, adding scale to domestic operations.[19] The decade closed with continued penetration into Latin America via the 2009 acquisition of Teledatos S.A. in Colombia, which brought established call center expertise and client portfolios in the region.[24] These moves, combining organic site openings with bolt-on acquisitions, increased Teleperformance's global footprint to over 50 countries by 2010, emphasizing scalable, technology-enabled platforms for outsourced customer experience management. The strategy prioritized regions with bilingual workforces and regulatory stability, contributing to revenue growth from approximately €300 million in 2000 to over €1 billion by 2009 through diversified geographic revenue streams.[11]Business Model and Core Services
Outsourced Customer Experience Management
Teleperformance provides outsourced customer experience management (CXM) services, handling client interactions across omnichannel platforms including voice calls, digital chats, email, social media, and self-service options to deliver scalable support solutions.[25][26] These services encompass customer care, technical support, sales assistance, and claims processing, primarily through business process outsourcing (BPO) models that allow clients to offload frontline operations while maintaining brand consistency.[27][28] The company's approach integrates human emotional intelligence (EI) with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, enabling agents to address complex, empathy-driven queries while AI automates routine tasks such as initial triage and data processing.[29][30] This hybrid model supports personalized interactions, with AI tools like co-pilots enhancing agent efficiency and training, as implemented across its operations by March 2025.[31] Teleperformance emphasizes nearshore and offshore delivery to optimize costs and cultural alignment, serving industries such as telecommunications, finance, and retail.[32][33] Supporting this scale, Teleperformance maintains a workforce of approximately 490,000 employees as of early 2025, operating in over 170 countries and supporting interactions in more than 265 languages.[31][34] The firm invests in extensive training, delivering around 44 million hours annually to build agent expertise in client-specific protocols and customer satisfaction metrics.[35] Everest Group has recognized Teleperformance as a global leader in CXM services for nine consecutive years through 2023, citing its capabilities in digital transformation and operational resilience.[36]Digital and Technological Services
Teleperformance's digital and technological services integrate artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and analytics to support customer experience (CX) transformation, often in conjunction with its core outsourcing operations. These offerings include end-to-end digital solutions across the CX lifecycle, leveraging technologies such as cloud computing, contact center platforms, and process automation to enable scalable business operations.[37][38] The company positions these services as a means to combine human expertise with digital tools, aiming to improve efficiency, personalization, and engagement in client interactions.[1] A key component is TP Infinity, launched in January 2024 as a specialized digital arm focused on integrated CX strategies. TP Infinity provides consulting, technology deployment, data analytics, design, and creative services to help clients redesign operating models, reduce costs, and build future-ready systems.[39][40] This unit addresses demands for holistic digital transformation in experience-led economies, drawing on a team of over 650 specialists in strategy, data, and technology.[41] In AI applications, Teleperformance deploys tools for automating content management, enhancing accuracy in CX processes, and personalizing digital interactions to drive business growth.[42][43] These include real-time analytics for customer behavior insights and AI-enhanced platforms that integrate with human oversight to mitigate errors in high-volume operations like moderation and support.[43] The firm has also implemented AI for specific operational enhancements, such as accent neutralization in call centers to improve communication clarity for global clients.[44] Additionally, Teleperformance's technological services extend to IT outsourcing and advanced analytics labs, which analyze customer data to inform process improvements and predictive modeling.[45] Through partnerships and proprietary platforms, the company supports sectors like e-commerce and government by deploying immersive digital experiences, including Internet of Things integration and cloud-based storefronts.[46][47] These capabilities have contributed to long-term client relationships, averaging 13 years, by delivering measurable efficiencies in digital CX delivery.[1]Global Presence and Workforce
Geographic Footprint and Key Markets
Teleperformance operates in approximately 100 countries, enabling service delivery to clients across 170 countries and territories through a network of onshore, nearshore, and offshore facilities.[1] This extensive geographic reach supports multilingual capabilities in over 300 languages, facilitating customized customer experience management for global brands.[48] The company's model leverages local expertise in diverse markets while maintaining centralized oversight from its Paris headquarters.[49] Key markets are concentrated in three regions: the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC). In the Americas, North America—led by the United States—drives substantial revenue through high-demand sectors such as technology, banking, and e-commerce, with additional growth in Latin American countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia for nearshore operations.[50] EMEA encompasses core European markets including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, alongside expanding presence in the Middle East and Africa, where operations support multilingual hubs for European clients.[48] APAC represents a vital growth area, with major offshore delivery centers in India and the Philippines hosting large-scale workforces for cost-effective, scalable services targeting global clients.[51] In 2024, these regions contributed to total revenue of €10.28 billion, with North America and APAC accounting for the largest shares due to volume-driven outsourcing in digital services.[52] [53] The Philippines and India, as primary low-cost hubs, underpin APAC's dominance, employing hundreds of thousands in customer support roles, while U.S. operations emphasize specialized, high-value engagements.[51] This distribution reflects strategic expansions via acquisitions and organic growth, enhancing proximity to clients in high-revenue markets like the U.S. and Europe.[54]Employee Scale and Operational Model
Teleperformance maintains a workforce of nearly 500,000 employees, operating across approximately 100 countries to deliver customer experience services in about 300 languages and serving 170 markets.[55] [56] This scale positions the company as one of the largest providers of outsourced business process services globally, with employee numbers reported at 489,488 in recent analyses and growing through organic expansion and acquisitions.[56] As of the first half of 2025, 90% of its employees worked within organizations certified as Great Place to Work® by the independent institute, reflecting structured efforts to standardize employee conditions across its vast operations.[5] The operational model relies on a hybrid structure combining centralized management with decentralized execution via a network of contact centers, work-from-home agents, and digital platforms. This enables nearshore, offshore, and onshore delivery to optimize cost, expertise, and proximity to clients, supporting omnichannel customer interactions including voice, digital, and AI-assisted channels.[4] [25] Teleperformance employs proprietary processes like its Teleperformance Operational Processes & Standards (TOPS) for daily performance management, which emphasize quality control, training, and metrics-driven improvements to handle high-volume operations.[57] Integration of technology forms a core pillar, blending human agents with AI tools for automation, analytics, and predictive engagement to scale efficiency without compromising service quality. The model prioritizes "hi-tech and hi-touch" balance, where agents provide empathetic, multilingual support augmented by data-driven insights, allowing rapid deployment for clients in sectors like technology, finance, and healthcare.[35] This distributed, tech-enabled framework supports continuous scaling, with operations certified in 69 countries as of July 2025 for employee-centric practices that sustain workforce engagement at massive volumes.[58]Financial Performance and Growth
Revenue Trends and Key Metrics
Teleperformance's revenue has shown steady expansion, rising from €5.73 billion in 2020 to €8.35 billion in 2023, before surging to €10.28 billion in 2024 amid the full consolidation of Majorel following its acquisition.[59][60] This 2024 reported increase of 23.2% contrasted with pro forma organic growth of 2.6%, highlighting acquisition-driven scaling over underlying demand.[60][61] Into 2025, revenue for the first half totaled €5.12 billion, with like-for-like (LFL) growth accelerating to 3.5% in Q2 from 2.3% in Q1, supported by stronger performance in Europe, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific regions at 5.7% LFL.[59][5] First-quarter 2025 revenue stood at €2.613 billion, up 2.8% reported and 1.6% LFL.[62] The company anticipates full-year 2025 LFL revenue growth at the lower end of 2-4%, tempered by headwinds in specialized services.[63] Key financial metrics for 2024 included a recurring EBITA margin of 15.0%, reflecting operational efficiency post-acquisition.[64] Revenue breakdown showed 41% from the Americas, with core services dominating activity splits.[65]| Year | Revenue (€ billion) | Reported Growth (%) | Pro Forma/LFL Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5.73 | - | - |
| 2021 | 7.12 | 24.3 | - |
| 2022 | 8.15 | 14.5 | - |
| 2023 | 8.35 | 2.5 | - |
| 2024 | 10.28 | 23.2 | 2.6 |