NCC Group CEO: Boards responsible for GDPR preparation

Preparation for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sits with the board, according to Rob Cotton, CEO of NCC Group.

He said that many organisations still wrongly believe IT departments and legal teams should take responsibility for ensuring their businesses are prepared for the new legislation which comes into force in May 2018.

Cotton made the comments during the release of the Group's half year results for the six months to 30 November 2016.

Revenue at the Group increased by 35 per cent to £125.8 million (November 2015: £93.5 million), with organic growth of 18 per cent during the six month period.

Assurance Division revenue increased by 42 per cent to £104.8 million (November 2015: £73.8 million), while revenue in the Escrow Division revenue rose by 14 per cent (November 2015: seven per cent) to £18.7 million (November 2015: £16.4 million).

Group adjusted EBITDA increased by 15 per cent and the Group is maintaining its interim dividend at 1.50p, which according to Cotton, is a 'a clear indication of the Group's confidence in its growth prospects for this year and beyond'.

Cotton continued: 'With our global reach and increased product range, we are in a prime position to help organisations as they tackle compliance with the GDPR ahead of 25 May 2018.

'GDPR preparation should already be well underway but many organisations still believe that preparing for GDPR sits with the IT department and the legal team. In our view, it belongs with the board.'

Meanwhile, international revenue at the Group soared by 80 per cent in the six months to 30 November 2016 to reach £64.2 million.

Following the acquisition of Fox-IT, PSC and VSR, international revenue, which is mostly derived from the US, represented some 51 per cent (November 2015: 36 per cent) of total Group revenue.

NCC Group's Risk Management & Governance team provides a range of data privacy services to help customers gain an holistic view of their state of compliance towards GDPR.

Through awareness workshops, privacy impact assessments, health checks and remediation support, we are actively working with organisations at all levels of maturity as they assess their readiness in advance of 2018.

Please visit the Investor Relations section of the Group's website for the full press release: https://www.nccgroup.trust/uk/about-us/investor-relations/stock-exchange-announcements/

Published date: 19 January 2017