Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, the terms “Concentrix,” “we,” “us” and “our” and other similar terms in this Annual Report on Form 10-K refer to Concentrix Corporation and its subsidiaries.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our expected future financial condition, results of operations, effective tax rate, cash flows, leverage, liquidity, business strategy, competitive position, demand for our services and seasonality of our business, international operations, acquisition opportunities and the anticipated impact of acquisitions, capital allocation and dividends, growth opportunities, spending, capital expenditures and investments, competition and market forecasts, industry trends, our human capital resources initiatives and statements that include words such as believe, expect, may, will, provide, could and should and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things: risks related to general economic conditions, including uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy, supply chains, inflation, our business and the business of our clients; other communicable diseases, natural disasters, adverse weather conditions or public health crises; cyberattacks on our or our clients’ networks and information technology systems; the inability to protect personal and proprietary information; the failure of our staff and contractors to adhere to our and our clients’ controls and processes; the inability to execute on our digital customer experience strategy; the inability to successfully identify, complete and integrate strategic acquisitions or investments, including our integration of PK; competitive conditions in our industry and consolidation of our competitors; geopolitical, economic and climate or weather related risks in regions with a significant concentration of our operations; higher than expected tax liabilities; the loss of key personnel; the demand for customer experience solutions and technology; variability in demand by our clients or the early termination of our client contracts; the level of business activity of our clients and the market acceptance and performance of their products and services; the operability of our communication services and information technology systems and networks; changes in law, regulations or regulatory guidance; currency exchange rate fluctuations; damage to our reputation through the actions or inactions of third parties; increases in the cost of labor; investigative or legal actions; and other risks that are described under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We do not intend to update forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, unless otherwise required by law.
Concentrix, the Concentrix Logo, and all other Concentrix company, product and services names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Concentrix Corporation and its subsidiaries. Concentrix and the Concentrix Logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. and applicable non-U.S. jurisdictions. Other names and marks are the property of their respective owners.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
We are a leading global provider of Customer Experience (“CX”) solutions and technology that help iconic and disruptive brands drive deep understanding, full lifecycle engagement, and differentiated experiences for their end-customers around the world. We provide end-to-end capabilities, including CX process optimization, technology innovation, front- and back-office automation, analytics and business transformation services to clients in five primary industry verticals. Our differentiated portfolio of solutions support Fortune Global 500 as well as high-growth companies across the globe in their efforts to deliver an optimized, consistent brand experience across all channels of communication, such as voice, chat, email, social media, asynchronous messaging, and custom applications. We strive to deliver exceptional services globally supported by our deep industry knowledge, technology and security practices, talented people, and digital and analytics expertise.
We offer our clients integrated solutions supporting the entirety of the customer lifecycle; CX and user experience (“UX”) strategy and design; analytics and actionable insights; and innovative new approaches to enhancing the customer experience through the latest technological advancements in our industry. We are a leader in the shift from traditional Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”), which is focused on a portion of the customer lifecycle, to CX, which supports the entirety of it. Through our end-to-end capabilities, we deliver better economic outcomes for our clients with solutions designed to meet their unique needs as they navigate a landscape characterized by discerning consumers and new market entrants.
We have strong relationships with companies across the globe and are a partner of choice for industry leaders. We believe in supporting our clients over the long term to build enduring relationships. Our average client tenure is approximately 16 years. As of November 30, 2021, we served over 100 Fortune Global 500 clients as well as more than 115 new economy clients. We primarily support clients in verticals with certain characteristics, such as high growth, high transaction volume, high levels of compliance and security, and steep barriers to entry. Our strategic verticals include technology and consumer electronics, communications and media, retail, travel and e-commerce, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, and other. Our clients include:
•7 of the top 10 consumer electronics companies
•4 of the top 5 tech companies
•6 of the top 10 fintech companies
•5 of the top 5 U.S. banks
•3 of the top 5 ecommerce companies
•4 of the top 5 U.S. health insurance companies
•3 of the top 5 2021 global IPOs
•4 of the top 5 social brands
Through our technology-infused offerings, our clients benefit from having a single resource that enables them to address the entirety of the customer journey from acquisition to support to renewal. Our end-to-end capabilities and broad service offerings help our clients acquire, retain, and improve the lifetime value of their customer relationships while optimizing their back-office processes.
We combine global consistency with local expertise, enhancing the end user experience for our clients’ customers through services rendered by a team of approximately 290,000 across approximately 270 locations in more than 40 countries and 6 continents, where we conduct business in over 70 languages.
On December 27, 2021, we completed our acquisition of PK, a leading CX design engineering company with more than 5,000 staff in four countries. PK creates pioneering experiences that accelerate digital outcomes for their clients’ customers, partners and staff. The acquisition of PK expands our scale in the digital IT services market and supports our growth strategy of investing in digital transformation to deliver exceptional customer experiences. The addition of the PK staff and technology to our team further strengthens our capabilities in CX design and development, artificial intelligence (“AI”), intelligent automation, and customer loyalty.
On December 1, 2020, the previously announced separation (the “separation”) of Concentrix and our technology-infused CX solutions business from SYNNEX Corporation, now known as TD SYNNEX Corporation (“TD SYNNEX”), was completed through a tax-free distribution of all of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock to TD SYNNEX stockholders (the “distribution” and, together with the separation, the “spin-off”). TD SYNNEX stockholders received one share of our common stock for each share of TD SYNNEX common stock held as of the close of business on November 17, 2020. As a result of the spin-off, we became an independent public company and our common stock commenced trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “CNXC” on December 1, 2020. In connection with the spin-off, on November 30, 2020, we entered into a separation and distribution agreement, an employee matters agreement, a tax matters agreement and a commercial agreement with TD SYNNEX to set forth the principal actions to be taken in connection with the spin-off and define our ongoing relationship with TD SYNNEX after the spin-off.
We trace our roots back to 2004 when TD SYNNEX acquired BSA Sales, Inc., a company with 20 employees focused on helping clients through outsourced sales and marketing services. In 2006, TD SYNNEX combined New York-based Concentrix with BSA Sales under the Concentrix name, with the goal of bringing technology and innovation into businesses to help clients reimagine and design the next generation of experiences. Concentrix Corporation was incorporated in Delaware in December 2009.
Our Market Opportunity
In order to maintain relevancy, our clients must transform their systems in response to increased competition and consumer demands. To meet the evolving needs of their customers, our clients are looking to large CX solutions providers, such as Concentrix, to automate their systems and provide professional support to address complexities beyond the scope of automation. We are a leader in next-generation CX technology driven by a focus on innovation, which we believe will increase our total addressable market as we enter and grow across new and existing markets.
We offer a unique combination of CX solutions and services at scale. Our suite of integrated solutions include: digital transformation services that design and engineer CX solutions to enable efficient customer self-service and build customer loyalty; customer engagement solutions and services that address the entirety of the customer lifecycle; voice of the customer (“VOC”) solutions to gather and analyze customer feedback to foster loyalty to, and growth with, clients; analytics and consulting solutions that synthesize data and provide professional insight to improve clients’ customer experience strategies; AI technology that can intelligently act on customer intent to improve customer experience with non-human engagement; vertical business process outsourcing (“BPO”) services that provide specialized support to specific industry verticals; and back office BPO services that support clients in non-customer facing areas.
Industry Trends
•Growing Importance of Customer Experience. We believe customer experience has become a strategic imperative for all enterprises today. Data, analytics, and digital solutions have reshaped the ways firms interact with their customers. As a result, enterprises are modernizing how they manage the customer experience across all channels of communication. The market is evolving from customer relationship management solutions that act as a cost cutting measure toward end-to-end CX management solutions that create value throughout the entire customer lifecycle at an appropriate cost.
•Empowered Consumers and Users. The modern consumer is discerning and has come to expect a high level of care and responsiveness from their service providers. Old paradigms have shifted as increasingly competitive markets and easily accessible crowd-sourced information have empowered consumers to unprecedented levels. As consumers demand more and have an increasing number of alternatives, companies must differentiate on how they manage their customer relationships. This shift is driving the market toward consumer-centric solutions that reduce customer churn and promote brand loyalty.