Equifax to Add 200 Staff in Costa Rica

Data Analytics services provider Equifax has unveiled plans to expand its shared services center in Costa Rica with an addition of around 200 workers to its operations.

The shared services center, established in 2016 in Heredia Free Zone, serves as a back-office, providing services in areas such as cybersecurity, finance and accounting, IT, and customer service.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based company says it is looking for English or French speakers with expertise in technology.

“Equifax is undergoing the largest transformation of its recent history,” Jairo Quiros, vice president of global shared services, said.

“We are leveraging our Costa Rica Shared Services talent to enable the company to drive change forward.”

The company has been treading carefully since September 2017, when reports emerged that cybercriminals had broken into its systems and stolen a large amount of sensitive data.

The breach kicked up a storm in the company, leading to the exit of several high-profile executives. However, the company has continued to make money with its analytics services, which helps businesses understand their customers’ credit behavior and credit-worthiness.

Equifax set up operations in the Central American country in 1995, and employs around 1,000 people.

The Costa Rican government, frustrated by a series of job losses in recent weeks, has welcomed the news of the Equifax expansion.

“We are proud of the company’s growth, and that our country has contributed to this process of transformation, innovation and growth,” said  Dyalá Jiménez, Costa Rica’s foreign trade minister, said.

The country’s investment promotion agency, CINDE, says the tech services sector has is on the rise, with the sector growing five-fold between 2000 and 2018.