FINALIST: Financial Services
Hugh Jones doesn’t settle for business as usual. He has always looked to work with businesses he can drive to improve and grow. So when he joined Accuity — now a part of BankersAccuity — in 2008, at the head of the financial crisis, he relished the challenge to help the financial services company and its clients weather the economic downturn.
As president and CEO of the Skokie, Ill.-based company, Jones began his tenure by revamping and repositioning the company to offer more complete product solutions for consumers. Instead of slashing prices like competitors, he used the added product value from these solutions to raise prices and keep the company profitable. Combined with targeted layoffs and across-the-board salary cuts, Jones was able to foster 41 percent revenue growth from 2008 to 2011 and more than double its value, despite the recession. This led to the firm’s sale in late 2011 to Reed Elsevier.
The company has become the leader in payment routing solutions and KYC, SEC and FINRA compliance adherence solutions. It offers data, software and services that maximize payment efficiency and ensure transactional compliance for more than 17,000 banks, financial institutions, governments and corporations globally.
Jones’ successful concept of “solution selling” to raise the value of company products and services was implemented in all facets of the business, including website, marketing materials and sales presentations. On the payment end, Accuity provides operational, financial and time efficiencies for its customers’ businesses. Through preventive investments and vigilant monitoring, the company has also added value to its compliance services, combating financial transactions arriving from nefarious businesses such as human and drug trafficking, terrorism and fraud. ■
HOW TO REACH: Accuity Inc., www.accuitysolutions.com
