InfoCision Management Corp., one of the area’s largest employers, has named a new chief executive officer and president.
Craig Taylor, son of the founder of the Bath Township teleservices firm, has been promoted to the position of CEO, according to a news release from the company issued Wednesday afternoon.
He replaces Carl Albright, who became president in 2004 when InfoCision founder Gary Taylor semi-retired. At that time, Albright began running the day-to-day operations of the nation’s second-largest privately held teleservices firm. Albright eventually was also given the CEO title as well.
The company employs about 4,400 people in 10 locations in three states. About 1,000 work at the main campus in Bath Township. Other local operations are in Green.
A recent listing of Summit County’s largest employers by Crain’s Cleveland Business placed InfoCision 14th with 1,460 workers in the county.
InfoCision made national headlines recently after a lengthy investigation published by Bloomberg Markets magazine.
A report published in newspapers nationwide, including the Akron Beacon Journal, and a televised segment on The Today Show said that in most cases 75 percent of the money consumers donated to some of the nation’s largest charities through InfoCision campaigns did not stay with the charities, but instead was paid to the telemarketing firm.
That story also cited a $75,000 settlement by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office this year after allegations were made that InfoCision employees misled people over the phone by giving them false information about how much of their contributions would go to charities. In some cases, paid staffers identified themselves as volunteers as they called potential donors. InfoCision has said that the settlement did not include an admission of wrongdoing.
InfoCision has said the Bloomberg story was an unfair attack on the company and full of misleading statements. Company officials said that looking at one InfoCision campaign for a specific fundraising purpose was not a fair assessment of how charities do overall. When all forms of fundraising are included, national charities keep 70 to 75 percent of the total donations.
Albright has been with the company since 1991. He started his career there as a floor supervisor and considered founder Gary Taylor his mentor.
In Wednesday’s news release, the company said Albright had been working for the past eight years with the Taylor family on a succession plan.
“The goal for some time has been for Craig Taylor to take a direct role in the overall management of the company. Carl will continue to work with Craig along with Chair of the Board Karen Taylor through the end of the year to accommodate the transition,” the statement said. “Carl’s desire has been to spend more time with his family, and this change allows him this opportunity.”
As executive vice president of the company, Craig Taylor focused on long-term strategy and growth. He also was responsible for overseeing expansion projects. He joined the company in 2003 and became full time in the call center in 2007.
Gary Taylor started the company in 1982 by himself at his home after working for the late pioneer televangelist Rex Humbard. Among his early clients were Humbard and another nationally known religious figure, Jerry Falwell.
In 2010, the day after InfoCision Stadium opened at the University of Akron, Gary Taylor suffered a heart attack that affected his ability to continue in any management role with the company.
Taylor’s family, including wife Karen and children Craig and Lindsay, are active in the company.
Calls made to the Taylor family, Albright, InfoCision Chief of Staff Steve Brubaker and other company officials were not returned Wednesday.
In its statement, the company said Steve Boyazis was being promoted to the role of president.
“Steve has been a key contributor to InfoCision’s growth and success since joining the leadership team as executive vice president in 2005,” the statement said.
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/blinfisher and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty