Company reaps benefits after banning phones

THE boss of a leading Cardiff-based company has revealed one of the secrets of boosting his firm’s creativity – banning mobile phones from meetings.

Cato Syversen, chief executive of global company information provider Creditsafe, said the decision to ban all phones and laptops from company meetings was reaping dividends.

“Banning mobile phones and laptops in meetings, so that everyone is listening, is very important for the networking and creative process,” he said.

“So getting rid of them has been very effective for us and we are very pleased with that.”

Creditsafe employs nearly 400 workers altogether at its headquarters in Cardiff and an office in Caerphilly.

Its subscription online service offer is now available in 89 countries.

Worldwide Creditsafe, which started in Caerphilly over a decade ago, has a workforce of 1,500 and offices in 12 locations including Italy, Japan and the US.

Addressing a meeting of Cardiff Breakfast Club yesterday, the charismatic Norwegian also said start-up companies looking to disrupt the marketplace had to create an environment of “craziness and creativity” – although an element of control was needed once a business becomes established.

Mr Syversen said that so-called Y generation employees – people born between 1984 and 2000 – created enjoyable challenges.

He described them as the “negotiation generation” starting with their parents and what time they went to bed to currently what they expect from employers.

Some 75% of Creditsafe’s workforce is in this age category.

Mr Syverson said: “There is going to be craziness and chaos and you need some don’ts.

“But they have a massive urge to have an impact and to make a difference and quickly. So they need to have a voice so that they are not disappointed.”

On the advent of the “fourth industrial revolution” with increasing automation throughout a range of jobs and the adoption of artificial intelligence, he said the forecast speed of change made it difficult to predict the future.

He added: “But in the fourth industrial revolution we will have to go crazy again, but in a controlled way where we learn quickly, so happy days!”