Careers at Rentokil Initial

MISSION

Rentokil Initial PLC (“Rentokil”) aims to protect and enhance the lives of its customers by providing effective and efficient pest control services

FOUNDING STORY

Rentokil was founded in 1925 by Harold Maxwell-Lefroy, a professor of entomology at Imperial College London.

Harold Maxwell-Lefroy had developed methods for Rentokil’s pest control services while studying ways of exterminating beetles that had infested Westminster Hall.  His solutions were effective and he began to receive regular orders.

In 1924, Harold Maxwell-Lefroy began selling orders of woodworm fluid produced from a small factory in Hatton Garden under the brand name Ento-Kill, an amalgam of the Greek work 'entomon' meaning insect and the English word 'kill'.

The Company was formally incorporated in 1925 under the name Rentokil Limited, Entokill having been blocked by trade name objections.

Rentokil establishes itself as a provider of effective and reliable pest control services in the early half of the twentieth century.  The Company notably enhanced its reputation following the Second World War when it dealt with an infestation of rats in Reykjavik, exterminating rats 4,858 properties.

In 1957, Rentokil was acquired by fellow British pest control company British Ratin.

Rentokil and British Ratin went on to consolidate their respective operations, organising all UK trading companies as divisions of Rentokil Laboratories Limited.

The newly merged group launched operations in Hong Kong and Singapore in the 1960s and in 1969, the Company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Rentokil was established in its current form in 1996, when Rentokil acquired British Electric Traction and the Initial brand.

The Company has continued to expand its operations, and has worked on a. Number of high-profile events, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Rentokil is today one of the largest pest control companies in the world.  It continues to be listed on the London Stock Exchange and has a market capitalisation of more than GBP 7 billion.

Business model of Rentokil Initial

Customer Segments

Rentokil provides a range of pest control and hygiene services to commercial and institutional clients across multiple sectors.

The Company’s core clients can be organises into the following principal sectors:

  • Food and Consumer Goods, including food processing companies, food service businesses, and food retailers that are obliged to meet specific legislative requirements;
  • Construction and Development, including construction companies, contractors, and real estate developers to which the Company provides pest control and hygiene services;
  • Healthcare, comprising healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics, emergency services providers, and healthcare operators to which the Company provide specialist hygiene services;
  • Public Bodies and Government, including government bodies, public bodies, local and regional councils, and public housing organisations; and
  • Facilities Management, comprising facilities management specialists, janitorial service providers, and others.

Rentkoil offers services to a broad international customer base, serving more than 70 countries and markets worldwide.

The Company has leading market positions in the UK, continental Europe, Asia Pacific, and South Africa, and a rapidly expanding presence in North America.

Value Propositions

Rentokil provides value to its clients in the following ways:

  • Reputation and Standing – Rentokil is an established provider of pest control services with a history of offering reliable services that dates back to the early twentieth century. The Company is a market leader in the majority of its operating jurisdictions;
  • International Reach – Rentokil has an extensive operational presence spanning more than 70 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas, enabling it to provide services and solutions to a broad international client base quickly and efficiently;
  • Expertise and Experience – Rentokil employs experienced personnel with expert training, ensuing that it is able to retain its market leading positions around the world;
  • Effective Solutions – Rentokil has a proven track record of providing effective and efficient solutions that customers can rely on to fulfil their needs in pest control and hygiene; and
  • Innovation – Rentokil is engaged in research and development operations to ensure that its solutions are at the cutting edge of its industry. It is also engaged in the development of digital systems and solutions that support its core activities.

Channels

Rentokil serves its clients directly via its sales and service units.  The Company offers its products across four core business lines: Pest Control, which includes its core pest control solutions; Hygiene, which includes the Company’s specialists hygiene products and services; Workwear, comprising the Company’s provision of workwear products in France; and Other, including the Company’s internal landscaping services.

Each of these business lines has its own sales and service organisation, which deal directly with clients.

The Company’s sales operations are spread across its operating markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific.

Customer Relationships

Rentokil seeks to establish longstanding relationships with its clients, offering its pest control and hygiene services to customers over extended periods of time.

This notably includes a number of regular customers  in the food and healthcare industry.

Rentokil works closely with its clients to offer services that are tailored to each individual client’s needs.  It services are frequently provided on-site by pest control professionals who are able to resolve issues and details with clients in person.

Rentokil operates a website at www.rentokil-initial.com, through which it provides information that can be accessed by clients on a self-service basis, including  information on its services, operating jurisdiction, corporate governance, and partners.

The company also  publishes contact information, through which customers can get in touch with personnel trained to handle complaints and enquiries.

On its website, Rentokil also hosts a media portal, through which it publishes company updates, news releases, and images.

It is additionally able to communicate directly with customers through its various social media accounts, including with  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Key Activities

Rentokil is a commercial pest control and hygiene services company.  It is engaged in the provision of route-based services that are designed to protect people and enhance lives.

The Company organises its operations into geographic segments, comprising Europe, UK and Rest of the World, Asia, North America, Pacific, and Central.  The Company's services are organised under several business categories, including Pest Control, Hygiene, Workwear, and Other.

Rentokil offers a range of pest control services, ranging from rodents to flying and crawling insects, to other forms of wildlife management.

The Company also provides a range of other specialist services, including plants, medical services, property care and specialist hygiene, and is engaged in the supply and maintenance of garments, such as workwear and personal protective equipment, throughout Europe.

Key Partners

Rentokil works closely with a range of partners around the world to ensure that it is able to provide effective and reliable services.

These partners can be organised broadly intno the following categories:

  • Supplier and Vendor Partners, comprising suppliers of equipment and resources – including raw materials chemicals – that are used in the Company’s core pest control services, as well as third party providers of services that support the Company’s corporate operations;
  • Technology Partners, comprising various technology and software companies with which the Company collaborates on digital innovation projects, in particular with regard to the internet of things;
  • Industry Partners, comprising industry bodies and regulatory institutions, with which the Company works on developing industry standards;
  • Community Partners, comprising a range of non-profit organisations and charitable bodies with which the Company works on community, environmental, and social projects around the world; and
  • Strategic and Alliance Partners, comprising various other commercial enterprises and organisations with which the Company collaborates on other projects, including marketing, business development, and research projects.

Rentokil has a number of partnership in place.  In 2017, the Company launched a partnership with BRC Global Standards to tackle risks in the food service industry.

The Company also has digital innovation tie-ups with companies such as Google and AliBaba.

Key Resources

Rentokil’s business model depends on its ability to provide effective and reliable pest control and hygiene services.

As such, the Company’s key resources are its supplies and supply chain, its equipment and tools, its intellectual properties – including product and service patents, its network of operating locations, its partnerships, its personnel – in particular its specialist pest control professionals, and its IT and communications infrastructure.

Rentokil notably has a number of patent applications filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, including applications for ‘apparatus for indicating pest activity’, ‘insect trap’, and ‘ hygiene product receptacle’.

Cost Structure

Rentokil incurs costs in relation to the development of its solutions and intellectual properties, the procurement of supplies and equipment, the procurement of third party services, the management of its partnerships, the payment of salaries and benefits to its personnel, the operation and maintenance of vehicles – including fuel costs, the development and maintenance of its IT and communications infrastructure, and the operation of its office locations – including occupancy and utility costs.

In 2018, Rentokil recorded total annual operating expenses of GBP 2.2 billion.  The Company’s largest expense was its personnel costs, which totalled GBP 1.2 billion for the year.

Revenue Streams

Rentokil generates revenue through the provision of pest control and hygiene services.  The Company primarily derives revenue under service contracts agreed directly with clients on a case-by-case basis.  The Company also derives a portion of its revenue under sales contracts for its workwear products.

In 2018, Rentokil generated annual revenue of GBP 2.47 billion, down slightly on the GBP 2.51 billion recorded by the Company in 2017.

The bulk of Rentokil’s revenue, around GBP 1.54 billion, was generated by its pest control activities.  The Company’s operations in North America accounted for the largest portion of revenue by region, approximately GBP 934.2 million.

Our team

Andy Ransom,
Chief Executive Officer

info: Andy Ransom (“Ransom”) has served as Chief Executive Officer at Rentokil since 2013. He is responsible for leading the Company’s overall strategic direction and oversees the Company’s operations across Europe and Asia. Ransom first joined Rentokil in 2008 as Managing Director of the Pest Control division and Executive Director of Corporate Development. Ransom also serves as a non-executive director of Selecta AG and as a director of Street League. Townsend began his career at ICI PLC, where he held roles of increasing responsibility between 1986 and 2008. He served initially as a member of the company’s legal department, going on to serve as General Counsel for the ICI Explosives Division, General Counsel for ICI in the Americas, Group Vice President for Mergers and Acquisitions, and Executive Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions.

Jeremy Townsend,
Chief Financial Officer

info: Jeremy Townsend (“Townsend”) has served as Chief Financial Officer at Rentokil since August 2010. He is responsible for leading the Company’s various financial management operations, including overseeing the activities of its accounting, internal audit, investor relations, and tax units. Townsend also serves as a non-executive director of Parkrun Trading Limited, Parkrun Global Limited, and Galliford Try PLC. Townsend began his career working in the audit and corporate finance divisions of professional services firm Ernst and Young. He went on to serve as Corporate Finance Director at J Sainsbury PLC, following which he served as Deputy Finance Director at Mitchells and Butlers PLC. Prior to joining Rentokil, Townsend served from 2008 as Mitchells and Butlers PLCS’s Executive Finance Director.

Jurgen Hofling,
Managing Director for Europe

info: Jurgen Hofling has served as Managing Director for Europe at Rentokil since joining the Company in 2014. He is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Company across markets in Europe. Hofling began his career in 1989, when he joined Werner and Mertz GmbH Mainz as a marketing manager. In 2005, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer at DHL Express Nordics, a role he held for just over a year before joining Deutsche Post AG in 2007 as Chief Executive Officer of DHL Global Mail. Prior to joining Rentokil, Hofling served for more than five years as a partner at Theron Management Advisors GmbH.