Moneypenny names new North America VP

Listen to this article

Telephone answering service Moneypenny has named a new vice president of operations for North America as it prepares to expand its U.S. operation, which is based in North Charleston.

Mel Carlen, previously head of information technology services for Moneypenny, will lead the U.S. team, which according to a news release is growing at a rate of 50% each year and has grown 25% so far in 2019.

Moneypenny is headquartered in the United Kingdom. The company opened its Lowcountry office in 2015.

“We are delighted to be naming Mel to this vital role,” global CEO Joanna Swash said in the release. “Her fantastic experience and leadership skills will help lead us in our ambitious growth and acquisition plans for the U.S.”

Carlen said she’s looking forward to joining the Moneypenny team in Charleston.

“It will be a pleasure to support and work with the team to take the business to its next phase of evolution and growth,” she said in the release. “We have some very big plans for the U.S. and are looking at acquiring companies to assist in this growth.”

Moneypenny’s U.S. expansion is funded by an investment from private equity firm ECI Partners, the news release said. Though Moneypenny did not disclose the size of the equity funding, it characterized it as a “significant investment.”