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January 8 2020

Verifile founder named as Cranfield School of Management’s Entrepreneur Alumnus of the Year

Verifile founder, Eyal Ben Cohen, has been named as Entrepreneur Alumnus of the Year 2020, in the Cranfield School of Management Alumni Awards.

The Cranfield School of Management annual alumni awards recognise special achievements and contributions of alumni, providing Cranfield with an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate those who exemplify the values of the school.

Explaining their decision to hand Eyal the award, James Pagliaro, Senior Development Manager at Cranfield University, said: “Eyal set about developing his idea for Verifile while studying for his MBA at Cranfield.

“He identified a gap in the market and the need for businesses to apply stringent recruitment processes and rigorous background checks.

“Today, Verifile is recognised as having changed the employee screening industry, winning many awards - most recently a Queen’s Award for International Trade.

“Verifile has shown excellent growth in turnover, profits, product and geographical reach. Furthermore, the company also implements socially responsible employment practices to recruit and retain staff, benefitting the local economy.

“Importantly, Eyal’s vision gives other businesses peace of mind and confidence when hiring new employees; in a world where good people are key to a company’s success – this is integral.

“It is for this reason, that we are delighted to announce that Eyal is the winner of this year’s Entrepreneur Alumnus of the Year Award.”

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Eyal graduated from Cranfield School of Management with an MBA in 2004 and says the university played an integral role in shaping his ideas for Verifile.

“Cranfield is where my Verifile journey began in earnest. With the support of my lecturers and fellow students, a business plan began to take shape as I worked towards my MBA,” added Eyal.

“It’s a place that provided me with access to everything an aspiring entrepreneur could hope for, including a strong network, client introductions, investment capital, research resources, and an office.

“Sixteen years on, and with Verifile having just received a Queen’s Award for International Trade, I’m still passionate about creating transparency within a workforce and understanding how technology can help achieve this – and I’m still incredibly proud to be a Cranfield alumnus.”

Eyal’s award comes after a fantastic 12 months for Verifile. In May 2019 the company picked up a prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade, the first background screening company to do so.

Various other awards were also collected, including the National SME Business Award for ‘Best Enterprising Business’, ‘Bedford Business of the Year’ and ‘Best Enterprising Business – Luton and Bedfordshire’.

Verifile were also shortlisted for the ‘Outstanding Use of Technology’ in the Investors in People Awards.

But, Eyal said this award, and others, aren’t just for him. Speaking to Verifile staff recently about receiving the Entrepreneur Alumnus of the Year Award, he said: “This award really is for each and every one of us working at Verifile.

“While I may have come up with the idea and while I may be behind most of the decisions, without the teams here I would not have been considered.

“It is they who get on and get the job done, they who deliver the quality products and services. They make me proud and now they make Cranfield University proud.”