Our story
1993: The Fifth Business is set up in Aberdeen, Scotland to create a multimedia and just-in-time training offer to the market.
1994: First contracts acquired with major energy customers in the North Sea.
1995: Heavy investment in computer hardware accompanies the creation of a dedicated e-learning team.
1995: The Fifth Business offers the oil and gas industry a comprehensive interactive design service for internal communications programmes and safety programmes.
1996: Virtual team working technology is adopted by The Fifth Business and applied to several customers' training programmes.
1997: The Fifth Business is the first company to offer computer training services 24 hours a day – and is awarded several projects in Australia.
1998: Low oil prices cause energy customers to seek more cost-effective ways of engaging their staff. The Fifth Business integrates its IT training, communications and design services to offer greater value.
1999: A focus on internal communications leads to the rollout of several global employee engagement programmes with a more diversified blue chip customer base.
2000: The Fifth Business is included in the Deloitte UK Fast Ffity listings.
Director Joan Ingram is the runner up in Scottish Business Woman of the Year Award.
2001: International expansion into the USA with the opening of a Houston office, to accommodate demand from energy sector and other Fortune 500 companies.
2002: London office opens to serve wider UK market.
2003: USA operations expanded to include a dedicated design and training team.
2004: First contracts are won with UK broadcast media.
2005: Productivity coaching service line is developed and piloted in both Aberdeen and Houston – then extended to Egypt and Indonesia. The Fifth Business works with global companies to obtain the maximum return from their information technology investments.
2006: The Hague office opens to support contracts coming from European blue-chips.
2007: The Fifth Business expands its global operations to the Middle and Far East.
2008: The Fifth Business rebrands all operations within the business and implements the changes throughout their global offices offices.
2009: Change management service line is developed and launched across the company.
The Fifth Business is awarded two Communicators in Business (CiB) Awards of Excellence for two separate communications campaigns.
2010: Directors Enda Logan and George Phillips complete the prestigious Harvard Business School Owner/President Management Program (OPM39), a three-year study cycle in the latest business techniques.
The Fifth Business is shortlisted for a prestigious E-learning Age Award for a cutting edge bespoke e-learning programme.
2011: The Fifth Business dramatically expands its US client roster to include healthcare and new energy customers.