History

Onboard Partners has been at the forefront of trends that have reshaped the financial services industry over the past forty years. Headquartered in Boston with an office in Philadelphia, Onboard Partners is continually expanding beyond the original vision to maximize clients’ credit card portfolio value by creating partnerships between card issuers and renowned companies and organizations.

Our Story

Since creating the affinity credit card in the late 1970s, our team of financial services experts have spent the past four decades building and expanding the business far beyond its credit card roots. As a result, KG is widely known for developing elegant solutions to the most complex problems faced by our clients.

Innovative partnerships and concepts created by KG continue to reshape the payments industry. The result — billions of dollars of value for our financial services clients and their non-profit and co-brand partners. See timeline below

1979

Based on his success in marketing teacher loans using a state teacher union’s endorsement, Howard Kessler takes the newly conceptualized affinity credit card to MNC Financial.

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1970s

1980

Affinity concept expands to a wide range of sectors including colleges and universities, preferred professionals, professionals, special interests, sports, and non-profits. During the 1980s and 1990s, KG signs over 6,000 partners, while also performing marketing services for hundreds of partners.

1982

MBNA is founded as the credit card subsidiary of MNC. KG partners with MBNA to establish card partnerships between MBNA and affinity groups, resulting in the issuance of the first affinity branded credit cards.

1989

Further expands concept to include partnering with smaller banks to issue credit cards. Begins managing the acquisition of the smaller banks’ pre-existing credit card portfolios. Signs hundreds of banks and credit unions for MBNA, FNBO, and U.S. Bank in the 1990s and 2000s.

1980s

1990

Partnered with NOVA (later U.S. Bank) in merchant acquiring to convince banks to sell their merchant portfolios and use NOVA to process them.

1993

Kessler Group becomes a free standing entity.

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1990s

2004

Creates the first affinity/co-brand partnership with 2 major bank issuers — a super-prime/prime issuer and a near-prime/sub-prime issuer — to maximize the value of the partnership to the issuers and co-brand partners.

2007

Launches the risk-based funding business enabling issuers to expand their marketing acquisition efforts leveraging a $100 million investment by J.C. Flowers & Co.

2009

Launches debt advisory business in Australia, facilitating the sale of debt to third party buyers and optimizing collections performance via complex, in-house data analytics practice.

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2000s

2014

Creates new concept of “participation” model enabling agent banks to put some of their card programs’ receivables on balance sheet without moving credit card program in-house. The participation model allows the agent bank to put high-yielding credit card assets on their books while leveraging the scale and expertise of a top 10 credit card issuer.

2016

Advises Capital One on its acquisition of Cabela’s credit card operation, including approximately $5.2 billion in credit card receivables and other assets. The acquisition closed concurrently with Bass Pro Shops’ acquisition of Cabela’s. See full press release here.

2018

Signs several new Risk-Based Marketing clients and begins funding across multiple bank products.

ECN Capital, one of North America’s leading financial services companies, makes a significant strategic investment in KG. See full press release here.

2019

ECN Capital purchases additional minority ownership resulting in 96% ownership of KG.

Builds Fidem Financial to purchase unsecured consumer loan assets on behalf of investors and manage the assets. Over $5B in purchased assets to date.

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2010s

2020

Investment management platform adds $500 million personal loan portfolio. Began first pre-screen wireless marketing for major telco provider.

2021

Partnerships: added new bank partner in Canada

Performance Marketing:  added 10 new clients, including roll out of first Card-as-a-Service client – a large credit union

Fidem purchased almost $1.8+ billion in credit card outstandings in Q4

Fidem signed multi-year funding commitment with a leading private equity firm through its subsidiary, Specialty Lending Company

2022

Performance Marketing: expanded to support auto refi, student lending and subscription water clients.

In October, ECN Capital sold The Kessler Group to Stone Point Capital and a group of KG executives. See full press release here.

2023

KG rebrands as Onboard Partners to reflect the evolution of the business since Stone Point Capital’s acquisition of the company.

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2020s

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