Encore Capital Appoints New Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

Encore Capital Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ECPG), a leader in distressed consumer debt buying and recovery, today announced the promotion of Gregory L. Call to Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary.

Mr. Call has been a key leader within Encore's legal team, and will provide important leadership, perspective, and continuity as he assumes the role. "Greg has worked closely with the various legal and regulatory bodies that interact with our industry and has been a thought leader throughout his time at Encore," said Encore CEO Brandon Black. "I'm excited to have Greg assume this role and am confident in his ability to help Encore chart a course for growth and success in the years ahead."

Mr. Call replaces Ronald E. Naves, Jr., who has decided to depart the company to pursue other professional interests.

Black highlighted the important leadership Mr. Naves provided during his tenure: "Ron provided invaluable guidance for Encore during an important period in the company's growth, helping the company navigate important business and governance matters, a changing regulatory landscape, and rapid growth in the legal work conducted across our business."

Mr. Call joined Encore in January 2010, and has held leadership positions overseeing key company initiatives and business channels. Prior to joining Encore, Mr. Call served as Vice President and General Counsel of Gateway, Inc., where he established a successful track record of tackling complex legal challenges and effectively managing teams of legal professionals. Mr. Call holds a J.D. from the J. Reuben Clark Law School and a B.A. in English Literature from Brigham Young University.

About Encore Capital Group, Inc.

Encore Capital Group is a leader in consumer debt buying and recovery. We purchase portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables from major banks, credit unions, and utility providers and partner with individuals as they repay their obligations and work toward financial recovery. Our success and future growth are driven by our sophisticated and widespread use of analytics, our broad investments in data and behavioral science, the significant cost advantages provided by both our operations in India and our enterprise-wide, account-level cost database, and our demonstrated commitment to conduct business ethically and in ways that support our consumers' financial recovery.

Headquartered in San Diego, we are a publicly traded NASDAQ Global Select company (ticker symbol: ECPG) and a component stock of the Russell 2000, the S&P SmallCap 600, and the Wilshire 4500. More information about the Company can be found at http://www.encorecapital.com/.

For media inquiries, please contact:

George Durham
Encore Capital Group, george.durham@encorecapital.com
(858) 309-9491

Mike Huckman
MSLGROUP, for Encore Capital mike.huckman@mslgroup.com
(212) 468-3968

Mary McCeney
MSLGROUP, for Encore Capital mary.mcceney@mslgroup.com
(212) 468-4053

SOURCE Encore Capital Group, Inc.