Greetings consulting enthusiasts! The past week may have been relatively calm in terms of consulting M&A activity, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some exciting updates for you.
We’re always on the pulse of the latest in the consulting world, and this week is no exception. Our insider information includes intriguing deals like JP Weber’s recent Polish acquisition and a handful of others that will undoubtedly pique your interest.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to stay informed on the hottest mergers and acquisitions of the week. So, saddle up and join us as we take a closer look at the world of consulting deals!
#1. JP Weber buys Polish management consultancy Enky Consulting
JP Weber, a Polish advisory firm, has strengthened its team through the acquisition of Enky Consulting, a Warsaw-based management consultancy boutique.
Enky Consulting, which was established in 2016, provides support to its clients on a variety of subjects, including project management, performance enhancement, implementing lean and agile approaches, innovation, and digital transformation.
The team now has roughly 15 employees and serves a clientele that includes over a dozen Fortune 1000 businesses, including Philips and Unilever. Over the past eight years, the team has grown to this size.
With the acquisition of Enky Consulting, JP Weber expands its portfolio to include organizational transformation services – expertise that typically comes into play after JP Weber’s current areas of expertise.
#2. WTW sells Saville Assessment to tech investor Tenzing
WTW, a global leader in wealth management consulting, has sold its psychometric analytics division to Saville Assessment for an undisclosed sum. Tenzing, a private equity investor, has acquired Saville Assessment as the demand for human resources solutions increases on a labor market that is constrained.
Saville Assessment, which was acquired for £42 million by consulting firm WTW, has attracted significant private equity investment. Eight years after acquiring Saville Assessment, WTW has sold the property to Tenzing.
Tenzing specializes in tech investments for high-growth UK and European SMEs, typically valued between £10 million and £200 million, but the fee has not been made public.
Speaking about this, one of the leaders at WTW stated that Tenzing offers Saville an excellent opportunity to develop and thrive as it enters its next phase of growth. And WTW looks forward to continuing to partner with Saville, and its colleagues, to bring winning, integrated solutions to its clients.
#3. Design Bridge and Partners launches under WPP mantle
Design Bridge and Partners, a global design firm owned by the multinational advertising conglomerate WPP, has officially launched.
WPP merged with Design Bridge, a design agency that serves consumer brands such as Diageo, Unilever, and MasterCard, with Superunion, a firm that provides corporate branding and brand experience services to companies such as Bank of America, Intel, and NASA, in July 2022. Superunion was formed in 2018 with the merger of WPP brand agencies The Partners, Lambie-Nairn, Addison, VBAT, and Brand Union.
The move is part of WPP’s efforts to reduce operational costs by streamlining its many businesses. In 2020, the London-based corporation merged Grey and AKQA to form the 6,000-person AKQA Group agency.
The new company, Design Bridge and Partners, employs 850 employees in 17 studios across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The merged firm combines the complementary capabilities of its constituent companies in all aspects of brand strategy and design, such as graphic, motion, digital, physical, and communication design.
#4. Grants consultancy PNO Group lands investor for growth ambition
Private equity firm Bencis Capital Partners has made a substantial investment in pan-European grants consultancy PNO Group to accelerate its international development.
The company was first established in the Netherlands in 1985 as PNO Consultants, and it has long been a local player there. Both the group’s 2019 acquisition of France’s Arttic and the 2007 merger of PNO Consultants with Spanish organization Econet represented significant steps in the internationalization plan. Moreover, an Italian player was added to its list of contracts last year.
PNO Group, one of the biggest consulting organizations on the continent with a focus on grants and innovative services, is currently operating in nine different European nations. The company assists clients of various shapes and sizes, including corporations, startups, small enterprises, academic organizations, and research institutions, in securing funds on the national and European levels.
PNO Group will now collaborate with Bencis Capital Partners to achieve three core objectives: scaling up to meet growing demand, investing in further professionalization to achieve excellence in its services, and a buy-and-build strategy to expand its footprint.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, it has been a great journey parsing apart the week’s consulting M&A news. As we sign off, we invite you to always stay in touch with us and share any deals worth mentioning that may have gone under the radar.
Preparation is key in this ever-changing space of mergers and acquisitions, so remain alert and make sure your information channels are open. Our weekly updates remain dedicated to helping you keep up with all the M&A talks – now and beyond. Until next time – goodbye!
