We’re at the beginning of Q2 and seeing plenty of movement in our market, both with senior moves and acquisitions. Demand for client-facing hires continues even in tough economic conditions, while major consulting players expand their AI partnerships.
As always, we have all the news you need below.
People Moves
Hani Tohme and Santiago Castillo are appointed leaders of Roland Berger‘s newly established Energy and Utilities Competence Center in the Middle East. They will be responsible for developing the company’s capabilities in the Energy and Uilities sector in the region.
Nick Lush, formerly A&M Senior Director, joins EY as a Partner in their Transaction Strategy & Execution team, based in London. He will be supporting our PE and corporate clients, focusing on driving value creation through technology in their deals.
Interpath Advisory has announced the appointment of two senior hires (brought from Deloitte) to its business in Ireland. Daryll McKenna and Brendan O’Reilly both become Directors in the firm’s Restructuring wing, aiming to grow the firm’s capabilities in the region.
Rich Lesser, BCG Global Chair, is named to the US President’s Export Council by President Biden to help promote international trade and economic growth.
Riyadh Derouiche has joined the Partner team of Strategy& in the Middle East. Derouiche, who has over 20 years of experience in strategy consulting, most recently at Kearney, will focus on supporting clients in the region with their digital and technology transformation efforts.
Alvarez & Marsal appoints Vincent Van Liere (formerly Eight Advisory) as Managing Director in its Private Equity Performance Improvement practice in London. Van Liere will work on driving operational improvements and transformations for PE clients.
Dr. Mark Humphries has been appointed as the Chief Scientific Officer at PA Consulting. In this role, Humphries will strengthen PA’s position in applied science and its integration with design and engineering in the interest of innovation.
Kristin Graham leaves EY to join L.E.K. Consulting as a Partner in its Consumer Sector practice in the US. Graham will focus on Retail and Consumer Products clients, advising them on commercial strategy, growth, and innovation.
Donnie MacLeod has been appointed Managing Director at KPMG in the UK. MacLeod will oversee KPMG’s UK Government and Public Sector practice, focusing on delivering services to clients across areas including health and social care, education, and justice.
Mario Cugini has joined PA Consulting as a Partner in the firm’s Financial Services practice, working across its England and Scotland offices, leaving abrdn, an investment firm. Cugini will focus on developing and growing the firm’s FS offering, bringing expertise in areas such as risk management, regulatory compliance, and operational transformation.
Naishadh Soneta has joined FTI Consulting‘s Tax Advisory practice as a Senior Managing Director based in Dubai. With over two decades of experience in international Tax, Soneta will support the growth of the firm’s tax offering in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Kearney has hired Andre Begosso as Lead Partner for Utilities in North America, bring him across from Accenture. With over 25 years of experience in consulting, Begosso will help Kearney’s clients in the Utility and Energy sectors navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing environment.
James Cass has left Rabobank and joined AlixPartners as a Managing Director in the firm’s London office. With extensive experience in the Consumer sector and M&A, Cass will help the firm’s clients in the sector to drive growth, improve operational performance, and navigate complex transactions.
Bain & Company has hired a digital expert, Johannes Lehner, from Kearney. Lehner will join Bain’s Munich office as a Partner, where he will focus on helping clients in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors with their digital transformations.
Dr. Sebastian Schömann (formerly Kearney) has joined Bain & Company‘s Munich office as a Partner, where he will be part of the Digital Transformation practice group. With many years of experience in digital and technology-driven transformation, Schömann will advise clients in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as throughout the EMEA region.
Dominic Ayliffe has joined Kroll as a Managing Director in the firm’s Corporate Restructuring practice. Ayliffe comes across from the Standard Chartered Bank and will help Kroll’s clients navigate complex financial and operational challenges, particularly in the Middle East and Africa regions.
Alex Dolya has been appointed BCG’s Operations Practice Leader in the Asia-Pacific region, leading the build-out of the procurement topic and pioneering OPS AP offerings in supply chain, procurement, OPS transformation, and Scope 3 upstream decarbonization, with the aim to continue growth in the region.
Law firm Addleshaw Goddard has installed five new Partners as part of their Saudi expansion, including Zahid Maqbool, who has been named as the Managing Partner for the firm’s newly launched Saudi Arabian office. The new appointments will focus on key areas such as disputes, corporate, and commercial work, as well as the expansion of the firm’s real estate and construction practices.
Nathaniel Bartch has joined A&M Global Transaction Advisory Group (TAG) from KPMG as a Managing Director based in New York, bringing 17 years of leadership experience in buy- and sell-side financial and accounting due diligence advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies.
EY has appointed five new Partners to its Corporate Finance team in the UK: Jeremy Ellis, Amit Dewan, Mauro Fiorucci, Jack Dessay and Maurice Harbison each take on senior roles across the Energy, Infrastructure and TMT markets.
Will Davies has joined PA Consulting from Slalom Consulting as a Partner in the firm’s Financial Services practice, and Global Head of Insurance. Based in London, Davies will be focusing on growth opportunities in the Insurance sector and working with clients on a range of strategic issues.
A&M has hired Michael Timm as a Senior Director, who brings over 15 years of experience in the chemicals and oil industry, most recently at LANXESS. His focus will be on strategy development, reorganization, carve-outs, integration, and performance improvement.
Interpath Advisory has appointed Kevin Brett (formerly KPMG) as the new Head of its Transaction Services division in Ireland. Brett brings over 17 years of experience in accounting, with expertise in transaction services, corporate finance, and restructuring.
A&M Taxand appoints Christopher Datino from KPMG as Managing Director for its Federal Tax Services team in New York and Morristown. With more than 26 years of experience, he will help mid-market and privately held companies manage their domestic, federal and state tax codes during different stages of their business lifecycle.
Stefan Westdijk has been appointed as a new Partner in the Middle East team of Argon, a global management consulting firm, leaving EY in the UAE. Westdijk has over 15 years of experience in Supply Chain Management and Procurement, and will be based in the firm’s Dubai office.
Oliver Wyman appoints Adel Al-Falasi as the new head of its business in the UAE. Al-Falasi, who has been with the firm for over 11 years, will oversee the strategic direction and growth of Oliver Wyman’s operations in the UAE.
PwC has hired Dweenisha Caleechurn as a Director in its Pensions Risk team. Caleechurn, who has over 14 years of experience in pensions, will be responsible for leading the development of PwC’s offering in this area and supporting clients in managing their pension risks.
Ali Al Rumaihi has been appointed as the CEO of Tabreed in Bahrain, a district cooling company. Al Rumaihi will lead Tabreed’s growth and expansion plans in the region, focusing on increasing its market share and portfolio of clients.
Mark McKay has joined A&M Taxand in the UK as a Managing Director and will be responsible for leading the firm’s Tax Dispute Resolution practice.
Bain has hired Ernst van Duijn in Amsterdam, who will be leading Advanced Analytics for the EMEA region within Energy & Natural Resources. He comes across from Kearney and has a background in analytics & digital transformations across the energy, utility and mining sectors, and manufacturing.
Alex Law has been appointed as the Middle East Government and Public Services Tax Leader at Deloitte, in addition to his current role as the Middle East International and M&A Tax Leader.
Deloitte has appointed Akbar Ahmad and Muhammad Bahemia as the new Partners for its Middle East consulting practice. Ahmad will be responsible for the Human Capital consulting practice, while Bahemia will lead the firm’s Enterprise Applications practice in the region.
Accenture Song continues to reposition its global offering with the appointment of two new leaders in its London wing. Zoe Eagle and Will Hodge (also Chief Strategy Officer) replace previous leader, James Denton-Clark (currently NED at the SAE Institute UK), as Creative Agency co-CEOs of the organisation.
Michael Kahle leaves Accenture and is now a Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal, leading on Retail and Consumer work in Germany. His primary focus is business transformation, operating model, category management, customer/marketing, and digital.
KPMG has announced the appointment of Paula Holland as the new Senior Partner of its Aberdeen office. She has been with the firm for some 8 years will be responsible for leading the firm’s operations and strategy in the region, as well as supporting its clients across a range of sectors, including oil and gas, technology, and healthcare.
Market Intelligence
Capco and Designit will come together under Wipro Consulting. This alignment will bring together the complementary capabilities of Capco’s expertise in Financial Services and Designit’s design thinking capabilities, enhancing Wipro’s digital transformation offerings.
Pfizer is in the initial stages of discussing the acquisition of Seagen, a cancer drugmaker with a market capitalization of approximately $30bn. Seagen was previously in talks with Merck for a possible acquisition worth $40bn or more.
BearingPoint is growing its sustainability capabilities in the Nordics with the hire of a team from Korkia, a Helsinki-based investment and advisory company.
Asda, a UK supermarket chain, has hired digital consultancy firm Publicis Sapient to develop its e-commerce platform. The goal is to improve Asda’s online shopping experience for customers and increase online sales.
Cybersecurity firm Darktrace has hired EY to conduct a financial review of the company ahead of its upcoming IPO. The review aims to provide investors with transparency on Darktrace’s financial performance and potential risks.
Delaware, a global consultancy firm, has recently opened four new offices on four different continents to expand its reach and offer better services to its clients around the world. This move is part of the company’s strategy to increase its global footprint and provide greater access to its expertise.
Boston Consulting Group has announced that its venture investment arm, BCG Digital Ventures, will partner with Blue Bear Ventures (BBV) to support early-stage start-ups in the technology sector. This partnership, called BCG BBV T1ST, aims to provide start-ups with funding, expertise, and resources to help them grow and succeed in their respective markets.
Deloitte and Circulor have formed a partnership to create a platform for supply chain transparency. The platform will provide end-to-end visibility for clients’ supply chains, using blockchain technology to trace products and materials from origin to end-use.
Electric vehicle charging start-up Indra has raised $20 million in its series B funding round. The funds will be used to expand the company’s charging network and develop new products and services.
US PE group Silver Lake has agreed to buy Qualtrics for $12.5bn alongside Canada’s largest pension fund in the biggest private equity buyout of the year.
Capgemini has announced a major recruitment drive in Egypt, as the firm seeks to establish Cairo as a major outsourcing hub within its global delivery network.
Crurated, a UK-based membership-based wine platform, has raised €6.8 million from private investors. The platform, which offers different levels of membership, has been flourishing in the two years since it was launched.
PwC Saudi Arabia has signed agreements with two government entities in the Kingdom to deliver consulting services. The deals involve the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the National Cybersecurity Authority.
BCG has announced a collaboration with OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence research organization, to support its mission of developing and promoting AI in a safe, secure, and ethical manner. The collaboration will involve sharing expertise and resources to help organizations understand and adopt AI, while also addressing important ethical and social considerations associated with the technology.
Consulting firm Sia Partners helped shape the agenda of the World Police Summit by conducting extensive research and analysis to identify key themes and issues in global law enforcement. The firm’s work contributed to the development of the summit’s agenda and provided valuable insights into topics such as cybercrime, terrorism, and international cooperation among law enforcement agencies.
PwC has announced its acquisition of People Force, a UK-based HR technology company that provides tools for employee performance management, recruitment, and other HR processes. The acquisition is part of PwC’s strategy to expand its HR technology offerings and help clients transform their HR functions using digital solutions.
French technology consultancy firm Sopra Steria plans to hire 4,400 new employees in 2023, with the majority being recent graduates. The new hires will support the firm’s growth strategy, which includes investments in digital transformation and sustainability initiatives.
PETRONAS, Malaysia’s state-owned oil company, is planning to increase its corporate venture capital arm by up to $200m, focusing on innovation and technology investments across the Asia-Pacific region to enhance its core operations and identify new sources of revenue. The additional funding is expected to be finalized as early as April.
Jaguar Land Rover has partnered with Tata Technologies to overhaul its enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The project aims to streamline the automaker’s operations and improve efficiency by implementing a new ERP system across the company’s global operations, with a focus on enhanced data analysis and process automation.
Riyadh Air, a new airline based in Saudi Arabia, is set to intensify the rivalry between Gulf carriers by launching services later this year. The airline aims to offer low-cost flights to a range of destinations across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, with a focus on enhancing connectivity and driving economic growth in the region.
McLaren Racing has announced a new multi-year partnership with Salesforce to enhance its customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities and improve fan engagement. The partnership will see McLaren leverage Salesforce’s digital tools and platforms to create more personalized experiences for its fans, including tailored content and offers based on individual preferences and behaviors.
PwC has announced a strategic alliance with legal technology company Harvey to enhance its legal business solutions through the use of generative artificial intelligence. The partnership will enable PwC to offer clients more efficient and accurate legal services by automating certain tasks and processes using AI technology.
JPMorgan has announced its plans to acquire Alumni, a leading provider of investment analytics software. The acquisition aims to strengthen JPMorgan’s asset management capabilities by integrating Alumni’ analytics platform to offer clients more data-driven investment solutions.
Global executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles has acquired Businessfourzero, a purpose-driven consultancy. The acquisition will enable Heidrick & Struggles to expand its range of services to include sustainability and purpose-led consulting, helping clients to align their business strategies with societal and environmental goals.
A group of independent headhunting firms that specialize in consulting have come together to form a new company, EVVL. The new company will bring together a network of experienced consultants and recruiters to offer a range of talent acquisition services to consulting firms across Europe.
Accounting and consulting firm RSM has announced that it has tripled its revenue in Germany following its acquisition of Ebner Stolz, a leading accounting firm in the country. The acquisition has expanded RSM’s capabilities in Germany, enabling it to offer clients a broader range of services and expertise.
Ford Pro partners with EY to assist customers in understanding electric vehicle tax credits. The partnership aims to provide expert advice and guidance on tax incentives for EVs, encouraging more businesses to adopt sustainable transportation solutions.
Resolve, a restructuring firm, has advised on the sale of Cloudview, a UK-based surveillance firm, to CameraForensics, a digital forensics company. The deal is expected to enhance CameraForensics’ presence in the UK and further its global expansion.
BCG and McKinsey have joined the Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping, a non-profit organisation that aims to help the shipping industry decarbonize. The consulting firms will offer their expertise in areas such as energy transition and sustainability to support the centre’s initiatives.
Eurogroup Consulting has successfully completed a management buyout backed by investment from PE firm Ardian. The consulting firm plans to use the funds to expand its digital capabilities and international footprint.
Detecon, a German technology consulting firm, has opened a 5G campus as a test site for Industry 4.0 in Berlin. The campus aims to accelerate 5G innovation and adoption by providing a test environment for companies and research institutions.