"Having good market intelligence is no longer optional in this day and age"
Rakesh Pabbi - Senior Partner
Iconic shoe retailer Jones Bootmaker will continue to operate in the UK, following the sale of the company to Endless, a UK-based private equity firm. The shoe retailer will see 25 of its 97 stores close, while around 840 jobs in the UK will be retained. KPMG was the joint administrator to the deal, the value of which was not disclosed.
The Cranfield School of Management has joined forces with Grant Thornton to develop a new leadership programme. The new module, which can be funded by companies using the Apprenticeship Levy funds, is a two year part-time programme, integrating academic theory, commercial insights and practical application.
Atos saw revenue hit €11.7 billion in 2016, on recorded growth of 9.7% year-on-year. The firm’s growth was largely driven by inorganic expansion, with organic growth at around 1.8%. The professional services firm plans to continue to expand inorganically in 2017, with a target of 6% assigned to M&A growth and 2% to organic growth.
In the face of increasing demand from financial services institutions across the globe looking to develop solutions in the payments space, Accenture has acquired First Annapolis Consulting for an undisclosed sum.
In a bid to develop a building that meets high sustainability standards, as well as embodies circular economic principals, a consortium of Dutch companies are developing the Dutch "Windwheel". Arup is one of the companies involved in the development of the new, soon iconic, buildings in Rotterdam – and provisions the design phase with a range of advisory services.
Pension consultancy firm Redington has launched a ten-week return to work programme, focused on allowing women that have taken a career break to return to work. The programme, which is run in team with 'The Return Hub', provides a combination of mentoring, workshops and on-the-job engagements to support women return to work.
European bank Credit Suisse has appointed Delta Capita to manage its structured products business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The London headquartered financial services consultancy will serve as service provider for issuance and product governance of Credit Suisse’s structured offerings.
ProData Consult, a Danish business and IT consultancy firm, has acquired Eliantie, a Netherlands-based IT services provider. Around 75 IT consultants and experts transfer to ProData Consult, taking the company’s headcount in the Netherlands to approximately 100 professionals.
Google is gaining momentum as an IT services provider to the consultancy industry. Jeroen Hovinga, Sales Marketing Director at GeeFirm, one of the first firms to provide an ERP solution exclusively via the Google ecosystem, reflects on the trend.
Mott MacDonald has acquired design and engineering consultancy firm Wideurope Engineering, for an undisclosed sum. The Italy-based company, with offices in the Middle East, boosts the firm's presence in Italy as well as its expertise in the energy sector. Around 50 new staff join the firm.
Deloitte has launched a new Aviation Technology division as part of its UK Travel, Hospitality and Leisure practice. The new division aims to support the aviation industry tackle key technology opportunities and challenges, as the global market continues to expand. The launch sees two new hires to the firm, Mark Cooper joins as Partner and Martin Bowman as Director.
Marsh & McLennan Agency has acquired Minneapolis-based Blakestad insurance and risk management consultancy for an undisclosed sum. The deal further adds to the firm's presence in the region, with Blakestad continuing to operate with its original team out of its current locations.
Charles River Associates, a consulting firm specialised in economic, financial, and management consulting services, has released its full year results. The firm has seen its turnover grow by 8% year over year to $324 million.
Offshore Partners Walney Holdco has hired Mott MacDonald to provided technical due diligence for the refinancing of its Walney offshore wind farm financing. As part of the engagement, a new financing deal, with a lower interest rate, was recently closed.
The US Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office has appointed Booz Allen to a spot on its $202 million, five-year, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for the development of automated vehicle issues on US roads. The spot will see the firm support the body through regulatory compliance issues as well as research, development and deployment activities.
New analysis commissioned by the Fifty Thousand Homes, supplied by Grant Thornton, shows that to meet the campaign pledge of 50,000 new homes to the city per year, the attrition rates between planning permission granted and those that are actually built – currently standing at 36% – will need to be tackled. As it stands, larger projects – those with between 100 and 149 homes – are the most likely to get off the ground.
Cognizant has acquired Japanese intelligent products and solutions firm Brilliant Service for an undisclosed sum. The addition sees a team of 70 join the firm, adding extensive technical and regulatory knowledge to the firm's presence in Japan.
Google has admitted VOGSY, a cloud and mobile based ERP solution for the professional service industry, into its G Suite Marketplace
To support elite sports people transition from a career in sport to one in the business world, EY and Athlete Career Transition have joined forces. EY will offer a positions and training resources to support the transition, while ACT will oversee the recruitment process between sporting organizations and EY.
To support the development of the BPO industry in Jamaica, the Avasant Foundation and partners are scaling up the Avasant Youth Digital Employment Initiative. The aim of the new programme is to train between 500 and 800 high potential youth to participate in the country's BPO sector, which aims to add 30,000 jobs by 2020.
