BrazilSia Partners marks 20 years in business with event in Riyadh
Global strategy and management consultancy Sia Partners has marked its 20th anniversary with dual celebrations in Brussels and Riyadh.
Celebrating twenty years in business, global management firm Sia Partners has hosted glitzy anniversary parties in global capitals Brussels and Riyadh. Co-founded by current CEO Matthieu Courtecuisse in 1999, the firm has had as busy a past year as any in its history, but isn’t planning to slow down anytime in the near future – having recently launched an affiliate programme which should soon see more consulting firms come into its fold in various locations worldwide.
First established by Courtecuisse in Paris at the age of just 26, today Sia Partners boasts a network of 25 offices spanning 16 countries, with a headcount of 1,400-plus professionals generating revenues which last year surpassed the €250 million mark. In addition to its battalion of consultants, the firm, known for its advocacy of AI and automation-augmented consultancy – or Consulting 4.0 – has also developed at least 35 bots to date, with the aim of hundreds by 2020.
A particularly active past twelve or so months further spells out the firm’s ambitions for expansion, with a series of acquisitions made on both sides of the Atlantic, the latest being French agile specialists nod-A. Earlier in the year, Sia added Loft9 and Gartland & Mellina in the US, while UK firms Inzenka and SKT Consulting and Dutch outfit Dicitas Consulting were picked up toward the end of 2018. Digital marketing agency Fove was also purchased last year.
While the acquisition of Fove signalled a certain intent in evolving for growth – claimed by Courtecuisse as “the first time a consulting firm of non-technological origin has decided to invest, at an industrial level, in a digital agency” – the next phase also suggests some out of the box thinking. Launched in August, Sia’s affiliate programme aims to enlist a network of franchise firms under the Sia banner, in developing markets in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
“Very few firms the size of Sia Partners have developed this sort of approach,” outlined Sandrine Carreau, Sia’s Global Director of Marketing and Corporate Development. “However, this strategy creates more value for our clients than a simple alliance rationale because, in addition to sharing expertise, it will allow us to capitalise on our brand dynamic.” Under the scheme, franchised firms will be afforded total access to Sia’s global expertise and intellectual property.
And the programme is already achieving results, with RTP Consulting of Panama added as Sia’s first network member. “After Panama, we will actively seek partners in Brazil and Columbia for Latin America, Nigeria and Ethiopia for Africa, and Indonesia," Carreau explained. "We will welcome applications from firms in around 30 countries. We aim to establish a network of five to seven partner firms within two years, for around 20 million euros in revenue under franchise.”
As the firm embarks on its next chapter, the international team from Sia has taken a moment to acknowledge the past twenty years to this point, with anniversary celebrations held in Brussels and Riyadh in recent weeks. For the Belgian affair, the firm celebrated alongside artworks at the Magritte Museum, while the festivities in Saudi Arabia were held at the Four Seasons Hotel on Monday – ahead of firm’s participation at the Future Investment Initiative as an official Knowledge Partner.
