EY acquires Istanbul-based Forte Consultancy Group

Big Four firm EY has bolstered its advisory team in the Middle East with the acquisition of Istanbul-based Forte Consultancy Group.

In the eight years since its inception, Forte Consultancy Group had grown into a leading management consultancy in Turkey specialised in customer-centric transformations. Key offerings the firm provides include customer strategy, customer value management, customer experience, and data analytics. 

Now becoming part of EY, the team of Forte Consultancy Group – including leaders Ali Pirinccioglu, Ozgur Erdem and Utku Sarioz – will join the firm’s Advisory division in Turkey and the UAE. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

“With the strategic addition of Consultancy Group to our Advisory practice, we bring an impressive team of individuals who have the ability to drive real value for our clients by generating deep customer insights to design great customer experiences,” said Gerard Gallagher, MENA Advisory Leader at EY.

Ross Maclean, MENA Customer and Digital Leader at EY, added: “Today's enterprise is focused on the customer like never before. In our rapidly changing, increasingly digital world, building trusted customer relationships is the single most important ingredient in building a great business. The addition of Forte Consultancy Group provides us with even greater capabilities across the customer management spectrum.”

The deal builds on the recent launch of the EY-Seren brand in the Middle East, following last year’s acquisition of Seren in the UK. 

Ali Pirinccioglu, Managing Partner at Forte Consultancy Group, commented: “In EY, we saw an organization that shares the same ambition as us – to be the leading customer advisory practice in the MENA region. With our collective capabilities, know-how, and strong commitment to exceptional delivery, we are well set to achieving this ambition.”

In the Middle East, EY has over 5,000 people across 20 offices and 15 countries. The global giant has been active in the region since 1923.