Executive Briefs is a weekly roundup of some of the headlines globally in the fields of Consulting and contracting. Where longer articles exist they will be linked to.
BT to Acquire Consultancy
Net2S, an IT consultancy based in Paris France, will soon become part of BT’s drive into the French economy. In a cash and shares deal they have offered €5.27 a share in cash for 3.34 million and a share swap for approximately 42% of the company; taking their stake to approximately 69%.
Net2S reported annual revenues of €77 million until December 2006 and employs an international workforce of about 800 people in France, Europe, Morocco and the US.
Thomas Cook Signs Accenture for $400 million outsourcing deal
Accenture continue to grow their IT outsourcing practice in the UK with the recent deal signed with Thomas Cook to renew their outsourcing arrangement originally signed in 2002. Requirements to integrate recently acquired MyTravel.com to the existing outsourcing functions spurred the renegotiation.
Under the terms of the new contract Accenture will manage the SAP operations, accounts, payroll and HR as well as the provision of network and technical services. The work will be performed by its UK service centers, but will also draw on the human resources internationally including India where Accenture expects to increase its workforce from 8000 to 35000 by 2008.
CapGemini Turns up attention towards the North American Utilities Markets
In an indication of just how much the North American utilities and infrastructure markets are growing CapGemini have announced the appointment of three senior executives to their Utilities team.
Sudhir Rao, Don Durbin and Roy Ellis are examples of hard to find talent within the bursting consulting markets in this region. This includes management of regulatory relations, system architecture and business development within the outsourcing arenas. We will watch closely for the next moves in this space.
WSP Group remains on the Acquisition Path
WSP Group has agreed to pay 11 million GBP for SEi an engineering consultancy with three offices in the USA and clients in both the private and public sectors. WSP group is one of those slow burning companies. They continue along a very conservative path towards profitably growing their headcount across the world and returning a steady 8 – 10% for investors.
SEi has 150 staff, assets of around 2 million GBP and posted annual revenues of 10 million GBP in latest results. (More)
Coffey Continues on path of Growth
Coffey International is a Specialist Consultant delivering services to the Mining industries throughout the world. According to recent press releases they have recently purchased two international mining consultancies.
South African (backfill) consultancy NS Consultancy was acquired for $0.4 million in cash. The highly specialised Johannesburg-based business, founded and solely owned by Mr Nils Steward, employs five staff.
Coffey International Limited managing director Roger Olds said that the continued expansion of the Coffey group’s operations in Southern Africa and other key markets was part of the group’s strategy to compete in diverse specialties and geographies. “Coffey Mining now totals approximately 200 staff across offices in South Africa, Ghana, Senegal and Zambia and sister company Coffey Projects employs 15 from its Johannesburg office,” Roger said. Coffey Mining chief executive officer Dan O’Toole said this acquisition complemented Coffey Mining’s current service areas. Webber Associates UK Limited, a specialist geotechnical consulting firm based in the United Kingdom. This is Coffey’s second geotechnical acquisition in the United Kingdom. Coffey paid a total of $2.2 million, consisting of $1.5 million cash and $0.7 million in shares in a transaction completed today. The company is wholly owned by founder Ian Webber.
Webber Associates is a specialist geotechnical design group primarily servicing the construction sector. The company, based in Knaresborough in Northern England, employs twelve staff plus a number of specialist consultants. Coffey International Limited managing director Roger Olds said acquiring Webber Associates was part of Coffey Geotechnics’ intent to rapidly grow its range of services offered in the United Kingdom and longer-term pursue work more widely in Europe and the Middle East. Chief Executive Officer of Coffey Geotechnics Matt Thomas said that after a period consolidating the acquisition of EDGE Consulting, this was the next step to expand Coffey Geotechnics’ range of services in the United Kingdom. “Webber Associates’ specialist geotechnical design skills complement our existing services and enable us to offer a greater range of services to our clients. (More)
Mincom Edges Closer to Department of Defense Deal
The Age newspaper from Australia reports a Defense Department spokeswoman confirming that they are in negotiations with Queensland IT consultancy Mincom for the latest phase of a massive Supply Chain project for the Australian Defense Forces.
The project is aimed at providing logistics software for troops that are cut off from normal communications for some reason. Mincom already holds a $150 million AUD contract and this round of project work could see it in the drivers seat for an additional $100 million AUD.
Although a long term supplier to the worlkds Defense forces these projects mark the transition of Mincom from the Maintenance and Mining software it so successfully exported into area of IT consultancy and the wider logistics fields.
Since its take over by Francisco Partners earlier this year Mincom has recorded a surprisingly healthy string of successful bids, emerging as a major thorn in the side of Oracle and SAP within its chosen markets. (More)
