Sia Partners, a Paris-based independent management and AI (artificial intelligence) consulting firm, is acquiring Loft9, a Seattle, Washington-based management consulting firm.
Loft9, founded in 2010, has clients in the technology, utilities, healthcare, and airlines industries and generated 2018 revenues of $13 million. The company has 70 employees at its offices in Seattle and Denver, Colorado.
Loft9’s managing partners Mark Birzell, Ed Beals, and Ronan Walsh joined Sia Partners's U.S. management team, led by U.S. CEO Dan Connor. Sia Partners now employs more than 200 consultants in five locations around the United States.
Sia Partners Acquires Loft9: Executive Perspectives
Speaking about the deal, Connor said:
“Loft9’s talented managing partners have built a strong West Coast firm that delivers outstanding outcomes for its clients. We are excited to partner with Mark, Ed, and Ronan as we continue to build a top ten domestic management consulting practice, and we look forward to working with the team at Loft9 to bring our cutting-edge innovation and AI techniques to even more clients across the U.S.”
Birzell said he and his partners are excited to join Sia:
“I am tremendously proud of everything we’ve built at Loft9, and I believe this will prove to be a winning combination for Loft9’s clients and employees. We will have competitive breadth and depth on the West Coast and leading-edge offerings for our clients across the country. We plan to double our presence in Seattle and employ more than 500 consultants in the U.S. in less than two years.”
Sia Partners: Artificial Intelligence Meets Management Consulting?
Sia Partners has more than 1,400 workers throughout its offices in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. The company, with annual revenues of about $280 million, claims to set itself apart with its “Consulting 4.0” approach, which combines management consulting skills with AI techniques.
Sia Partners, founded in Paris in 1999, has leveraged acquisitions to expand worldwide. The firm purchased OTC Conseil Group’s New York branch, and thereby gained a foothold in the U.S. market. In 2014, the company opened its first Canadian office in Montreal. In 2016 the company acquired the consulting firm Molten Group, adding its Houston office to the company’s holdings.
Sia Partners now has offices across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.
