Bain & Company’s procurement arm Proxima absorbs ArcBlue in Asia Pacific expansion
Bain & Company’s procurement advisory arm Proxima has expanded into Australia by merging with fellow acquisition ArcBlue, which is based in Melbourne with a further presence across Asia.
Proxima’s Asia Pacific expansion will be led by executive vice president Daniel Collings, who took over from ArcBlue’s founders Chris Newman and Dan Fielding earlier this year following Bain & Company’s acquisition of the decade-old firm in early 2022.
Proxima was bought by Bain shortly after, adding an established 300-strong presence in the US and UK on top of the 150 or so ArcBlue professionals, with the procurement and supply chain consultancy also having since expanded into Europe via a hub in Germany.
“This is an exciting moment for ArcBlue, Proxima, and for procurement consulting in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Collings, who will be based out of Melbourne. “We’re not just expanding geographically; we’re creating something truly exciting by bringing together Proxima’s global knowledge and methods with ArcBlue’s exceptional local expertise and client relationships.”
Collings, who has been with Proxima for more than two decades between London and Chicago and previously helped to establish the firm’s North American business, will be supported in driving its fresh Asia Pacific expansion by Chris Hampden, who has led ArcBlue’s Southeast Asia operations out of Singapore since the firm’s acquisition, including as to its own regional expansion.
“This is an exciting new chapter for us,” Hampden said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do as a bigger and more globally-focused team. With many businesses expanding their supplier footprint in South and Southeast Asia, it has never been more critical for us to provide insights and delivery to ensure our partners understand the trade-offs between cost, resilience, and risk.”
Collings expanded further: “Procurement teams around the world are being asked to face enormous cost pressures whilst simultaneously seeking to address increasingly complex business challenges, from supply chain resilience to AI adoption and sustainability mandates. By combining forces, we’re creating the most comprehensive procurement consultancy offering in the market.”
Proxima was established three decades ago and, now backed by Bain & Company’s broader strategy and management nous, provides a range of end-to-end supply chain services grouped around cost and capability transformation, sustainable procurement, and specialist support in areas such as innovation, transactions, and managed services, with many of the world’s leading companies as clients.
