Australian ERP specialist Stratus Consulting joins Pine Services Group
Australian ERP consultancy Stratus Consulting has been purchased by Pine Services Group, a private equity-backed IT services group.
Stratus Consulting was established in 2017 through the merger of two MYOB specialists with a heritage dating back two decades – Horizon Business Systems in Perth and Bizpro in Melbourne – and today has further offices in Sydney and Brisbane and a team of around 60 staff.
Meanwhile, its acquisition of Stratus Consulting marks the first foray of Pine Services Group into Asia Pacific, with the consultancy joining a portfolio of 16 other ERP (enterprise resource planning) and business applications specialists across the US and in the UK, Ireland, and Canada.
“With an incredible executive leadership team and deep bench of business and technical talent, Stratus Consulting has built an exceptional reputation in the Australian mid-market across MYOB, Microsoft, and Epicor, and we’re excited to build on their early momentum in HubSpot and expand our reach and relevance to businesses worldwide,” said Pine chief people officer Lela Day.
In a note to clients, Stratus Consulting described Pine as a ‘buy-and-hold-forever partner’ rather than traditional private equity investor focused on short-term returns, and also noted that its decentralised model meant that Stratus’ service, day-to-day operations, brand, and executive decision-making would remain as it is – albeit with a few next chapter tweaks to the firm’s senior leadership.
Mark Belkin, previously director of growth & innovation, will now take on the CEO role with managing director Michael Pendred set to depart alongside his Horizon Business co-founder and Stratus Consulting director Jonathan Goh, while Belkin’s Bizpro co-founder Dmitri Gasanov will lead a new HubSpot division after previously serving as director of HR & support services.
“This acquisition brings amazing opportunities for both our team and our customers.” Belkin said. “Pine’s unique approach means they are committed to preserving the legacy, culture, and independence that make Stratus Consulting special, but with their strategic support and investment we will have the stability to accelerate our growth and elevate our customer experience.”
With its burgeoning HubSpot business, the acquisition is the first to add CRM (customer relationship management) capabilities to the portfolio of Pine Services Group.
Pine Services Group was established in 2021 by investor Evergreen, serving as a dedicated ERP and technology-enabled services holding company.
