Elton Consulting acquired by global engineering firm WSP
Global engineering and infrastructure consultancy WSP has acquired Sydney-based advisory firm Elton Consulting, in a bid to extend its suite of strategic advisory services and as part of its ambition to expand in the Asia Pacific region.
Elton Consulting has considerable expertise in strategic infrastructure topics. The Sydney-based firm’s services include infrastructure strategy & policy, urban & regional planning, social sustainability, bid preparation, design support, as well as communications & engagement.
Canada-headquartered WSP, which has 43,000 professionals in more than 550 offices across 40 countries, serves clients across the world with construction management, design & engineering, programme management as well as operations & maintenance.
With the addition of Elton Consulting, the firm now pushes deeper into the more strategic space of the engineering consultancy landscape. Guy Templeton, WSP’s President & CEO for Australia and New Zealand explained, “Our clients have told us that strategic advice, urban and regional planning, as well as early and consistent community engagement are increasingly critical to their success. Elton Consulting’s skills-base and deep experience add depth to WSP’s existing capabilities.”
Company President and Chief Executive Officer Alexandre L’Heureux added, “This acquisition supports our commitment to offering clients a broader range of consulting services.”
As part of the integration, Elton Consulting’s 115 employees across offices in Sydney, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane will transfer to the global player. The consulting firm, which founded in 1989, will rebrand as Elton Consulting, a WSP Company.
Kim Anson, the CEO of Elton Consulting, on the joining of forces, “In addition to a similar culture, WSP and Elton Consulting share a genuine commitment to working collaboratively with our clients to make a difference to our cities and regions, communities and organisations. Together we will develop even more creative and comprehensive consulting solutions.”
According to a recent study by McKinsey & Company, Australia has been among the leading markets across the globe for infrastructure in recent decades, however, a variety of disruptive factors are currently driving large-scale transformation across the sector.
Earlier this year, two other Australian infrastructure consultancies also joined global groups. In the summer, PLC Consulting joined Ricardo, while in February, RPS purchased Corview.