Leading global expert network Guidepoint launches in Australia

One of the world’s largest expert networks, Guidepoint, has entered the Australian market with the opening of an office in Sydney’s business district. 

New York headquartered Guidepoint provides vetted experts on an on-demand basis to corporates, institutional investors and consulting firms, who use the firm’s services to fuel their research, decision-making and thought leadership needs. With over 900,000 experts in its network, and a client portfolio of over 3,200 (including 9 of the top 10 global consulting firms), Guidepoint ranks among the three largest expert networks worldwide. 

Shortly after expanding into Athens (the firm’s third base in Europe), Guidepoint has now launched a presence in Australia, described by company founder and chief executive officer Albert Sebag as a “critical market” for its ambition to provide global coverage to its clients. 

Indeed, Australia is one of the larger markets in the US$1.4 billion global expert network industry, and the country’s AU$6 billion consulting market – consultancies are major users of expert network services – is the world’s fourth largest in relation to the size of the national economy.

“This marks a very exciting step in the growth of Guidepoint. Australia represents a unique opportunity to deliver our high-touch research capabilities to a new set of clients,” said Hakan Sundstrom, Guidepoint’s Managing Director and Head of Asia-Pacific. 

Leading the charge down under is Sasha Krishna, who joined the firm externally. He brings close to two decades of experience to the firm, having previously worked in consulting (at a consultancy acquired by EY in the UK), banking (at Credit Suisse and BNP Paribas), investments (at State Street) and technology (at SaaS technology provider Eze). Krishna has been based in Australia for fourteen years. 

“The need for first-hand knowledge of diverse topics is currently underserved in Australia. We look forward to adding significant value to businesses, seamlessly connecting them with global and local expertise, and empowering them to make more informed decisions.” said Krishna.

Located at the Sydney CBD, the city’s prestigious business hub, Guidepoint’s fourteenth office globally will be home to a “local team specifically assembled to meet the expert needs of top-tier consulting firms, investment funds, and multinational corporations.”

One of Guidepoint’s largest rivals, Gerson Lehrman Group, has been active with an office in Australia since 2010. Two other competitors, AlphaSights and Third Bridge, serve the ANZ market through their hubs in Hong Kong.

Earlier this year, growing demand for its services saw Guidepoint move into larger offices in the Middle East (Dubai) and China (Shanghai).