Pollen Consulting Group joins international player Argon & Co
After several years of rapid growth, Pollen Consulting has merged with global operations consultancy Argon & Co, bringing their combined local headcount to 60.
Australian supply chain consultancy Pollen Consulting Group has joined with global management consulting firm Argon & Co, which specialises in operations strategy and transformation. Pollen founder Paul Eastwood will serve as managing partner of Argon’s Australian and New Zealand operations, with a view to further growing the business across Southeast Asia. The full terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“This is an exciting move for us. It felt like the right time and the right fit with Argon & Co. We have the same company culture and values, and it means together we can turbo-charge our resources, capability and vision to build a leading global management consultancy specialising in operations strategy and transformation,” said Eastwood.
Since its inception five years ago, Pollen Consulting has rapidly expanded its Australian presence, listed as a ‘Top 100 Fast Starter’ by the AFR in 2018 with growth of over 280 percent, culminating in the launch of an office in the UK last year. The firm now generates in excess of $10 million in revenues, with its headcount having grown to above 40 professionals – a figure set to jump by a third again through its merger with Argon.
Argon & Co, which is backed by the French private equity firm Ardian, meanwhile now has a global headcount of over 400 consultants, with a footprint spanning 14 offices in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East, Asia and Australasia. The consultancy has an existing presence in the A/NZ region through its 2018 merger with Crimson & Co, which drove an expansion to Brisbane and Auckland alongside its Melbourne and Sydney offices.
The leadership teams of both businesses will continue to actively lead the business, Pollen and Argon stated, with intentions to further grow the team to 100 consultants locally within four years. Together, the two entities now have expanded capabilities across supply chain, procurement, finance and shared services, with Pollen’s particularly strong expertise in FMCG complemented by Argon’s broad cross-industry experience.
“This represents another exciting step in Argon & Co’s expansion strategy,” said Argon & Co founder and CEO Yvan Salamon, with the deal following a carve-out acquisition in the UK and the purchase of R&G Global Consultants.
“Pollen has made a big impact within the ANZ market, and we are pleased that they are joining Argon & Co. It will more than triple the number of consultants we have in the region, providing immediate value to our clients.”
The merger comes at a time when supply chains are of particular focus, both as a factor of the growing awareness around the need for diversification due to the breakdowns caused by Covid-19, and in terms of ethics and sustainability, with consumer and stakeholder demand placing greater ESG pressure on organisations. The continued rise in direct and speedier delivery to consumers is also having a disruptive impact on logistics and supply chains.
