SCD Advisory bags two awards for its consulting M&A track record
Australian M&A boutique SCD Advisory has seen its growing track record recognised by two international M&A publications.
Founded early 2019 by the Pierre Briand, SCD Advisory has since its inception built a track record of over a dozen deals. The corporate and M&A advisory firm specialises in the consulting industry, as well as other segments within the professional services landscape such as digital transformation, engineering, media and marketing.
On the back of its seven deals closed in 2021, SCD Advisory has been lauded as ‘Best Emerging M&A Advisors’ by Acquisition International, a UK-headquartered platform for dealmakers and buyers.
“In 2021, we sold consulting and IT services firms to several major consulting firms and IT companies in Australia. We are delighted that our achievements have been recognised,” said Briand, a Frenchman who relocated to Australia in 2015 to lead Equiteq’s business in the region. He previously worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan in Paris.
Two of the more well-known deals worked on were supporting the sale of higher education specialist Cubane Consulting to Nous Group, and advising Melbourne-based SAP specialist Acclimation on its sale to Capgemini.
“We are extremely grateful to SCD Advisory for their efficient and professional management of the process and successful completion of the transaction which resulted in a great outcome for all parties,” said Acclimation managing directors Cameron Sherrard and Rob Taubman shortly after deal closing.
Arguably SCD Advisory’s most prestigious deal was the sale of Hypothesis (a digital transformation consultancy) to global strategy giant McKinsey & Company. The deal was McKinsey’s first in Australia since it launched in the country 50-years ago.
“It was great to have the SCD Advisory team on our side throughout the process,” said Hypothesis co-founders Sean Heydenrych and Grant Hartland after closing the $40 million transaction.
The Hypothesis – McKinsey deal has now been recognised as a shining best practice of sell-side dealmaking by Finance Monthly’s Deal Maker Awards, another platform that celebrates M&A excellence at a global level. “SCD Advisory helped the founders of Hypothesis through both their growth and exit journey, and conducted rigorous and thorough due diligence to ensure the right outcome was delivered,” notes the jury report.
Commenting on the double scoop, Briand said: “We are very proud to have been recognised by these two international publications. These awards would not be possible without our clients and staff that I would like to thank, especially during these last months working virtually for most of the time, but clearly delivering real outcomes!”
