The World Economic Forum, a renowned network for global development and public-private cooperation, has admitted Sia Partners into its membership programme. The move sees Sia Partners join a select group of the most influential companies worldwide, including top consultancies such as McKinsey & Company, The Boston Consulting Group, Accenture and the Big Four.
Since its foundation in the early 70’s, by the German Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has grown into one of the world’s most cited network and platform that brings together key leaders from governments, academic institutions and the private sector. Throughout the year WEF organises several large events across continents – including its flagship annual winter meeting in the Swiss Alps (Davos) – and conducts, under its ‘Shaping the future of’ programme, research into a range of economic and societal topics.
In realising its mission ‘improving the state of the world’, the World Economic Forum is supported by the majority of the world's most noteworthy and meaningful organisations. These partners/members are brought on board to support projects and initiatives – online and offline – to address industry, regional and systemic issues. WEF currently has around 1,000 partners internationally – joining the exclusive programme is a privilege for only the very best. As the WEF itself puts it, “World Economic Forum member companies represent outstanding firms that count among the world’s top innovators, market shapers, disruptors, niche market leaders and regional champions. They are businesses that help economies thrive and contribute to societal prosperity, and transform industry and regional agenda’s.”
Sia Partners joins membership programme
The latest firm to join WEF’s partner ranks is Sia Partners, a French management consultancy based in Paris. Founded in 1999, the consultancy today has a team of over 850 consultants across 20 offices globally, including in the UK (the firm recently acquired London-based Molten). Matthieu Courtecuisse, the firm’s founder and CEO, says Sia Partners’ leadership team is “honoured” to have been invited into the World Economic Forum, adding that it marks a “true recognition” of the firm’s growing impact. He adds: “Sia Partners fully subscribes to the WEF’s mission, especially in these times of rising populism and protectionism.”
For Sia Partners, the affiliation with the WEF provides it with arguably no better stage to showcase its expertise and vision to business leaders. The firm’s partnership allows it to invest in WEF’s regional meetings, with its focus initially set to go to meetings in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Sia Partners operates with seven offices in these regions: Casablanca, Morocco; Hong Kong; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Doha, United Arab Emirates; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Singapore and Tokyo, Japan.
As part of its first year membership, Sia Partners will attend the Middle East and North Africa Forum in Jordan (19-21 May 2017, in partnership with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development) and the annual meeting of the New Champions forum in Dailan, China (2,000 participants; 27-29 June 2017). “We will have the opportunity to invest governments and businesses with regional and global development,” explains Courtecuisse.
Select consulting group
From a consulting perspective, the French management consulting firm joins a select group of the most influential peers worldwide. Only around 25 consulting firms can call themselves a global WEF partner, of which eleven have been granted a ‘strategic partner’ status – the WEF’s most prestigious level with its partnership programme. These firms are A.T. Kearney, Accenture, Bain & Company, The Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Marsh & McLennan Companies (the parent of Oliver Wyman, Marsh, Mercer, NERA Economic Consulting, Guy Carpenter), McKinsey & Company and PwC (includes Strategy&).