Global consulting firm BearingPoint has acquired YouMeO, bolstering its innovation strategy and design capabilities.
Founded in 2014, Paris-based YouMeO helps clients with strategising and realising innovation. The firm’s 15-strong team of multidisciplinary project managers and designers support clients with taking a design- and user-led approach to the development of new products, customer and employee experiences, and with bringing these innovations to life.
The addition of YouMeO will strengthen BearingPoint’s existing Innovation practice, and in addition deepen the firm’s portfolio of services that operate at the interface of innovation. According to a release by the firm, YouMeO’s capabilities will be injected into all projects with a “transformation, change management, and innovation” dimension.
This includes: the definition of a strategic and innovation vision; the design of experiences for customers and employees; the re-design of working methods; and the setup of an open innovation ecosystem. “YouMeO is another highly focused relationship that offers an excellent addition to our portfolio,” said Kiumars Hamidian, Managing Partner at BearingPoint.
YouMeO – which works for illustrious clients such as Air France-KLM, Danone, Engie, LVMH, Société Générale and SNCF – will be positioned by BearingPoint as its dedicated innovation house, and operate as ‘YouMeO by BearingPoint’.
The plan forward
Operating in an in-demand segment, YouMeO by BearingPoint has set its sight on growth. In the coming three years, the firm aims to onboard around 100 consultants onto its platform, although some of these new recruits will make the switch from BearingPoint’s internal ranks.
The strategic investment in the innovation space comes at a time of growth in the segment. Facing disruption as never before, exacerbated by the unprecedented acceleration of digital due to the coronavirus, organisations of all sizes face the need to adapt, change, and future-proof their business models.
Innovation is central to this transition, and according to analyst firm Forrester, the circa $2 billion global innovation consulting industry (excluding the digital segment) is forecasted to grow with double digits in the years up to 2025.
Axelle Paquer, Regional Leader France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Africa at BearingPoint on this opportunity: “The integration of YouMeO reflects our external growth strategy that is focused on the integration of structures with strong expertise. YouMeO by BearingPoint has strong ambitions for the coming years.”
Meanwhile, Raphaël Beziz and Martin Mayer, the co-founders of YouMeO said, “We are very pleased with the integration into BearingPoint, which will allow us to carry out even more ambitious and meaningful projects.”
The deal is BearingPoint’s fifth in the past four years, and comes four months after it acquired French start-up Steerio.
Sourced from Consultancy.eu