Paris, 7 September 2023 – With 250 consultants, 9 offices worldwide including a new office in Singapore since January, Advancy conducts more than half of the activity out of France. This semester has seen a strong performance of chemicals and decarbonisation, pharmaceuticals and life science not forgetting retail. Current macro-economic cycle favoured vendor due diligence from m&a standpoint, as well as several major turnaround operations (Casino, Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs…) where the firm successfully deployed its strategic transformation approach.
Two new partners have been elected as of July 1st: Vincent Delaeter to further strengthen the “Turnaround & Performance” practice, and Gunter Lipowsky (PhD in Chemistry), managing partner at Advancy Frankfurt in Germany.
Strategy consulting trends 2022-2023: significant increase in vendor due diligence and in the chemicals/decarbonisation & pharma practice
Globally, the chemicals/decarbonisation and pharma/life sciences activities led by Sébastien David have shown remarkable strength, accounting for over 50% of Advancy’s cumulative business over the first half of 2023, with top-tier operations, especially in New York (US Pharma Labs, IFF Flavour Specialty Ingredients, Sabatino Truffles).
Vendor due diligences (sell side) were also highly sought-after as well as turnaround operations, where Advancy was consulted on leading missions.
Strategy consulting remains Advancy’s core business. Sébastien David, co-founding Partner said “For 23 years, Advancy has been helping companies to make strategic decisions required for their transformation and supporting them in the operational implementation for clear and sustainable results. Advancy DNA has always been based on a differentiating approach: scientific and analytical, result-driven and client-centered. We work on site and collaboratively with the client’s teams to ensure efficient implementation.”
‘Driving Strategy to Results’: an agile and differentiating approach to serve business leaders
Eric de Bettignies, co-founding partner: “To cope with an unprecedented uncertainty, executives must manage simultaneously three-time horizons: address emergencies (eg. performance catch up, cash drain), reach industry’s good level of practices and at the same time prepare for a longer-term future to secure their unique differentiating factors. It requires confidence and agility to reach new milestones!”
As for Advancy, the same agility prevails. “We have been very active in corporate assignments during the whole 2022, when m&a activity was lower, even if we contributed to the closing of c. €20bn of transactions, and since H1 2023 we are further accelerating thanks to vendor due diligences (sellside dd), a sign that the m&a market is starting to come back” said Eric de Bettignies.
Advancy recruits 80 new strategy consultants over 2023 and elects two new partners: Gunter Lipowsky, managing partner in Frankfurt and Vincent Delaeter, partner in charge of Turnaround & Performance in Paris
Gunter Lipowsky, PhD in Chemistry, previously served as a manager at BASF in Germany from 2006 to 2012, Head at Clariant labs in Frankfurt from 2012 to 2016, and senior manager at Roland Berger Frankfurt from 2016 to 2021. He established the Advancy Frankfurt office in January 2022, with a strong focus on chemicals and decarbonisation.
Vincent Delaeter, HEC Paris and ENSAE graduate (2013), joined Advancy in 2016 after working at Bain Partners, JP Morgan and Quilvest Ventures. He is now partner in charge of the “Performance & Turnaround” practice at Advancy Paris.
Aiming to constantly deliver the best service to its clients and meet their needs, Advancy is increasing its global workforce with the arrival of 80 new consultants, including 30 in Paris, in H1 2023. This is 40% above last year’s level at the same date.
At Advancy, talents come from the most prestigious scientific (eg. France: Mines, X, USA: MIT) and business schools and Ivy league (France: HEC, Essec, USA: Columbia, Harvard) and are fully integrated into the projects from day one. Among them, 15% embrace the opportunity to join Advancy’s international program to be located for 6 to 18 months in one of its 9 offices around the world.
“Our mission is to help the talents who join us to grow. This symmetry of attention, towards both our clients and collaborators, is truly what sets Advancy apart in the consulting industry. Our talented consultants can enter the share program of the firm, from the rank of manager, based on their performance. This was the purpose of Advancy’s 3rd OBO in February 2023,” adds Eric de Bettignies.
Recent offices moves to accompany the growth
Singapore office opened in January. New York office and its 32 consultants relocated to larger premises on 7th avenue and 53rd street in February. Last but not least, Paris office is already expanding into an additional floor of their building a few steps from the Champs Elysées, just one year after entrance.
À propos
Advancy est un leader international du conseil stratégique et opérationnel qui aide depuis plus de 20 ans les entreprises à améliorer leurs performances ou se transformer, et les acteurs de l’investissement à créer de la valeur.
Depuis sa création à Paris en 1999 par Eric de Bettignies et Sébastien David, Advancy a réalisé plus de 2000 missions pour des groupes internationaux, fonds d’investissement et ETI de croissance.
Fort d’une équipe de 250 consultants, 20 Partners, le cabinet compte aujourd’hui 9 bureaux dans le monde, à Boston, Francfort Londres, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapour et Sydney.
Advancy réalise des missions de fusions-acquisitions (Due Diligences), stratégie (de croissance, de retournement, de portefeuille), restructuration et transformation (opérations, marketing et vente, supply chain).
Son expertise globale couvre 5 grands secteurs : chimie et décarbonation ; pharma et sciences de la vie ; industrie ; santé et grande consommation ; retail, luxe et voyage/hôtellerie.
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