Ernst & Young Acquires Jubilant

November 14, 2024 – Ernst & Young (EY) has acquired Jubilant, an HR technology consultancy focused on implementing and supporting human capital management, payroll and workforce management systems. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “By welcoming Jubilant, EY U.S. gains even more credibility and capabilities within the HR technology and transformation business of our People Consulting practice,” said Whitt Butler, EY Americas vice chair – consulting. “HR systems implementation and optimization are increasingly on the agenda of our clients, and the combined power of Jubilant’s skills and accelerators, along with our multifaceted global organization, can deliver results at scale.”

Together, EY U.S. and Jubilant teams can draw on a global network to help clients implement HR systems, modernize and sharpen payroll and workforce management operations, lead change management and deliver managed service solutions.

“I’m proud of all that we have achieved at Jubilant, including our differentiating intellectual property, and I’m excited we now have the opportunity to deliver even more value for clients thanks to the size and scale of the EY U.S. People Consulting practice,” said Tim Force, CEO of Jubilant. “These two companies are a tremendous cultural fit for each other that will naturally augment the needs of our current and future clients.”

“The acquisition will build on Jubilant’s market reputation and enhance EY US HR technology delivery capabilities,” EY said. EY U.S. currently a variety of client services for a number of HR technology providers, including but not limited to ADP, Dayforce, Microsoft, SAP SuccessFactors, ServiceNow and UKG.

This deal follows the recent acquisition of Dignari, LLC, a woman-owned leading technology consulting firm specializing in digital identity and access management (IAM) solutions. Dignari’s 300-strong workforce utilizes innovation at scale and data-driven strategies to advise U.S. government clients. “We are excited about welcoming the world-class Dignari team to the EY government & public sector practice,” said Doree Keating, EY Americas government & public sector leader. “We believe that blending EY U.S.’s commitment to provide customers with mission-ready solutions and Dignari’s IAM capabilities in the homeland security space will offer a highly differentiated value proposition for our government clients.”

“For over a decade, Dignari has made a significant impact on furthering the federal government’s security mission with modern technologies,” said Gena Alexa, founder and CEO of Dignari. “These efforts can be scaled across local and state governments as well — and when combined with the power of the EY network will strengthen outcomes for both the public sector and the people it serves.”

Recent M&A Activity

Acquisitions and consolidations continue to make news in the recruiting industry, with a number of notable purchases in recent months. And it’s not just executive search firms. Technology-based outfits have also been in on the action. Here is a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Randstad N.V. has announced that Randstad Digital has acquired Torc, a next-generation AI-powered talent marketplace platform with more than 25,000 digital talent enrolled worldwide, with a specific current emphasis on LATAM, the U.S., and India. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. This acquisition allows Randstad Digital to further accelerate clients’ access to digital talent, including global delivery centers, to meet its digital ambitions across cloud, data, digital engineering, and customer experience capabilities. “The Torc acquisition strengthens Randstad’s partner for talent strategy in our digital specialization,” said Sander van’ t Noordende, CEO of Randstad. “Digital transformation needs access to specialized talent at scale and speed globally. Torc, with its enterprise-grade AI-powered talent marketplace, will redefine the talent experience, and speed of delivery, and strengthen Randstad Digital’s capabilities in enabling our client’s digital transformation.”

The Elevate Sports Ventures agency has acquired SRI and launched Elevate Talent, a new executive search and global talent advisory practice. The new firm will recruit senior leaders across sports, entertainment, media, lifestyle, technology, and gaming. Elevate is led by Al Guido, who also serves as president of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.  Jim Chaplin, formerly CEO of SRI, will become global president of Elevate Talent. In his 14 years at the helm of SRI, Mr. Chaplin and his management team have spearheaded the firm’s transformation from a U.K.-based sports specialist firm to a global company in the executive search space, helping organizations with board structure, governance, and C-suite issues with talent and advisory solutions. “For the team at SRI, becoming part of Elevate feels like a perfect match,” said Mr. Chaplin. “We share a foundation in the world of sports and have used that particular vantage point to deliver for clients across a wide range of consumer-facing sectors. Our common experience, aligned to a rigorous, data-driven approach, gives us the tools to set organizations up for success.”

Sinecure.ai, an SaaS software company dedicated to finding talent through AI and Large Language Model (LLM) innovation, has acquired London-based executive search firm Grace Blue Partnership. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “The most effective hiring outcomes in the future will involve a balance of advanced technology with human understanding and ingenuity,” said Joel Wright, CEO and Co-Founder of Sinecure.ai. “As the global market for talent continues to evolve, Sinecure.ai is meeting the increased demands of our customers with solutions that promise precision, speed and predictability. Our acquisition of Grace Blue Partnership leverages the strengths of both companies, and fortifies the ways organizations will find, engage and retain talent, with lasting effects.”

Related: Randstad Acquires Finite Group in Australia and New Zealand

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media