Dutch consultancy Rijnconsult affiliates with Integrated Consulting Group
Rijnconsult, a consulting firm from the Netherlands, has affiliated with Integrated Consulting Group, a pan European network of management consultancies. With the move the Houten-based business advisory expects to bolster the international support it can provide its local clients, as well as ramp up its cross-border expertise specifically in the area of organisation support and change management.
Integrated Consulting Group’s roots trace back to the early ‘80’s, when management consulting firms were established in Finland (‘Innotiimi’) and Austria (‘INFORA’). Two decades down the line the consultancies started expanding into new markets and setup a range of alliances with like-minded advisors in countries such as Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria. In 2007 the paths of the two advisory networks by coincidence crossed, resulting in a strategic partnership, and, after a working relationship of 5 years, the two formally bundled their forces to inaugurate Integrated Consulting Group (ICG). Today, ICG’s footprint spans 130 consultants, including 70 partners, in 11 countries.
For global consulting projects, ICG works together with affiliated strategic partners – consulting firms which can build on an established track record in their local market and work along the lines of a similar consulting approach. The network, for instance, works with Schaffer Consulting for engagements in the US market, and has ties with innova institute for joint projects in the Chinese market.
The latest firm to join its partner ranks is Rijnconsult, a Dutch consultancy founded in 1978 specialised in a broad range of management consultancy offerings, including strategy, organisation, human capital, lean and operations. The deal between the partners was formally announced last month, when several consultants from Rijnconsult travelled to Helsinki to agree a blueprint for their cooperation and exchanged experiences and knowledge.
The move, according to Bas van der Velde, Director at Rijnconsult, adds international expertise to its portfolio and allows the firm to better serve the globalising needs of its clients. “Throughout our business in the industrial, agriculture and food sectors we observe that business is increasingly taking an international character”, he comments. He adds “With this new partnership we can ramp up our support to our international customers and integrate European insights into our local work.” The deal also sees Rijnconsult tap into ICG’s knowledge base, which comprises of dozens of best practice engagements and several publications and studies into the fields of leadership development, change management and lean, to name a few.
The affiliation with ICG is Rijnconsult’s second international alliance in Europe – the firm is also a partner of Allied Consultants Europe (ACE).
