Towers Watson acquires HR firm Saville Consulting
Professional services firm Towers Watson has acquired international assessment firm Saville Consulting for £42 million. The deal strengthens Towers Watson’s leadership and talent management offering with the addition of Saville Consulting’s online assessment tools and solutions.
Saville Consulting is an in 2004 founded international assessment business that offers its clients occupational psychology expertise and proprietary software, helping them to recruit and develop talented individuals and teams. The firm’s online assessment tools are available in over 80 countries and in 35 languages.
In line with its ambition to expand and strengthen its leadership and talent management offering, global professional services company Towers Watson decided to acquire Saville Consulting. “With the addition of Saville Consulting’s market-leading online assessment tools to our suite of HR software, data, analytics and advice, we have a powerful offering to address the big and growing area of leadership and talent,” explains Julie Gebauer, Global Leader for Towers Watson’s Talent and Rewards Business.
Gebauer continues: “Saville Consulting’s portfolio adds online tools which test ability, assess potential and screen for behavioural strengths. In combination with our engagement and talent software, we can readily help companies that want efficient, technology-enabled solutions to identify and develop talent.”
Peter Saville, Chairman and Founder of Saville Consulting, explains the benefits of the acquisition for his firm: “Saville Consulting has grown rapidly during the past decade to a point where over two million individuals used our online tools in the past 12 months. To further accelerate our growth and significantly extend the use of our tools, we need greater reach, which we will gain as being part of Towers Watson. In addition, Towers Watson and Saville Consulting complement each other strategically, and I’m confident that our clients will experience the same commitment to excellence and innovation.”
To preserve continuity of client teams and services, Saville Consulting will operate its business as usual from its base in Esher (Surrey) for the foreseeable future.
Diversification
HR consultancies have in recent years increasingly diversified their talent management offerings with assessments and related solutions. In April last year Hay Group for example acquired Talent Q, a UK-based specialist in the area of assessments and capability tests, while for instance also Mercer and Aon Hewitt have boosted their practices.
