Taranata Group acquires London consultancy Hanya Partners

31 May 2019 Consultancy.uk

Edinburgh professional services firm Taranata Group has purchased London consultancy Hanya Partners for an undisclosed fee. The deal will see Taranata work to expand its offering into partnering with clients on strategic changes.

Founded by entrepreneur Paul Atkinson to bring together a clutch of recruitment firms, the Taranata Group saw turnover hit £62 million in 2017, and has continued to grow since. While some might already see this as impressive, with founding entrepreneur Paul Atkinson targeting a £100 million turnover for the group by 2020, the firm is looking at a number of potential acquisition targets to accelerate expansion.

The group comprises Head Resourcing, Head Medical, Change Recruitment and Rawmarsh, but it has pushed its remit even further with the addition of Hanya Partners for an undisclosed fee. The move signals an important departure for Edinburgh-based Taranata, as it looks to broaden out from its recruitment and talent services origins to collaborate with clients across more of their strategic goals.

Taranata Group acquires London consultancy Hanya Partners

Hanya Partners was launched in 2013, and is a consultancy that aims to improve results in outsourcing relationships. Operating from offices in London and Edinburgh, Hanya (named after a Shona word meaning ‘empathy and trust’) boasts a team of highly experienced practitioners with deep expertise in both operational performance improvement and behavioural change. Among its clients are major UK banks, public sector organisations and utilities companies.

The move will see Taranata’s Atkinson move to the role of Non-Executive Group Chair, while Martin Ewart, founder and leader of Hanya Partners, will become Chief Executive of Taranata Group. Ewart is already a Taranata professional, having been Chair of its Head Resourcing business since 2014 – a post he will retain alongside his Group CEO position.

Commenting on the news, Atkinson said,  "This is a defining moment for our business. Our current brands focus on recruitment at all levels, now having made a conscious decision to add consulting and IT services, we are beginning to realise our larger ambition… Martin and Hanya have a unique track record in helping clients get more from IT services and suppliers. It’s a natural evolution for us.”

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