Boutique Moore Fleming joins US firm NMS Consulting

UK boutique consultancy Moore Fleming has been purchased by NMS Consulting, as the US firm prepares to ramp up its offering across Europe. The move sees former PwC and KPMG transformations expert Harry Moore become Head of Europe and Global Corporate Turnaround and Transformation at NMS.

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to push the global economy to the brink of a recession, there are few safe bets left for investors to make. One of the few things potential buyers can be sure of, however, is that consulting firms which specialise in insolvency and corporate recovery for ailing businesses are set to enjoy a spike in demand throughout 2020. The likelihood of heightened business for the restructuring consulting segment was recently illustrated by a consortium of investors led by Stone Point Capital and Further Global, who were willing to sink an estimated $4.2 billion into the purchase of Duff & Phelps.

This has also seen boutique corporate rescue consultancy Moore Fleming attract investment, as amid the current market turbulence exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, it is positioned well to record solid revenues in the coming year. Founded by former Big Four consultant Harry Moore in 2001, Moore Fleming has since built a noted track record as a niche management consulting boutique firm. Operating across a global market, the firm provides turnaround services for companies who may be looking to recover profits, or are seeking to make their current business model more sustainable.

Moore Fleming has been acquired by NMS Consulting, a global corporate advisory firm headquartered in the US. The firm provides strategic counsel to private and public organisations and the individuals who lead them, with services including management consulting, private equity transformation, corporate advisory, and turnaround and restructuring. The move will bolster NMS’ European wing, which will be led by Harry Moore following the merger of the two firms.

New Senior Partner Moore commented, “This is a great move for Moore Fleming. It’s integration into NMS Consulting will enable further international expansion. NMS is a serious niche player in business transformation bringing fresh and innovative solutions for accelerated performance improvement into the SME and middle market sectors across Europe. I am personally very excited about heading up the new Pan- European consultancy service as well as a new global business transformation team.”

Having led business transformation teams at both KMPG and PwC, Moore is an experienced international strategist and corporate turnaround director. In addition, he has been sponsored by the UK government to manage initiatives that he designed to secure the future of enterprises in the SME sector in the UK which resulted in saving some 135 UK businesses. He is also a senior industry advisor to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, and was involved in the transformation of USSR businesses, advising companies throughout eastern Europe on western business practices in the early 1990s.

“We continue to invest in new talent and innovative solutions to best serve our global client base and I couldn’t think of a better partner to lead our European expansion than Harry Moore and the addition of Moore Fleming” said, Trevor M. Saliba, NMS Managing Partner. “Harry is a leader with a proven track record and pedigree as a practitioner. The addition of Moore Fleming to bolster our European operations led by Harry is reflective of our steadfast commitment to providing clients with the local expertise, global reach and support from some of the most talented subject matter experts across multiple industries.”

The move comes as NMS Consulting mounts a sustained campaign to expand its international offering. According to a recent interview published by the firm’s own website, Saliba said that in the next six months the firm is set to recruit more people to its global team, in preparation for a number of geo-political changes which pose major challenges to business in the near future.

Saliba explained, “We are preparing to open our Paris, France office and we are looking to continue to develop business in the UK with a specific focus on assisting clients in navigating the complexities surrounding Brexit… We are also closely watching how the political environment in Hong Kong is affecting the region and what this will mean for both China and Hong Kong based businesses and foreign businesses with Hong Kong as a regional hub.”