Design agency Hi Mum! Said Dad acquired by L.E.K. Consulting
Global strategy advisory L.E.K. Consulting has swooped to acquire digital product consultancy Hi Mum! Said Dad (HMSD) for an undisclosed fee. The purchase of the London-based firm will help L.E.K. Consulting expand its digital solutions offering.
Commenting on the integration, Ben Faircloth, European Region Managing Partner at L.E.K.Consulting said, "L.E.K. offers strategic advice that increasingly requires digital implementation, and we are delighted to team up with Hi Mum! Said Dad (HMSD) whose technical know-how and award-winning solutions translate strategic concepts into working prototypes and digital products.."
"Moreover, the HMSD team shares our passion for delivering effective and creative commercial strategies. Our partnership will significantly deepen and expand L.E.K.'s digital solutions for clients."
In recent years, digital transformation has been regularly touted as a core component to corporate success, while numerous reports indicate that leading organisations are increasingly adopting a digital-first mindset. Doing so is easier said than done, however, and according to recent Bain & Company research, of the 93% of companies to have undergone technology transformations in recent years, only 6% are on track to achieve their transformation targets. As such, digital strategy advice has grown in importance to businesses over the last decade – and L.E.K. believes around 40% of its advice in 2022 pertained to digital transformation and prototype implementation.
The addition of HMSD aims to help meet that demand, and provide innovative new solutions to help clients get the most from digital projects. HMSD helps turn digital strategy ideas into reality for businesses, building prototypes through to fully functional and creatively designed end products. Meanwhile, the consultancy has deep expertise across the entire digital product lifecycle from definition, product design and user experience, engineering and then ongoing iteration in the market.
This has seen HMSD pick up work across a variety of different industries, such as FinTech, automotive, and consumer products; while clients include Molson Coors, Standard Chartered, Vitality, Ford, Audible, 4H, and National Trust, among others. And the firm has also received notable plaudits for its work from industry bodies; including three Webbyawards and two Lovie awards.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. However, it has been confirmed that following the acquisition, HMSD will continue to operate from its current Shoreditch location as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of L.E.K. Consulting. The two organisations will share clients and cross-pollinate talent between their London locales, combining the best of both consultancies, to the benefit of all their clients.
Commenting on the companies’ shared future, Craig Wills, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Hi Mum! Said Dad added, "At HMSD we have always had an ambitious approach to delivering digital projects which allows us to integrate strategic, technical and aesthetic demands and realise the commercial vision which our clients seek to achieve. L.E.K. is a highly suited fit for us because we share a focus on commercial purpose and strategic aims."
Founded in 1983, L.E.K. is a global strategy consultancy working with business leaders across all industries, from global corporations to emerging entrepreneurial businesses and private equity investors. The company has bases in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe – while its London office was the firm’s first office to be established when it was launched 40 years ago.
Still one of its largest presences, the London office is currently led by Peter Ward.