BrazilAlixPartners buys German automotive consulting firm Berylls
Global management consulting firm AlixPartners has acquired the majority of Berylls, a leading German consultancy to the automotive sector.
With the purchase of two of the five units of Berylls, its consulting arm (Berylls Strategy Advisors) and creative & digital arm (Berylls Mad Media), AlixPartners adds around 160 people to its ranks and Automotive practice.
The majority of those crossing are based in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) where AlixPartners now has over 400 staff, with others joining in the UK, the US, South Korea and China. The deal is AlixPartners’ first deal in three years and its first ever in the German market.
“We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues from Berylls to AlixPartners, having admired their work from afar over many years. This transaction is a significant addition to our already internationally renowned automotive practice,” said Andrew Bergbaum, Global Co-Head of the Automotive & Industrial practice at AlixPartners.
AlixPartners currently has a team of over 330 consultants dedicated to the automotive sector. “Whether OEMS, suppliers, distributors or technology-led new market entrants, our team is uniquely positioned to help automotive businesses secure their future against a backdrop of unprecedented change,” said Bergbaum.
Berylls was founded 13 years ago by the trio Jan Burgard, Jan Dannenberg and Andreas Radics and has since then grown into one of the leading German consultancies in the automotive sector. According to estimates from Handelsblatt, Berylls generated sales of almost €80 million in its latest financial year.
The Berylls businesses picked up by AlixPartners specialise in strategy, sales and digital consulting work for automobile manufacturers and suppliers.
‘A pivotal deal for AlixPartners’
Andreas Rüter, managing partner of AlixPartners in Germany, said the deal was a pivotal one for the firm. “Germany is a strategically important growth market for us. We are now strengthening ourselves here for the first time with a takeover.”
“Berylls’ consulting business is an excellent addition for us, it will position us at the forefront of the automotive consulting landscape at a time when the sector is facing the biggest transformation in its history with the switch to electromobility.”
Rüter said that while Berylls has a strong focus on the DACH market, AlixPartners will bring its capabilities and expertise to its clients worldwide. “Together, we want to become the new leader in automotive consulting.”
Jan Burgard, CEO and Co-Founder of Berylls, said: “From day one, the north star for Berylls has been to create the world’s premier automotive consulting team. The combination of, what is now, a globally recognized consulting firm born in Detroit, and a best-in-class boutique from the heartland of the European automotive industry, takes us ever closer to that ambition.”
The three other business units of Berylls – Berylls Digital Ventures, Berylls Green Mobility and Berylls Equity Partner – will remain with the Berylls Group. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Globally, AlixPartners has around 3,500 people in 25 offices worldwide. The firm was founded in New York in 1981.
