Civitta acquires US-based economic development consultancy J.E. Austin Associates
After spending more than fifteen years building its presence in the European market, Baltic-headquartered Civitta has now expanded into the world’s largest management consulting market.
Through the acquisition of J.E. Austin Associates, a Virginia-based firm with a four-decade legacy, Civitta now has an on-the-ground presence in the US – which, according to Source Global Research estimates, accounts for nearly 40% of the global consulting market.
“This is not just a market entry; it’s a strategic acquisition that provides Civitta with a direct foothold in the world’s largest consulting market and a platform to enter global development aid markets,” said Ander Ojandu, Partner and Co-Founder at Civitta. “It extends Civitta’s reach beyond its home markets in Central and Eastern Europe into the global development sector.”
Headquartered in Estonia and Lithuania, Civitta has a team of over 700 experts operating across 22 countries. Its turnover is close to €50 million.
Founded in 1986 by James Austin and Kevin Murphy, J.E. Austin Associates helps businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations shape and implement economic development initiatives. Since its inception, the firm has delivered approximately 700 projects in 120 countries across 40 economic sectors, with a particular focus on the public sector, private sector development, agriculture, and tourism.
The US-based consulting firm has maintained strong ties to the academic sector, with co-founder James Austin a longtime Professor at Harvard University, and more recently, management guru and Harvard Professor Michael Porter affiliating with the firm.
“By combining the expertise and academic foundation of J.E. Austin Associates with Civitta’s capabilities, we are well-positioned to deliver high-quality solutions to emerging markets – not only in the EU periphery but also in Africa, Asia, and Latin America,” said Ojandu.
“This acquisition not only strengthens our market presence but also adds world-class strategic legacy and intellectual capital to our firm,” he added.
Commenting on the deal, Joe Lowther, President of J.E. Austin Associates, said: “This partnership felt like a natural fit from the very beginning. Beyond the strategic rationale, we found a strong alignment in our core values. Both our firms are deeply committed to helping local societies thrive.”
“For our team, joining Civitta means we can continue this mission while also gaining the opportunity to work on a broader range of impactful international projects. It’s a win for both our clients and our people.”
The deal marks Civitta’s second deal in the past months, following the bolt-on of Armenia-based HackTech.
