Mercer acquires Frankfurt-based Promerit, adds 100 HR consultants

The German wing of global human capital consultancy Mercer has acquired Promerit, a Frankfurt-based firm specialised in HR transformation with around 100 consultants. 

With the bolt-on, Mercer enhances its position in the German HR consulting market – globally the firm is one of the leaders in the landscape. The move in particular bolsters Mercer’s HR digitisation offerings, as the company strives to meet growing demand for services in the field. New technologies, globalisation and demographic change are forcing companies to adapt their business models, with large development changes to how organisations are run and how people are supported. 

“Business, people and digital transformation are the core competencies of Promerit, and they are a market leader in Germany for the development and integration of HR cloud systems,” explained Achim Lüder, CEO of Mercer in Germany. “Our customers will benefit from the combination of our combined strengths – local expertise and global know-how – as well as innovative and digital solutions.”

The chief executive added that Promerit's innovative capabilities in transformation and digitisation will also have a positive impact on Mercer’s broader services portfolio. Mercer, which is a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, not only supports companies in the area of human capital, but also offers services ranging from M&A and pensions to compensation & benefits, international transfers, investments and talent strategy.

Kai Anderson, co-founder and board member of Promerit, said of the deal; “We not only complement each other in our capabilities and expertise, we also share the same values, the great commitment to our clients and passion to move our people forward in their careers.”

The terms of the agreement between Mercer and Promerit have not been disclosed. 

The deal in Germany comes shortly after Mercer acquired Japanese alternative asset manager BFC Asset Management for an undisclosed amount, in a move that significantly expanded its Investments business in Japan. Other deals completed by Mercer in the past 24 months include the purchase of Positive Ageing Company in the UK, Thomsons Online Benefits, CPSG Partners and Sirota Consulting in the US, and Pillar in Australia.

Last month in Germany, Bluecarat, an IT consultancy with offices in Cologne, Frankfurt and Hamburg, was acquired by Sopra Steria.