Bain enters Greece and Portugal with offices in Athens and Lisbon

Global strategy consulting firm Bain & Company has launched two new offices in Europe, with the locales in Athens and Lisbon lifting the firm’s total number of offices on the continent to twenty-three.

The double launch of new offices means Bain & Company now has an on the ground presence in Greece and Portugal – two markets the firm until now has served through fly-in teams from other offices.

In both countries, Bain & Company’s arrival was fuelled by “an expanding client base” and “strong demand for our advice and services”, according to a release by the US-headquartered firm.

In Greece, Bain & Company has over the last years worked with some of the largest domestic and international companies across industries including financial services, energy & natural resources, consumer products, retail, private equity, and manufacturing.

“The new Athens office reflects our commitment to better serve the increasing number of client relationships we have locally,” said Roberto Prioreschi, Italy and Turkey managing partner at Bain & Company.

The objective is to build “a top strategy consulting firm in Greece, differentiating itself by Bain’s key client proposition, its strong focus on creating value and long-lasting impact,” explained Prioreschi.

In Portugal, Bain & Company has built a track record with “some of the most important Portuguese and international companies for nearly two decades,” said Ignacio Otero, a Madrid-based partner who leads the firm’s Iberia footprint.

The Lisbon office aims to grow into a 40-strong team in the next 18 months, and is currently led three senior company members: João Soares, a partner and head of banking transformation for EMEA, Álvaro Pires, a partner and head of private equity in Iberia, and Clara Albuquerque, a partner with a focus on financial services and digital innovation.

In Portugal, the consulting firm also plans to setup a specialised advanced analytics centre that will supports its offices across Europe, with a focus on private equity services.

To kickstart the Greek office, Bain & Company has hired Dimitris Psarris from Oliver Wyman, where he also served as managing partner of the Athens office. A senior partner, Psarris is also a member of Bain’s European leadership team and a leader in the global Financial Services practice.

Psarris has been at the forefront of Greece’s recovery from the crisis, having supported all systemic banks, investors, large corporates, as well as the European and local authorities on several high-profile restructuring and recovery initiatives. In more recent years, Psarris helped financial services institutions with redefining their strategy and with the implementation of large-scale transformation programs.

Earlier this year, Bain & Company also turned to inorganic means to fuel growth, snapping up companies in the United Kingdom, Australia, Chile, and India.

Globally, the consultancy has more than 14,000 employees operating in 40 countries and 65 cities.