Consulting Buyout Acquisitions in 2026

The International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) has acquired Franchise Business Review (FBR) to strengthen IFPG’s franchise growth platform with independent market research and benchmarking capabilities. The acquisition will deepen IFPG’s analytics and AI-enabled performance intelligence offerings to provide franchisors predictive insights on franchisee satisfaction, onboarding, and system-wide performance risks.

Integrated Pension Services, a national retirement plan consulting and compliance firm based in Boston, has acquired BDS Consulting Group, a specialized retirement plan consulting firm serving more than 260 plan clients nationwide. The deal includes all client relationships and staff (BDS employees will join Integrated Pension) and expands Integrated Pension's scale by nearly 50%, strengthening its retirement plan compliance and workplace wealth capabilities.

The Leadership Edge, a San Diego-based leadership and organizational development consultancy, has acquired 2Connect, a communications and presentation skills training firm. The acquisition combines The Leadership Edge's leadership development capabilities with 2Connect's presentation and communications expertise to offer an integrated suite of services for life sciences and other technical industries; financial terms were not disclosed.

Bain & Company has acquired London-based JJC FinTech, a boutique financial services consulting and technology firm specializing in client lifecycle management (CLM) and anti-financial crime (KYC/AML). The deal enhances Bain's capabilities to deliver end-to-end CLM, KYC and AML transformations for financial institutions, combining Bain's strategy and digital strengths with JJC's hands-on implementation expertise.

Pearl Meyer has acquired Ampersand Leadership Group, a boutique leadership advisory consultancy, and hired several senior practitioners to expand its Leadership Advisory practice. The move strengthens Pearl Meyer's capabilities serving private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, and corporate boards by adding Ampersand's leadership advisory, executive assessment, and coaching expertise.

Sia has acquired Kaiser Associates, a boutique strategy consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., to launch a dedicated Corporate Strategy, Private Equity & M&A business line and accelerate its U.S. expansion. Kaiser Associates’ leadership (Ali Cumber, Paul Mumma and Jon Meyerholz) will join Sia, with Jon Meyerholz named Managing Partner of the new business line; the deal is intended to broaden Sia’s strategic advisory capabilities and scale Kaiser’s services globally.

Consello has acquired Morpheus Risk, a UK-based risk and threat assessment firm, and will integrate the team into a newly formed Consello Risk practice. The deal expands Consello's advisory capabilities with on-the-ground intelligence, investigations and operational risk mitigation expertise to support multinational clients amid rising geopolitical volatility.

Argano has acquired Pharosity Consulting, a life‑sciences-focused consulting firm specializing in gross‑to‑net, government pricing, commercial contracting, and advanced analytics. The deal, announced January 27 and closed in December 2025, expands Argano's life sciences capabilities and deepens its finance, revenue, and analytics offerings for pharmaceutical and biotech clients.

Windrose Consulting Group has acquired Zenith Access Network, a market access consultancy focused on Greater China and emerging APAC markets. The deal brings Zenith's founder Shuang Wen into Windrose as Head of APAC to strengthen the firm's regional market access, pricing and reimbursement capabilities; financial terms were not disclosed.

Diginex, a London-headquartered sustainability RegTech provider, has completed the acquisition of The Remedy Project Limited, a Hong Kong-based advisory and research organization focused on labor and human rights in global supply chains. The deal was structured with an initial issuance of 1 million ordinary shares to The Remedy Project's sole shareholder and up to 1 million additional shares tied to earnout/operating targets, enabling Diginex to integrate human-rights due diligence advisory capabilities into its ESG and supply-chain technology platform.

Dark Horse Consulting Group (DHCG) has acquired Bruder Consulting & Venture Group (BCVG), integrating BCVG as a Regenerative Medicine department within DHC to expand the group's capabilities in regenerative medicine, tissue repair, and biomaterials. The deal brings BCVG's strategic advisory expertise in discovery, development, clinical design, and regulatory affairs into DHCG's global consulting platform.

Accordion, a New York–based, AI- and data-powered financial consulting firm focused on private equity, has acquired operator-led performance improvement firm FCM. The deal adds about 50 operator-led consultants to Accordion’s capabilities, broadening its performance improvement and operational-diligence offerings to better serve private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies; financial terms were not disclosed.

Contemporary Leadership Advisors (CLA) has acquired Momentum Global (Momentum Global HR), a boutique human-capital advisory founded by former CHROs Scott Slipy and Suni Lobo. The deal brings Momentum Global's operator-led HR expertise and AI-enabled workforce insights into CLA, expanding the firm's strategic HR advisory and operating capabilities; financial terms were not disclosed.

Lewis & Ellis, Inc. announced that Griffith, Ballard & Company has joined Lewis & Ellis effective January 1, 2026. The combination expands Lewis & Ellis’s life actuarial capabilities and scale while allowing Griffith Ballard to continue operating from Cedar Rapids under its existing leadership and to contribute its Lifebase technology and actuarial expertise to the broader platform.

Denison Consulting and Newmeasures combined through a legal merger effective January 1, 2026, with the combined business operating under the Denison Consulting, Inc. name. Newmeasures will operate as a Denison Consulting practice, expanding Denison's employee listening and Qualtrics implementation capabilities to link employee feedback to measurable organizational performance.