IQ-EQ, a leading investor services group with its headquarters in Luxembourg, has announced the acquisition of Conseil Expertise & Synthese (CE&S), an independent accounting business based in Paris.
This latest acquisition (the group's second in 2020) further strengthens IQ-EQ's French offering, enabling the group to offer an extensive suite of Funds, Corporate and Private Wealth services.
Led by its principal, Jean-Noël Servans, and three other senior partners since 2010, CE&S offers accounting, tax, payroll and corporate secretarial services to a range of fund managers, entrepreneurs, corporates and high net worth clients. The deal will result in the creation of a 75-person strong business in France.
As the fourth largest private equity market in the world and the second highest recipient of European foreign direct investment, France represents a key strategic growth market for the group given the recent surge in new business creation. The acquisition of CE&S, together with the recent appointment of Bruno Noyon as the new managing director in France, is expected to leave the group well positioned to take advantage of this market opportunity. The CE&S business will be integrated with the group's existing businesses in France, Equitis and Peru & Partners, whilst initially retaining its existing brand identity.
Speaking about this latest acquisition, Group Executive Chairman Serge Krancenblum commented: "The acquisition of Conseil Expertise & Synthese will position us a leading provider in France. The firm has an impressive reputation for its client services with a highly experienced team of experts in place, and adds further scale and a strong client book to our French operations. Our Equitis team has a long-standing commercial relationship with CE&S; so it gives me great pleasure to welcome Jean-Noël and his team to the IQ-EQ Group, a natural next step. I look forward to exciting times ahead".
Jean-Noël Servans, President of CE&S, added: "We are delighted to join forces with IQ-EQ, one of the leading global investor services providers. The partnership will offer us new and accelerated business opportunities in France. Becoming part of a global group will benefit our existing and future clients, not only due to the expanded range of services we can administer cross jurisdictionally, but also as a result of the vast and highly experienced pool of resources that a larger business offers".
