One of the country's leading executive search consulting firms, MERC Partners, has been bought by a US firm for an undisclosed fee.
Spencer Stuart is a privately owned global executive search and leadership advisory firm headquartered in Chicago with more than 60 offices, in over 30 countries and more than 50 practice specialties.
The acquisition will be used by the American firm to grow its business in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
The company has had an office in Dublin for almost a decade, from where its corporate operations team works in areas such as technology, legal and intellectual property.
The addition of MERC Partners will bring Spencer Stuart its first client-facing team here.
"MERC Partners has an outstanding leadership team and talented colleagues, and they have collectively built a successful and vibrant business in Ireland," said Henrik Maartensson, who co-leads the EMEA region.
"We are impressed by the strength of the team and their capabilities, the firm’s client base and our cultural compatibility."
"It is clear we share a common belief that deep insight and relationships can fuel the kind of impact that is essential to the success of clients and candidates alike."
MERC Partners was founded in 1980 and has grown to become a respected head-hunting and talent consulting firm used by many leading businesses and public sector organisations here.
It is owned by its partners.
"Our firms’ cultures, values and collaborative, client-focused approach are well aligned," said Ruth Curran, managing partner of MERC Partners.
"In addition, this combination will enable our team and our clients to access an expanded portfolio of capabilities globally across Spencer Stuart’s many offices and practices."
