Sia Expands in the Netherlands with the Acquisition of Precedence
Sia, a next-generation, global consulting group, is continuing to expand its footprint through acquisitions, following the strategic minority investment of up to €250 million by Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, in 2024. In March 2025, Sia acquired The Upside, a leading UK consulting agency specializing in branding, strategy, and innovation.
Founded over 15 years ago and backed by a team of 50 consultants, Precedence is specialized in four core areas: Process Consulting, Technology Consulting, Data & AI, and People Change. With a future-facing mindset, Precedence has fully embraced the shift toward artificial intelligence and brings a proven track record in AI literacy and AI-driven organizational design. They generated €8.4 million in revenue in FY24, supporting both local and international clients, leaders in their respective industries, notably in Telecom & Tech, Life Sciences, and Automotive.
Precedence is fully aligned with Sia's longstanding business in strategy & management consulting, and AI & tech DNA, as Sia now counts 400 data & AI experts. This acquisition will enable Sia to reach the milestone of 100 consultants in the Netherlands and 200 across the Benelux region. Leveraging Precedence's network, this move paves the way for potential organic growth across Germany and the Nordic countries. As part of this operation, Roy Goverde and Mark Cloesmeijer, Precedence's founders, will join Sia as Partners. After a few months' transition period, Precedence will integrate its brand with Sia's, reflecting its seamless inclusion into the Group's global ecosystem.
'This acquisition is part of the acceleration of our external growth strategy, in line with the support provided by Blackstone in recent months,' says Matthieu Courtecuisse, CEO of Sia. 'We aim to establish Sia as a leading player in data and AI, and we found in the Precedence teams that same conviction: that innovation is a powerful driver of meaningful change.'
'This operation will significantly strengthen our presence in the Dutch market. By integrating Precedence, we will build deeper board-level intimacy with our clients, helping them tackle complex transformations with even greater agility and trust,' states Jean Trzcinski, Sia Managing Partner for the Benelux region . 'The Netherlands has long been a strategic market for innovation and international business, and we are excited to expand our local footprint to better serve our clients and attract top talent.'
'We built Precedence on the firm belief that a successful transformation can only happen when processes, data, AI, people, and technology are perfectly aligned. We found these same core principles at Sia, along with their world-class expertise in AI,' add Roy Goverde and Mark Cloesmeijer, Precedence's founders . 'Sia's extended capabilities will enable us to support our clients even more comprehensively in their transformation efforts. We are entering this next chapter with great enthusiasm, and we are excited about what we can build together.'
About Sia
Sia is a next-generation, global management consulting group. Founded in 1999, we were born digital. Today our strategy and management capabilities are augmented by data science, enhanced by creativity and driven by responsibility. We're optimists for change and we help clients initiate, navigate and benefit from transformation. We believe optimism is a force multiplier, helping clients to mitigate downside and maximize opportunity. With expertise across a broad range of sectors and services, our 3,000 consultants serve clients worldwide from 48 locations in 19 countries. Our expertise delivers results. Our optimism transforms outcomes.
Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn @Sia
About Precedence
We are Precedence. We create digital strategies that our international clients can truly put into practice — from analysis all the way to future-proof solutions. We translate complex challenges into understandable solutions that the entire organization can work with. By combining process, data & AI, people, and technology in the right way, we make a sustainable contribution to the success of digital leaders.
Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703730656/en/
CONTACT: Press
[email protected]
KEYWORD: EUROPE NETHERLANDS FRANCE
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DATA MANAGEMENT BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
SOURCE: Sia
Copyright Business Wire 2025.
PUB: 07/03/2025 09:47 AM/DISC: 07/03/2025 09:47 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703730656/en
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brookfield Targets $545M Dubai Hotel in Bold New Bet on Booming Gulf Real Estate
Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM) is circling one of Dubai's prime hospitality assets. According to sources familiar with the matter, the firm is in talks to acquire Sofitel Dubai The Palm in a deal that could value the beachfront hotel at roughly 2 billion dirhams ($545 million). While no deal has been finalized, and discussions remain ongoing, the potential acquisition would mark Brookfield's first foray into Dubai's hotel sectora move that adds another layer to its expanding real estate footprint in the region. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with BAM. This isn't Brookfield's first bet on the Middle East, but it may turn out to be one of its boldest. In May, the firm launched a $1 billion residential joint venture with Abu Dhabi's Lunate. It's also backing a redevelopment of a popular Dubai seafront district through its Merex Investment platform and is weighing a mixed-use project in Dubai Hills. These moves highlight Brookfield's growing conviction in the region's long-term upsideespecially in property markets benefiting from global capital rotation and local economic resilience. Hospitality, in particular, has emerged as a magnet for institutional buyers. Between January and May 2025, Dubai's average hotel occupancy hit 83%, up from 81% a year earlier. Over the past 30 months, more than 15 hotel assets have changed handsmore than in the entire previous decade, according to Knight Frank. Recent headline deals include Arzan Financial Group's $325 million purchase of the Fairmont Palm Dubai and its acquisition of VOCO Bonnington. If Brookfield moves forward, it could be the next major player joining this fast-moving property wave. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Digital Trends
36 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
Nothing Headphone 1 Review: A surprisingly good first-gen product
Nothing Headphone 1 MSRP $299.00 Score Details 'The Nothing Headphone 1 features the most unqiue design on a pair of headphones, but while it stands out for their design, it doesn't for the default sound profile or build quality. Despite this, it's an excellent first-generation product.' Pros Balanced sound that needs refining Striking design Fantastic battery life Rapid charging Comfortable for extended periods Excellent ANC Cons Default sound is below average Multipoint disabled by default Design won't be for everyone Concerns about durability Not the best overall sound 'Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.' If you like unique technology, there's a strong chance you've seen products from London-based Nothing. The company, co-founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has built a cult-like following with striking designs that were designed to stand out from the crowd. Recommended Videos Nothing has made earbuds before, but the Headphone 1 is the company's first foray into the world of over-ear headphones that Apple, Sony, and Bose normally dominate. In typical Nothing fashion, the Headphone 1 aims to provide ample sound in a strikingly different design at a price that still offers value for money. Does the Nothing Headphone 1 deliver on this goal? The answer, as always, is complicated. The Headphone 1 offers a refreshing design with helpful features but falls short of meeting the high standards when it comes to the things that truly matter. Nothing Headphone 1: design and comfort The Nothing Headphone 1 stands out with a design like no other pair of over-ear headphones. In typical Nothing fashion, it features an opaque design that is meant to resemble the internals of the headphones. This helps the Headphone 1 stand out compared to the more traditional-styled over-ear headphones offered by its key competitors. The design is most definitely polarizing, but whether you like it or not, it's bound to be a conversation starter and a way to stand out. Personally, the design has grown on me; I've put different generations of the Sony WH-1000XM6 series side by side and couldn't tell them apart, and that won't happen with these headphones. The design is also quite interesting in terms of comfort. The square ears feel surprisingly comfortable, and the design gives strong cassette tape vibes, which quickly grow on you. The Headphone 1 weighs 329 grams, which is heavier than its competitors, like the Sony XM6, which weighs 250 grams. The band across the top helps keep some of the weight off, but the Headphone 1 feels heavier than the competition on your head. However, this doesn't impact the comfort even with extended use. However, I do have reservations about the build. The glossy part of the body is made from plastic, so it doesn't necessarily feel the most premium. The key issue is the aluminum frame, and this is where the Headphone 1 will quickly disappoint you; it took just four days to blemish the frame despite keeping it in the included case when not in use. These are only slight blemishes, but I have concerns about the Headphone 1's overall durability. Nothing Headphone 1: app, controls, and personalization The Headphone 1 is probably the most thoughtful pair of headphones I've used in years. Instead of fiddling with touch controls that are anything but intuitive, the Headphone 1 uses analog triggers, such as a roller, a paddle, and a button, to help you navigate tracks and playlists or activate your Assistant. It's not just hardware, as Nothing put careful thought into controlling the Headphone 1. All of the necessary controls are on the right cup. There's a physical switch for power, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a USB-C port all at the bottom. There's also a roller for adjusting the volume and a paddle that can be used to swap tracks or even scrub through a track by holding the paddle in either direction. The app offers a range of additional options, including customizing noise cancellation, adjusting transparency modes, enabling head-tracked spatial audio, and fine-tuning the Bass Enhancer settings. If you choose to pair the Headphone 1 with the Nothing Phone 3, you'll control exclusive features — such as channel hopping between your different music apps and AI-based voice control — from within the app as well. Nothing Headphone 1: sound, ANC, calls, and transparency This is where the Nothing Headphone 1 begins to fall short. Out of the box, the default sound quality is slightly above average, but it doesn't compare to devices like the Sony XM6 or AirPods Max, which are both more expensive. The sound isn't terrible, but its price point suggests that the default sound profile should be better. The sound is well-balanced across different frequencies, so a song sounds as balanced as the artist intended it to be. The mid-range feels solid, the bass is impactful but not overpowering, and the treble delivers a reasonable sound. Yet, the key challenge is that the overall sound feels flatter than that of the competition, especially since the Ear 2 sounds much better and costs a third of the price. Launch the app, and you can customize the sound to suit your preferences. It's easy to share presets with your friends or the wider community as well. This is where you'll want to spend time tweaking the settings, as once you do — or find a preset — you'll get a richer sound experience that's far more in line with what I'd expect at this price. That's not to say the default sound is bad, but rather that it can be improved with customization. Then there's the transparency mode, which works fairly well, but your voice feels boomy to my ears. You can easily adjust noise cancellation levels in the app and switch between transparency and ANC modes using the roller button on the Headphone 1. As you switch between the different modes, you'll hear a specific sound. Activating ANC mode plays a short sucking and shutting sound, while you'll listen to an intake of breath when you activate transparency mode. I don't mind the former, but the intake of breath sounds strange to me, even after over 100 activations. Then there's the active noise cancellation (ANC), and thankfully, Nothing nailed it with the ANC on the Headphone 1. There are four different strength settings — Adaptive, High, Medium, and Low — and while I liked the isolation of the High mode, it's not ideal for situations where you may also want to hear what's happening in the background, such as in an office. I've found that the ANC is on par with the Sony WH-1000XM5, and the Headphone 1 is among the better headphones for blocking out the noise of a plane or train. It's not as good as premium headphones like the Sony XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but the Headphone 1 offers as good ANC as the best in its price point. Nothing Headphone 1: battery and charging Nothing promises that the Headphone 1 will achieve 35 hours of playback with ANC turned on and 80 hours with it turned off. These claims put the Headphone 1 above the Sony XM5, which lasts just over 30 hours. Although I've been unable to test it with ANC fully turned off, the battery life has been impressive with ANC enabled. In my sole full test so far, the Headphone 1 lasted 37 hours on a single charge with ANC enabled, with spatial audio and multipoint enabled. Both of these features draw a considerable amount of power, so the Headphone 1 will likely push closer to 40 hours with them disabled. Like every Nothing phone, the Headphone 1 also features fast charging, and this is where it shines. A full charge takes around two hours, which isn't particularly speedy, but it comes to life in just a few minutes. A quick five-minute charge is sufficient for 4 to 5 hours of playback with ANC turned off, while a 15-minute charge allows for 10 hours of playback with ANC turned on or just enough for a long-haul flight. I often find myself at the airport with no battery in my headphones, so I appreciate the rapid charging. It's become commonplace in the best phones, but more headphone makers need to follow Nothing's lead and make this commonplace amongst the best headphones. Nothing Headphone 1: price and availability The Nothing Ear 2 set a direction for Nothing in terms of positioning its products as offering excellent bang-for-your-buck and class-leading performance at its price point. The Nothing Headphone 1 was expected to follow suit, and it mostly achieves this, although some sound customization is required to achieve the desired effect. The Headphone 1 is available in two colors — Black and white — and retails for $299 in the US, £299 in the UK, and €299 in Europe. By comparison, its chief rivals are more expensive; the Sony WH-1000XM6 costs $450 (or £400), while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra costs a similar amount in the US. Against the landscape of its key competitors, the Nothing Headphone 1 offers good value for money; however, it isn't the most premium product and doesn't offer the best sound available. It is, however, the most unique pair of headphones I've ever tried, and they've grown on me the more I've used them. The Headphone 1 is a great first-generation product It's easy to forget that the Headphone 1 is a first-generation product, and at that, one from a company that hasn't been making headphones for too long. In this context, the Headphone 1 is very good, although you'll want to ensure you're happy with every compromise. Yes, I've concerns about durability, and you may need to modify the sound profile to achieve the best sound, but once you do, this is one of the best first-generation headphones I've used. Given that Nothing's second-generation products are vastly improved, I'm eager to see what the Headphone 2 could offer.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AirAsia's $12.3B Power Move Could Reshape Global Budget Travel
AirAsia parent Capital A has just inked a potential $12.3 billion memorandum of understanding with Airbus (EADSY) for 50 A321XLR jetswith options for 20 more. The deal, unveiled as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrapped up his diplomatic tour of France and Italy, is more than just a fleet refresh. It's a long-range play on global low-cost dominance. These jets, which could begin arriving by 2028, are designed to fly farther than any narrowbody aircraft, making once-uneconomical routes across Asia and beyond suddenly viable. This order allows us to have a narrowbody fleet that can cover the world, said CEO Tony Fernandes. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Sign with EADSY. Fernandes hinted that the A321XLR's economics could unlock expansion into India, China, and other parts of Asia-Pacificmarkets where widebodies are often too costly. But the ambitions don't stop there. AirAsia plans to launch a Gulf hub this year and is setting its sights on select European routes. The airline is also in discussions with Airbus to potentially exit its earlier A330 widebody order, signaling a full pivot toward a more nimble, fuel-efficient fleet. At the same time, Capital A is evaluating a secondary listing in Hong Kong as part of its broader strategic roadmap. Anwar's Europe visit wasn't just ceremonialit was deal-making diplomacy in motion. Alongside the commercial jet talks, Malaysia announced defense equipment purchases from Italy and France, reinforcing its security posture while boosting trade ties. In 2024, MalaysiaFrance trade hit $3.63 billion, with momentum continuing into 2025. For investors, this Airbus agreement could mark the start of a new chapter for Capital A's regional dominanceand possibly its global ambitions. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
