03-07-2025
Sia Expands in the Netherlands with the Acquisition of Precedence
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.
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.
