Kea Consultants has been acquired by an Employee Ownership Trust

September 2022 — Kea Consultants has been transferred to an Employee Ownership Trust to support the next phase of growth.

Kea Consultants is a boutique recruitment firm operating exclusively in the alternative investment space in Europe, with an extensive network of talented candidates and partnerships with top-tier firms. It executes mandates from analyst through to partner level, with an emphasis on building long-lasting relationships. The Kea ethos is to focus on individuals and not on placements.

Since its founding in 2009, Kea Consultants has had a strong emphasis on employee culture. The shareholders have rewarded and empowered the management team and the employees. This transaction will secure the long-term future of the company and enable its staff to benefit from future growth. Kea Consultants will now be under the leadership of a wider management team, with Kadeem Houson and Cassandra Allen joining founder Caroline Sage on the Board of Directors.

Our role in the transaction

Oaklins Evelyn Partners, based in London, worked with the existing shareholders and the management team to deliver a successful transfer to the new ownership.

Brian Livingston, Head of M&A at Oaklins Evelyn Partners, said: “Caroline has built an outstanding business which is a leader in its sector. We were delighted to assist another owner-managed business in its succession planning, where the key aims of the shareholders were protecting the staff and preserving the culture of the business. We hope that the company will continue to achieve strong growth under the stewardship of the expanded management team.”