With the acquisition of the leader in outsourcing of the management of training and work-linked training in France, the Cegos Group consolidates its position as leader European leader in professional training. Cegos thus continues the implementation of its strategy based on Customer Experience and remains in the forefront of market consolidation. It also strengthens its position in Managed Training Services, already offered by the Group in Spain and Germany. For its part, Cimes is going to be able to accelerate its development – notably with major account customers and internationally – and reinforce its offer of services by benefiting from the Cegos expertise in blended learning.
In this transaction, Invest Corporate Finance acted again as financial adviser for the purchaser, the Cegos Group.
Paris, 18 September 2017: The Cegos Group acquires 100% of the capital of the Cimes Group. Founded in 1993, Cimes is currently the leader in the outsourcing of training management in France. 140 employees assist every year in the training of 270,000 people and 8,000 work-study participants for companies with between 300 and 150,000 employees. A pioneer in its market and leader in outsourced management of administrative, logistics and financial processes of training, Cimes generated sales of €10 million in 2016.
Cimes will continue to conduct its activities autonomously. The management team remains in place and the current Chairperson and Chief Executive of Cimes, Frank Morcant, will assist with the transition.
On the attack, Cegos pursues the deployment of its development strategy.
By reinforcing its position in the field of outsourced management of training, Cegos intends to supplement its offer of services and enrich “the customer experience” that it offers to the sponsors of training within companies. A customer who so wishes can thus have access to a range of services even more complete and consistent, for an experience both simple and exciting.
With the purchase of Cimes, Cegos consolidates its position as “Global Learning & Development Partner”. Cegos already covered all of the customer needs through turnkey training, customised training, operational advice, international training projects or Managed Training Services.
The acquisition of the leader in France of outsourcing of training management allows the Cegos Group to reinforce its activity of Managed Training Services, an activity that it has already exercised for several years, in particular in Germany and in Spain.
Since Cimes has worked for several years on the digitalisation and dematerialisation of training and work-linked training management notably through its EGOS software, this merger thus consolidates Cegos as the partner of companies in the digital transformation of learning.
Lastly, with this operation, Cegos pursues its objective of consolidation of the training market, already underway for several years: purchase of the German leader in training in 2014, consolidation of the market share of Cegos in France following the reform of professional training, etc.
For Cimes: strengthened leadership and accelerated development.
Cimes, the French leader in outsourcing of training management, joins the leader of professional training in Europe. The two Groups have the common desire to provide more value to their customers while retaining their respective DNAs.
Through this new stage in its development, the French leader in outsourcing of professional training is going to be able:
Accelerate the development of its activities and services, in particular with its major account customers,
Assist its customers and prospects internationally, by proposing with the Managed Training Services teams of the Group a unique offer in Europe of deployment of outsourced management services for professional training.
To benefit from the whole Cegos expertise Cegos concerning the use of blended learning systems integrating all the benefits of digitalisation.
Executives involved in the transaction
Advisers to the Purchasers
M&A Adviser: Invest Corporate finance Virginie Lagrange – | Managing Partner
Legal advisers – Acquisition: CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre Paris Jean Robert Bousquet | Partner lawyer – Thomas Hains | Lawyer
Due diligence adviser: Ernst & Young GmbH Emmanuel Picard | Partner – Renaud Regner | Senior Manager – Karim Lasri | Senior Manager
Legal and tax Due Diligences: CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre Paris Jean Robert Bousquet | Partner lawyer (Corporate) – Philippe Donneaud | Partner lawyer (Taxation)
Vendor Advisers
M&A Adviser: Cambon David Salabi | Founding Partner – Edwina Bassil | Director
Legal Adviser: Sebban & Partners David Sebban | Partner lawyer
Due diligence adviser: Deloitte Cécile Remy | Director – Xavier Evano | Senior Manager
