‘Significant step forward’ for CogitalGroup with acquisition of Wilkins Kennedy LLP

Business services group CogitalGroup has acquired Wilkins Kennedy LLP.

Wilkins Kennedy, a UK top 20 business services firm with a turnover above £54m, will operate as part of CogitalGroup’s UK regional business, Baldwins.

The deal will bring CogitalGroup’s revenue close to £500m, half of which will be generated in the UK and half in Scandinavia.

It is the firm’s largest acquisition since its initial launch.

Wilkins Kennedy has more than 700 employees and partners working across 18 offices throughout London and the South East.

Following the acquisition, CogitalGroup will serve 70,000 clients and employ 6000 staff from 170 offices in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, along with technology and support centres in Lithuania and Romania.

Wilkins Kennedy will retain its branding. Baldwins’ Southern operation will operate as Wilkins Kennedy: a CogitalGroup Company.

William Payne, senior partner at Wilkins Kennedy, will become a regional managing director responsible for the southern operation. He will also join the board of Baldwin Holdings.

Executive chairman John Connolly said: “This development represents a further significant step forward for CogitalGroup as we complete the first year of our five-year plan to build a leading, technology-driven, international business services group.

“Wilkins Kennedy is a highly regarded firm with a strong position in the entrepreneurial and private company market, which is the significant market segment where we focus.”

John Baldwin, founder of Baldwins and CEO of Cogital UK regional division, commented: “Our increased scale and market focus, supported by the broader CogitalGroup, gives us a great platform to deliver to our clients.

“CogitalGroup is about client service and we know that there is a great fit in this regard with our new colleagues from Wilkins Kennedy.”