Alithya becomes Québec’s leading private IT firm and one of the largest in Canada
Montréal, July 7, 2015 – Alithya, a Québec-based IT and strategy consulting firm, active in Canada and Europe, has acquired Groupe conseil OSI. As part of this transaction, Capital régional et coopérative Desjardins (CRCD) and Investissement Québec become investors in Alithya with interests of $3.5M and $1.5M, respectively. The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is also involved in this transaction as a financial partner.
With 1,200 consultants spread across its six Canadian offices and three offices in France, Alithya continues to diversify and to expand its service offerings in order to better meet client needs.
“This acquisition is in line with our growth strategy and positions us among the top Canadian Information Technology companies. With an increase of more than 300% in revenue over the past four years, and supported by major financial partners, Alithya confirms its leadership position in the industry and will continue to accelerate its growth in Canada and internationally,” said Pierre Turcotte, Chairman of the Board of Alithya.
“This transaction meets a specific need of our clients by providing them more agility and value. Our industry is rapidly transforming, and this acquisition helps position us as agents of change,” said Alithya president and CEO Paul Raymond. “Our clients want to do things differently. Their business models are evolving and they’re looking for an innovative partner who has the flexibility and scale to help guide them along the way. We now have 1,200 consultants who will help us bring this vision to life,” added Paul Raymond.
“We are very proud to join the Alithya family. OSI’s unique expertise will enhance Alithya’s overall offerings to better meet client needs and create new challenges and opportunities for our consultants,” noted Alain Boucher, president of Groupe conseil OSI.
“We have a long-term, trusted, relationship with Alithya as a business partner of Desjardins for nearly 25 years. They are a serious company of great quality, with focused leadership in a growth industry. It is therefore a logical long-term investment for us,” said Marie-Claude Boisvert, Chief Operating Officer of Desjardins Entreprises Capital régional et coopératif, Manager of CRCD.
“We were already a Groupe conseil OSI shareholder and we are very pleased to be able to increase our stake by investing in Alithya, thus contributing to the emergence of a key Québec technology consulting firm,” said Pierre Gabriel Côté, President and CEO of Investissement Québec.
“The preservation of jobs in a key sector and the development of the knowledge-based economy are at the heart of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ’s mission. We are pleased to announce this new partnership with Alithya, a Québec-based consolidator in the IT field,” said Normand Chouinard, Executive Vice-President, Investments, at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
“Technology consulting is a highly-competitive industry dominated by major international players. Alithya’s acquisition of Groupe conseil OSI will allow it to increase its presence on the Québec market, export its expertise to external markets and compete with industry giants,” concluded Jacques Daoust, Québec Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Exports.
About Alithya
Alithya provides strategic consulting and IT services through an innovative business model based on client needs for transformation. For nearly 25 years, we have grown by partnering with our clients to support their effective use of information technology, offering high-quality services and helping them achieve their business objectives.
Our team now includes 1,200 consultants in Canada and France.
To find out more, visit www.alithya.com
About Capital regional et cooperatif Desjardins
With some 96,000 shareholders and $1,502 million in net assets, Capital regional et cooperatif Desjardins (CRCD) is a public company managed by Desjardins Business Capital regional et cooperatif. CRCD contributes to Quebec economic development through several levers developed with its manager, with CRCD as the driving force. These levers form CRCD’s entrepreneurial ecosystem designed to value and nurture the best of Quebec entrepreneurship. As a result, CRCD now supports the growth of over 380 businesses, cooperatives and funds in various industries spanning all Quebec regions, helping to create and retain 62,000 jobs. (www.capitalregional.com)
About Investissement Québec
Investissement Québec’s mission is to favor investment growth in Québec, therefore contributing to economic development and job creation.in all regions. The Society puts at the disposal of companies a full range of financial solutions, including loans, loan guarantees and equity investment in order to support them in all stages of their development. In addition, it is responsible for the administration of tax measures and prospect for investments abroad. (www.investquebec.com)
About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ
The Fonds de solidarité FTQ helps drive our economy. With net assets of $11.1 billion as of May 31, 2015, the Fonds is a development capital fund that channels the savings of Quebecers into investments in all sectors of the economy to help create and maintain jobs and further Québec’s development. The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is a partner, either directly or through its network members, in more than 2,550 companies. With 610,605 shareholder-savers, the Fonds helps create, maintain and protect more than 172,000 jobs. For more information, visitwww.FondsFTQ.com.