Ernst & Young acquires Sweeney Research

The acquisition of the company, including its staff and CEO Marc L’Huillier, will grow EY Australia’s Customer Advisory team to over 100 people. Sweeney Research covers pharmaceutical, FMCG and retail, with a focus on public sector and financial services clients.

In the announcement, EY Oceania Advisory leader Bill Farrell said that in recent years the firm had seen an increase in client demand for “better, more actionable insights to inform their customer agenda”.

“This acquisition will strengthen EY’s ability to help our clients move beyond the design of customer strategies and advise them on the execution of these strategies, particularly in the rapidly growing digital space,” said Farrell.

The acquisition is due to be completed in October 2014. Sweeney Research will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity for the next 12 months.