Presence of IT and Deloitte join forces to create human capital powerhouse across Asia Pacific

Published: 23 October 2019

Professional services firm Deloitte announced today that the founders, Executive Leadership Team and employees of leading Human Resources transformation business, Presence of IT, will join Deloitte’s Human Capital Consulting practice.

The two firms already hold complementary leadership positions in the Human Capital Management (HCM) market and they will become the largest and most capable human capital and HR transformation team across every market in the Asia Pacific region, offering clients unrivalled depth and breadth of services, with end-to-end solutions in talent experience.

Presence of IT is a 20-year old, industry-leading Human Capital Management business recognised in the Asia Pacific region as a leader in HCM consulting and technology implementation. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in seventeen locations across Asia Pacific and in the US, Presence of IT’s HCM professionals provide consulting, software and support services to help businesses improve their HR, talent, payroll and workforce management. It has market-leading skills and experience in advising clients on SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft and Kronos transformation projects.

Across Asia Pacific, Deloitte currently has over 2,300 people in its Human Capital practice, offering market-leading advice and services to clients on transforming HR functions, workforces and organisations from a human capital perspective. Deloitte also has strong technology implementation experience, and is the market leader advising on Workday implementations.

Presence of IT’s two co-founders, David Brookes and Shaun Flannery, along with their co-CEO Shane Grobler, will join Deloitte’s Human Capital leadership team in Australia, as partners. Presence of IT’s approximately 600 employees will join Deloitte's offices in over 10 countries and regions across the world.

Deloitte Asia Pacific Consulting leader, Adam Powick, said: “I am really excited to welcome the team from Presence of IT to Deloitte. Presence of IT is an organisation we have worked with and alongside for many years and we have always greatly admired the quality of their people and the work they deliver for clients. Combining the strengths of our two organisations will provide clients across Asia Pacific with access to an unrivalled, world class team of Human Capital Management experts.

“This is the first transaction of this scale since Deloitte formed its Asia Pacific firm just over a year ago. It enables us to accelerate our growth in the region and become the undisputed leader in Human Capital Management in every market. Now, our clients will be able to use one professional services firm to deliver both market-leading strategic advice, and a suite of industry-leading human capital management cloud technologies.”

Deloitte Asia Pacific Human Capital leader, David Brown, said: “We are so proud and excited to have joined forces with the team from Presence of IT, a powerhouse Human Capital team. This is an incredible opportunity for us to transform what’s possible in the world of work. Our collective ambition is to change the game for talent experience globally, working with our clients to shape a future work experience that’s human and engaging; with the potential to unlock innovation, spark creativity, and truly make an impact that matters.

“At Deloitte, we believe the future of work is human.​ Technology will enhance the work we do and how we do it, but human performance is ultimately fuelled by belonging, trust, relationships and purpose. Joining with Presence of IT provides an incredible opportunity for us to help make the future a better place to work.”

Presence of IT co-founder and CEO, Dave Brookes, said: “The future of work is all about how people feel, defined by the experiences they have when interacting with business and with customers. It is this joint passion for creating unrivalled talent experiences for our clients globally that positions us as the new undisputed leaders across the Human Capital marketplace.

“Together, we generate end-to-end value with an extended global reach for our clients that is unlike anything in the market today. The combination of our people, our innovations and our shared vision for delivering simplified business experiences is the ultimate advantage in shaping the world of work now and for the future.”

Presence of IT co-CEO, Shane Grobler, said: “For over a decade, Deloitte and Presence of IT have worked together on large-scale HR transformation programs for clients, with great success. We know and appreciate one another’s strengths; we share similar cultures and a common commitment to help our people and clients excel. We are both focused on building a truly engaging talent experience for those connected to our firms, to innovating the way we do things and striving for ongoing excellence. This is a story of two strong teams coming together to ignite exponential advantage, where the sum is truly greater than its parts.” 

Terms of the transaction are confidential.