FTI Consulting, the US-based corporate advisory firm, is considering an acquisition of boutique consultancy Delta Partners to expand its offerings for telecommunications and technology clients, people with knowledge of the matter said.
FTI has been holding discussions about a combination with Delta since before the coronavirus pandemic roiled global markets, the people said. Dubai-based Delta would prefer a deal allowing its current management to retain control over strategic decision making, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.
Delta has been seeking a strategic partner to help expand its operations for several years, according to the person. No final decisions have been made, and there’s no certainty the deliberations will lead to a transaction, the people said.
Shares of FTI were up 9.8% at the close Monday in New York, giving the company a market value of about US$5-billion. Representatives for Delta and Washington, DC-based FTI declined to comment.
Delta was started in 2006 by Victor Font, a soccer fan who’s currently seeking to become president of Spanish team FC Barcelona, and Kristoff Puelinckx. The company has more than 200 employees across its offices in the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Spain, Singapore, Australia and the US.
Its management consulting business helps companies in the technology, media and telecoms industry hone their strategies and improve their operations. Delta also has a corporate-finance group that advises on mergers and acquisitions and fundraising, as well as a fund-management arm that invests in emerging markets TMT companies. — Reported by Rodrigo Orihuela, David Hellier and Dinesh Nair, (c) 2020 Bloomberg LP