AAB expands with acquisition of Think People Consulting based in Belfast and Dublin

It has acquired Think People Consulting, a human resources consultancy with an annual revenue of around £1.7m, and a team of 24 people based across Belfast and Dublin.

Established by Anne Dougan and Emer Hinphey in 2006, Think People provides support to clients across a range of human resources services.

A spokesman said: "The company has a wide range of clients across both the private and public sector. Both Anne and Emer are remaining with the business to support ambitious growth plans to grow the Think People business as part of the AAB Group.

"AAB Group already has a strong track record in this field: Purpose HR joined the group in July 2021, and within 12 months reported the doubling of both turnover and headcount.

"Following investment from August Equity, AAB Group has begun building strong regional hubs across the UK and Ireland. In May 2022, FPM an independent audit, accounting, tax and business advisory firm was the first in Ireland to join the group.

"The addition of Think People is another significant step forward in building AAB’s reputation as a diversified business critical services group in the region."

Graeme Allan, Chief Executive of AAB, commented: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to expand the range of HR consultancy services that we can deliver for our clients. We are delighted to welcome the fantastic team at Think People to the group and look forward to developing our HR offering across the UK, Ireland and internationally.”

Earlier this year, AAB announced a merger with the Leeds-based company Sagars.

Anne Dougan and Emer Hinphey, the managing partners of Think People added: “We are delighted to join the AAB group, as we share strong values with the AAB team and their approach to delivering unparalleled services.

"We look forward to realising the benefits of the wider group support and range of services, to bring more value to our clients and to help us realise our shared growth plans."

Lisa Thomson, CEO of Purpose HR, commented: “I'm delighted to welcome Think People to the AAB Group, and am very much looking forward to working with our new colleagues in Ireland as we continue to grow and expand our HR and people services and regional presence.”

Following the acquisition, AAB Group will continue to pursue its organic and merger and acquisition growth plans, looking to strengthen its team with further recruitment across all locations.