ABeam Consulting Expands Worldwide Presence with UK Launch

Leading Japanese-Based Consultancy Firm Brings Expanded Support and Services to UK Organisations

London, UK – 10 March 2008 – ABeam Consulting, a global provider of business transformation services, formally launches in the UK today. ABeam, which was founded in 2003, was the former Japanese business unit of Deloitte Consulting. The firm serves 700 clients in industries ranging from automotive to utilities throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe.

The launch of ABeam in the UK exemplifies the firm’s global expansion strategy. ABeam in the UK is formed of two leading UK-born management consultancies, Leadent and Catalyst. Both companies were chosen because of their complementary approaches to client work and their track record for expertise and innovation in key market areas. ABeam’s UK clients include British Waterways, Crown Prosecution Service, Sussex Police, Threshers and Whitbread, as well as many of the world’s largest financial institutions.

“What we’re offering companies is a new approach to operational improvement in a global consultancy that doesn’t have any geographical boundaries. We can now support UK-based companies with a broader set of solutions and global support, and deliver deep industry capabilities to companies on a worldwide scale,” said Alastair Clifford-Jones, Managing Director of ABeam UK and founder of Leadent.

ABeam has drawn upon its Japanese heritage in the global arena by having taken a “kaizen” perspective to the business of consulting and building on its reputation for teamwork. Kaizen, the concept of continuous improvement made famous in the Japanese automotive industry, looks at both whole and the individual components of a process, problem or organisation for ongoing and incremental change.

“Companies often fail to gain the value they expect from transformation initiatives because of the fundamental structure of traditional management consultancies,” said Clifford-Jones. “ABeam designed a business that breaks through the common barriers to client success – one that is measured by client-centric objectives, rewards collaboration, is non-hierarchical and uses blended teams and approaches. It’s what convinced us to become part of ABeam from the outset.”

Leadent, acquired by ABeam in 2007, focused on change and programme management and field force and supply chain transformation with experience in industrial products, public sector, retail, transport and utilities. It begins officially operating under the ABeam name on 10 March 2008 and is now fully integrated into ABeam’s worldwide organisation. ABeam in the UK leads the firm’s Global Utilities Centre of Excellence, given its history with clients from Anglian Water to British Gas. ABeam establishes Global Centres of Excellence in different locations around the world to utilise industry and operational expertise across the firm. Clifford-Jones was also named Managing Director of Global Clients and Markets for ABeam to blend teams and approaches for seamless global client support.

Catalyst Development is focused on delivering significant improvements in the value and performance of technology and operations for major financial institutions, with assignments covering Europe and North America. Catalyst is the most recent acquisition by ABeam, and will maintain operations under its current name as an ABeam company for the immediate future. Catalyst founder Greg Davis was named co-leader of ABeam’s newly created Global Financial Services Centre of Excellence.

About ABeam Consulting

ABeam Consulting provides business transformation services that create strategic advantage, improve business processes, leverage technology innovation, and enhance organizational performance for leading multinational and domestic companies worldwide. ABeam partners with clients to diagnose and solve their real challenges with solutions that combine industry and operational best practices with technical expertise. Pragmatic approaches ensure that clients gain measurable value more quickly. Headquartered in Tokyo, ABeam’s 3,500 professionals serve 700 clients in 21 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.abeam.com.