Houlihan Lokey Advises W Group
Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that W Group Holding S.p.A. (W Group), a multibrand and multimarket human resources solutions group founded and led by Federico Vione, has successfully completed the acquisition of Magister Group S.p.A. (Magister), a multibusiness corporation operating in the Italian landscape and comprising ALI S.p.A. (administration and search and selection), Labor-B S.p.A. (strategic consulting and HR audit), and Yous S.r.l. (training). The transaction closed on 5 June 2024.
Headquartered in Italy, W Group is a leading provider of HR services, with a focus on qualified blue-collar and technical personnel. W Group operates through more than 100 branches with a strong presence in North and Central Italy and four main service lines: workforce solution, talent solution, consulting, and outsourcing. Serving more than 3,000 clients and 21,000 workers annually, W Group provides a comprehensive offering of HR solutions through its nine business brands, with “Men at Work”, a leading Italian staffing player, as its largest brand.
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Italy, Magister is an HR consulting platform integrated with a comprehensive portfolio of tailor-made HR solutions, fully dedicated to SMEs. The group serves c. 4,000 clients through a consulting-oriented approach, providing HR services on the back of a portfolio of well-established and complementary brands, comprising ALI S.p.A., Labor-B S.p.A., and Yous S.r.l.
The combination of W Group and Magister creates a leading player in the Italian HR services space, generating an initial turnover of more than €825 million with 1,400 people on staff, significant growth prospects, and the same values, DNA, and focus on clients.
Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive buyside and financing advisor to W Group on its acquisition of Magister and assisted in structuring and negotiating the transaction, as well as providing debt advisory services that allowed W Group to raise the desired debt capital structure.
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