By EloInsights
- EloGroup is the newest member of the Cordence Worldwide global network of independent consultancies.
- The network, consisting of nine companies, operates in 60 offices over 19 countries.
- Jill Jacques, managing director of Cordence, and Rafael Clemente, CEO of EloGroup, comment on the entry of the new member to stand for consultancies throughout Latin America.
At the beginning of 2024, EloGroup is taking another major step on its path as a transformation consultancy. We have just joined the Cordence Worldwide, a global alliance of 9 independent consultancies with 60 offices in 19 countries across America, Europe and Asia. With this move, we have expanded our geographic and thematic reach and maximised our impact with clients.
As explains our CEO, Rafael Clemente, by joining Cordence, EloGroup will have access to a strong “collaboration with experts from all over the world, who have already carried out cases in different companies and contexts. This further enriches our repertoire for solving other challenges, even local ones, in Latin America”. In Rafael’s point of view, the association adds to a unique moment in EloGroup’s history, when the team and culture are extraordinarily strong.
Jill Jacques, Managing Director of Cordence Worldwide, adds that the partnership also offers a unique opportunity to access important Latin American players in key industry sectors. She highlights EloGroup’s entrepreneurial mindset, the solidity of its team and culture, as well as its competences in data and technology as factors that supported the decision to include the Brazilian member to the network.
“EloGroup has an incredible team that fits in culturally with our other members”, says Jacques. “There is great synergy in the industry sectors that EloGroup serves and in the priorities for our companies”.
Read below the full interview EloInsights conducted with Jill Jacques, Managing Director of Cordence Worldwide, and Rafael Clemente, CEO of EloGroup:
Jill Jacques, Managing Director of Cordence Worldwide
Could you briefly describe what Cordence is and how the member firms collaborate?
In brief, Cordence is a global alliance of management consulting firms that work together to bring integrated and innovated solutions to clients. A constantly changing world means our clients need to be ready to rise to new challenges to stay one step ahead, and the collaboration among our member firms enables the solutions we bring to those clients to be innovative and comprehensive. Cordence also provides internally connections for its member firms through industry and topical communities, the Young Professionals Network, and Women in Consulting.
Cordence Worldwide is a global network of truly connected consulting firms with the ability to think and deliver together. Working together for more than 18 years, our member firms are able to bring together experience and expertise from across the globe to deliver solutions — and real value — for their clients. With EloGroup joining our partnership, we now have 9 member firms in the Americas, Europe and Asia, with a combined 60 offices in 19 countries.
Now that Cordence have a representative in Latin America, what benefits do Latin American and international companies with operations here have access to?
Latin American companies that are expanding into other regions, selling into other countries, or relying on other countries to support their supply chain can benefit from having a consulting partner that provides expertise and coverage internationally. They can also capitalize on ideas, expertise and learnings from work done around the world.
In a very similar way, international companies will have access to expertise and reach into Latin America.
What were Elogroup’s main characteristics and differentials that were crucial in the decision to invite us into this partnership?
EloGroup has an amazing team that culturally fits with our other members. You are focused on delivering transformational change and value for your clients AND employees, and you are focused on growth — with a real entrepreneurial mindset.
There is a great sense of synergy in the industry sectors you serve and the priorities for our other member firms, and the capabilities in data and technology that complement your management consulting expertise will make you a great partner for our member firms.
What do companies and multinationals see as the prospects for Latin America?
Companies around the world are investing in Latin America, seeing it as a critical location for business growth and as part of their global supply chain. There is a tremendous investment in infrastructure and construction to support the energy, chemicals, industrial goods and consumer products sectors. Every one of our Cordence member firms has heard from their clients about the importance of Latin America, and every Cordence member is excited to be able to support their clients here.
Rafael Clemente, CEO of EloGroup
How important is it for EloGroup to partner with Cordence, a network of independent consultancies? What do you expect from this partnership?
The association with Cordence helps us take a crucial step towards global exposure. The first aspect is that now we collaborate with a network of experts from all around the world, in 60 offices and 19 countries. There is an interesting diversity of experience. This team works in an integrated way. It is as if we have accelerated growth that would have taken ten years, without the pain of losing our independence.
This generation of value is interesting in many ways. For the business, we now have exposure to global projects; for the teams, it is a chance for collaboration and an international career; for clients, an even greater availability of expertise. In other words, this partnership has the potential to change our level as a company.
What are the main drivers on EloGroup’s current expansion?
We are at a remarkably interesting moment in the company. Our partners and our team are very mature and robust, with a strong and unique culture. We have built relationships of trust and have carried out extremely significant transformations with our main clients. This has allowed us to set out an overly exciting growth vision for 2027, the year we turn 20.
Among the main levers for this are continuing to scale the company based on the quality and consistency of our deliveries and other initiatives, such as internationalisation (to which the association with Cordence has a lot to contribute) and possible acquisitions to strengthen our presence in strategic countries or reinforce our team with new partners and talents who can add expertise. We are excited about the challenge we have set ourselves and, at the same time, greatly confident in what we can – and will – deliver.
What characteristics and differentials of EloGroup were crucial for it to be selected to be part of Cordence?
Being part of Cordence puts us in a network of global expertise, where we will certainly be able to contribute a lot with our competences in digital transformation and in industries that are increasingly of global interest, such as energy, especially in the areas of energy transition and sustainability. Obviously, our diversity of expertise in multiple industries and practices that range from strategy to transformation and delivery were valued factors in choosing EloGroup.
Another factor that undoubtedly made a substantial difference was the alignment of values and the recognition of the strength of our culture. Ultimately, with the speed in which things change today, much more than just expertise, it is important for the company to be prepared in terms of the quality of its people and culture, to keep up to date and solve the customers’ problems.
How can this association expand EloGroup’s impact both outside and inside Latin America?
In a nutshell, this answer has a few axes. In terms of client transformations, I believe that: (i) we will bring EloGroup’s expertise to global clients, supporting more impactful transformations with our partners; (ii) we will start to offer coverage in Latin America multinational clients and global projects that require local transformations and expertise in the region; (iii) we will be able to bring global expertise to projects in Latin America.
In terms of knowledge and offers, we will be collaborating with professionals from all over the world who have already carried out cases in different companies and contexts, which will further enrich our repertoire for solving other challenges, even local ones, in Latin America.
In terms of talent, the exchange and international experience will undoubtedly add a lot to the training of our teams. This will naturally have a positive impact on the solutions we build.
