Lefebvre Sarrut further strengthens its training division with its acquisitions of Bärchen and Docendi

Paris, 23 july 2019

 

The Lefebvre Sarrut group, European market leader in legal and tax knowledge, has today announced two major acquisitions in the training sector, the first concerning Bärchen – a training body specialising in banking, finance and insurance and the leading French AMF certification company -, the second Docendi – a French firm specialising in packaged ‘blended’ learning programmes combining classroom-based training with digital support.

 

Lefebvre Sarrut offers its client base of companies and those operating in the legal and regulated professions a range of services based on content produced by its legal and tax publishing houses and on reputable training offerings. The group pursues a constant strategy for developing its activities in Europe based on both organic growth through major investment and a targeted external growth policy. Its operational and interpersonal excellence, grounded in its permanent family shareholder body, has made the group a benchmark in the fields in which it operates.

 

The group has today announced two major acquisitions in the training field:

– leading French AMF certification company Bärchen, and

– Docendi – a French firm specialising in so-called ‘blended’ learning programmes combining classroom-based training with digital support within the same course

 

Bärchen: the leading French AMF certification company

 

The Bärchen acquisition reflects the Lefebvre Sarrut group’s desire to strengthen its presence in the training sector, and in the fields and markets in which Francis Lefebvre Formation operates in particular, with a complementary approach that is both sector-specific (banks, financial markets and insurance) and role-specific (financial and asset management skills, compliance and customer relations).

 

This position will also naturally strengthen the group’s training division both in France and in Europe as a whole where Bärchen’s existing client base and fields are concerned.

 

The certifications that Bärchen has obtained, starting with AMF certification, offer real added value and are a major differentiating factor.

 

“Our two organisations are rather similar in terms of their cultures, with both placing particular emphasis on interpersonal values, quality, and our relationships with our clients and trainers, all of which will help ensure that we achieve great things together”, Natacha de Saint-Vincent, President of Francis Lefebvre Formation, and Eric Normand, Managing Director of Bärchen, maintain.

 

Docendi: the most successful packaged blended learning offering on the market

 

The Docendi acquisition will strengthen the position of CSP – the Lefebvre Sarrut group’s soft skills-based training body – with a new alliance designed to promote innovation in teaching and establish and exploit synergies, given that CSP specialises in tailored training and Docendi boasts the most successful packaged blended learning offering on the market.

 

Its increased investment potential means that this new partnership will continue to develop its blended offering, its approach to work-based training and its certified training offering to better support its clients, which consist of SMEs, intermediate-sized companies and major groups, right throughout France.

 

“Planning a merger is first and foremost an interpersonal venture, and I am delighted to have had the opportunity to support the men and women at CSP and Docendi in developing a joint project designed to support both our clients and our ecosystem. I would also like to thank Sophie Bolloré for placing her trust in us in choosing CSP and Lefebvre Sarrut to continue the Docendi story”, CSP President Aurélie Feld announced.

 

“The innovative and stimulating vision of education that we at Docendi share with CSP will ensure that our clients reap the benefits of sustainable performance and expertise. I have every faith in Aurélie Feld, in this age of digital technologies and new methods of learning, and in her ability to successfully combine the right talents, offer tailored solutions and make this new partnership a key player in the soft skills sector”, Docendi Founder and Director Sophie Bolloré adds.