World of Talents acquires majority stake through its subsidiary The Human Network in Dutch financial services provider Pragmatics
UTRECHT – AS OF 31 JANUARY 2023, FINANCIAL SERVICES PROVIDER PRAGMATICS WILL BE PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL HR GROUP WORLD OF TALENTS (HOLDING ABOVE HOUSE OF TALENTS IN BELGIUM AND HUMAN NETWORK IN THE NETHERLANDS). CEO STEVE ROUSSEAU: "THIS STEP IS IN LINE WITH OUR AMBITION TO BE A PAN-EUROPEAN HR NETWORK IN BOTTLENECK PROFESSIONS. WE ARE IN FACT ADDING A COMPLEMENTARY BRANCH WITH AROUND 150 HIGHLY SKILLED FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS IN LIMBURG AND NORTH BRABANT."
Ralph Vanwersch and Roger Willems, Managing Partners at Pragmatics, are also set for growth: "This collaboration adds to our ambition to expand our services towards the north of the Netherlands as well as Belgium."
Stable and durable foundation in financial services
Pragmatics has been providing quality services in Finance & Control through its offices in Eindhoven and Maastricht since 2010. It is the 24th private company to be added to the Utrecht-based organisation The Human Network, which already employs 750 professionals. Pragmatics will retain its strong brand, identity and current Managing Partners as an autonomously operating organisation. Roger: "In recent years we have established a stable and durable foundation. Now we are ready to take to the country together."
100% DNA-match through people-centric approach
Parent company World of Talents - a specialist international HR group in bottleneck professions with 2,500 employees - acquired The Human Network on 1 October 2021. CEO of World of Talents, Steve Rousseau: "We only pursue a 100% DNA match in our buy-and-build strategy and choose companies that are a true reinforcement. Pragmatics really complements The Human Network's offering in the Netherlands and Financial Talents' offering in Belgium and thus our international portfolio."
Esther Scheffener, CEO of The Human Network: "We immediately felt a connection in terms of entrepreneurship, our commitment and the pride we feel for our organisations. But above all, the match lies in the fact that we always put the consultants and experts first." Ralph and Roger: "People are our most important capital. We therefore give a lot of personal attention and provide customisation in our coaching cycle and choice in assignments, in order to bind and keep people engaged. This remains the foundation of our organisation."
Managing Partner Pragmatics
Collaboration in order to grow faster
Instead of organic growth, Pragmatics chose to partner with The Human Network - and with it World of Talents, providing an entry point in Belgium. Ralph: "We see this partnership as a rapid broadening of Pragmatics' potential. The greater leverage will allow us to work smarter and bigger and offer national coverage."
Esther adds: "By now also offering financial services from The Human Network, we will make a difference in the employment and client market in the Netherlands. In doing so, we all share the drive to become bigger, stronger and more successful."
Sharing best practices and benefiting from each other's qualities
Both organisations invest heavily in their employees, with, for example, training through The Human Network Academy and the Pragmatics Business College. They choose to share their best practices to optimise in the interest of their employees.
Esther: "We really believe in working together and using each other's qualities." Roger: I expect a very nice, fun, and informal collaboration in which we share our knowledge and experience in sustainable development, the midlance model, recruitment, and reporting. Together, we can fulfil our growth ambitions."