• HgCapital and John Connolly create a new, CogitalGroup

• CogitalGroup will provide accounting, taxation, financial and other advisory services to entrepreneurial businesses and high net worth individuals

• Plan to build a business, initially through the acquisition of exceptional firms that will provide superior service to entrepreneurial companies and business owners

HgCapital, a leading investor in the accounting services and technology space, and John Connolly, former Global Chairman of Deloitte and for 12 years CEO of the UK firm, have teamed up to build a new venture providing accounting, taxation, financial and other advisory services to entrepreneurial businesses and high net worth individuals. The venture, CogitalGroup, will harness John’s unrivalled knowledge of how to build a leading advisory services business with HgCapital’s deep understanding of trends impacting this industry and its proven, sector-focused approach of investing in leading regulatory-driven businesses in and around the accounting and tax compliance space.

The goal of CogitalGroup is to create a business, initially through the acquisition of exceptional firms, that will provide superior service to entrepreneurial companies and business owners and managers and enhance the career opportunities of employees.

Thorsten Toepfer, HgCapital said:

“John’s track record and knowledge of the professional services space speaks for itself following his successful leadership role in transforming Deloitte to become the leading firm in the sector. We feel fortunate to have him on board and believe he will play an important role in the future development of the CogitalGroup.”

John Connolly, Chairman of CogitalGroup, confirmed that Blick Rothenberg, a leading provider of accounting, audit and tax services based in the United Kingdom, had been acquired as the first platform acquisition of the group and will continue to practice as Blick Rothenberg. Commenting on the acquisition John Connolly said:

“We plan to build a different kind of advisory business with an exceptional level of innovative, client focused service. Delivering high value service to our clients will be an obsession. We feel there is a place in the market for a firm focused on entrepreneurial businesses, delivering a personal service whilst harnessing the value-enhancing role of technology. This approach, already embedded in Blick Rothenberg, provides an excellent foundation for our new business.”

Bob Rothenberg, senior partner at Blick Rothenberg said:

“John Connolly and HgCapital have a vision of building a different kind of advisory business, providing quality service to quality clients. That is the reason they came to Blick Rothenberg. As a firm we will continue to invest in our people and lead in the delivery of first class service to a wide variety of clients, UK and international, personal and corporate. We are in a unique position of being at the forefront of this vision while continuing to serve our clients as we have always done.”