Introducing Launch, the new digital consultancy brand at The Planet Group
CHICAGO, IL (January 23, 2023) – The Planet Group (“Planet”), a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners and leading provider of outsourced human capital and consulting solutions, announced today that it has consolidated its three digital consulting organizations, Launch Consulting Group (Launch), Strive Consulting (Strive) and Future State Consulting (Future State), under the Launch brand.
The merger will further expand Planet’s current technology consulting portfolio through leading digital transformation services that align with the company’s strategic human capital initiatives. This new digital consultancy offers expanded service offerings including Data & AI, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Infrastructure, Management Consulting, Digital Business Transformation, and Technology Strategy and Architecture. The newly formed consultancy, Launch, will continue to serve a variety of sectors, including but not limited to Consumer, Retail, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Finance and Insurance.
Each of the three companies provides an exceptional management team that enhances Planet’s ability to collaborate with customers on their digital transformation journeys. By combining the brands, Planet can dramatically expand its collective reach and service offerings that create added value for clients. Together, the new Launch digital consultancy will have more than 1,200 consultants and global delivery capabilities covering the entire US, with additional locations in India, Mexico and Argentina.
“Launch, Strive and Future State represent a sizeable expansion into the digital transformation market, which we believe is in the early stages of development,” said Tim Simmerly, President of The Planet Group. “The acquired assets have strong customer relationships with Fortune 500 companies and by unifying them under the Launch brand, we can further expand our technology consulting service offerings, which will accelerate the company’s strategy in building a leading digital consultancy. We welcome the employees of these companies to the TPG family and are excited about their future.”
Brian Ganser, former CEO of Strive Consulting, will lead the new organization as President of Launch.
“We are excited to combine the best of three great companies to create an industry leader,” commented Ganser. “Strive, Future State and Launch have much in common, which will enable us to quickly realize the benefits of integration. The increased capabilities and scale of the organization instantly puts Launch on the map in the industry and positions us to help our clients accelerate their digital transformation processes. It is exciting to think about what the future holds, as we have a tremendous amount of talent within the organization and a global team that is passionate about building a great company. It’s going to be fun to see all that we will accomplish together.”
ABOUT THE PLANET GROUP
The Planet Group consists of a group of related global consulting organizations and renowned staffing brands and has been purposefully built to address the professional services needs of leading companies in the Technology, Digital Marketing, Diversified Energy & Engineering, Infrastructure, Accounting & Finance and Human Resources areas. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with offices throughout the US and Europe.
ABOUT LAUNCH CONSULTING GROUP
Guiding world-class organizations through their digital transformation journeys, Launch helps clients harness their data, implement the right technology and enhance the human experience — so they can make bold moves with confidence. From developing a digital platform for a back office to crafting a connected, personalized apex experience for customers, Launch helps leading organizations navigate in the age of digital transformation and reach their business North Star faster. Visit launchconsulting.com to learn more.
ABOUT ODYSSEY INVESTMENT PARTNERS
Odyssey Investment Partners, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, is a leading private equity investment firm with more than a 25-year history of partnering with skilled managers to transform middle-market companies into more efficient and diversified businesses with strong growth profiles. Odyssey makes majority-controlled investments in industries with a long-term positive outlook and favorable secular trends. For further information about Odyssey, please visit odysseyinvestment.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
The Planet Group
Elizabeth Spayne, VP of Marketing
781.530.3191 | espayne@theplanetgroup.com