Interview: The managing directors about the new investor

A new investor, CI Capital Partners, becomes the main shareholder of the Cadmus Group and thus also of ifok. This step opens a wide range of new options for the further development of ifok.

Let’s take a brief look back: Four years ago, ifok and the US-based Cadmus Group merged. The combination of ifok’s proven strategic, communications and methodological expertise with Cadmus’ leading technical expertise was groundbreaking, enabling the company to use a unique consulting approach to accompany and shape transformation processes in modern society in the interests of sustainability. The positive development of ifok in recent years shows: This merger was the right step. With CI Capital Partners, an investor based in New York City with a strategic interest in sustainable development and a specialization in backing management teams in mid-sized service firms, this positive development will be consistently continued.

In a short interview, our three managing directors explain the change of the main shareholder.

What are the goals with this new main shareholder?

Henning Banthien: We perceive a high demand for transformation and sustainable development in the market. Cadmus Group, and therefore ifok, has expertise and proven knowledge in shaping social change processes. We need to drive forward the energy and mobility transformation, accelerate digitization, create forward-looking infrastructures, and modernize administration and our democracy.

This shows: We face major challenges in the world. And these are just some of the fields of action in which we work every day. Our expertise is needed more than ever. Together with our customers and partners, we are shaping the world of tomorrow today. ifok is characterized by strong growth. In the last 5 years, we have grown by an average of over 20 percent. It is good to see that CI Capital Partners as a financial investor brings a strategic interest in sustainable development and excellent consulting for more sustainability. With the new investor, we get the chance to further expand our expertise and our portfolio for transformations for sustainability – in Germany, Europe and worldwide.

What makes Cadmus Group and thus ifok interesting for an investor?

Frank von Zukowski: The basis for the success of sustainable development is jointly supported solutions. Cooperation between politics, administration, business, and society must be reshaped. Forward-looking alliances are needed. Cadmus and ifok support the players involved in this central challenge. We bring together all relevant players and accompany them on this new path. We create networking and exchange, point out visions, develop strategies and support implementation.

This strategic approach has convinced CI Capital Partners. For many years, we have shown that our work is also commercially successful. This development has even been accelerated by Corona instead of stagnating. A look at our job advertisements shows that we need even more support for the tasks ahead. The new constellation gives us more room for maneuver. We can respond to the tasks ahead both in the short term and with a strategic view to the future.

What is changing – for our customers and for our employees in the operational business? Are there changes in the ifok management?

Prof. Dr. Dirk Rompf: We continue ifok as a German GmbH with all services and existing contracts. Our project work remains unaffected by the change of shareholder. The ifok team remains unchanged. We continue to work with the same high quality and reliability that our customers have come to expect from us. Together with Henning and Frank, I will continue to form the ifok management team. We run the business together with the members of the Executive Board.

Sustainable transformation does not stop at national borders. It calls for cross-border solutions. We responded to this development some time ago by founding Cadmus Europe and successfully acquiring important EU projects. We now have the opportunity to further strengthen our international orientation. With Sudhaker Kesavan as Lead Director of the new Board of Directors of Cadmus Group, we have gained a recognized expert in consulting on an international level. Of course, this more global orientation also offers exciting development prospects for our employees. We look forward to continuing our stable and healthy growth and to expanding our portfolio. Our goal is to be able to shape transformations for sustainability even more comprehensively from a single source.