By Holt Hackney
In a first for the industry, Grant Thornton Ireland has announced a strategic partnership with business technology architecture advisory firm WVE International.
The significance, beyond the fact that it brings together the strengths and expertise of both organizations to provide a comprehensive and innovative professional services offering, is that the partnership introduces hundreds of “Distinguished Architects”, certified by the International Association of Software Architects (Iasa Global), under a single brand into the marketplace.
“These architects have been trained the Iasa Global way, meaning companies and other entities will have access to talented, experienced architects, who have graduated from a rigorous Iasa Global educational program created by architects for architects,” said Paul Preiss, the CEO and founder of Iasa Global.
This collaboration between Grant Thornton and WVE, in particular, will go a long way toward addressing “the current market gap for end-to-end, industry-led, practical advisory services in digital strategies that ultimately integrate business, technology and strategy to serve the client,” according to a press release announcing the partnership. “The blend of services and expertise will give companies access to IT and architecture strategic counsel and an implementation capability across all aspects of technological and digital business transformation.”
WVE has a global footprint of distinguished Business & Technology Architects & senior IT leaders, with over 500+ years of collective IT experience. Through this partnership, organizations can gain access to seasoned CIOs, CTOs, and Chief & Distinguished Architects who provide trusted advisory services tailored to their specific needs.
Grant Thornton’s technical delivery capabilities and technical programme management, in addition to expertise in data analytics, visualization, system integration, artificial intelligence, automation and more, rounds out the novel offering. This joint offering will provide end-to-end support across various technical domains, ensuring seamless integration and optimization.
By bringing together proven subject matter experts from across an extensive range of industries, this partnership creates a true cross-sector offering for any organization seeking strategic digital services.
Grant Thornton and WVE have already successfully won and are working on projects such as a complex senior assurance review of a banking payments strategy; the development and progression of digital strategy for a regulatory body; a technology resilience assurance review for a government department.
Brian O’Dwyer, Partner and Co-Head of Consulting, Grant Thornton Ireland, said:
“We are very excited about the WVE partnership, having already seen the benefits of our collaboration over the past few months working closely with the WVE leadership team. The WVE network brings a wealth of deep industry specialists with extensive expertise, perfectly complementing Grant Thornton’s strong digital implementation capabilities.
This collaboration combines the best of architecture advisory with practical delivery excellence. I’m looking forward to seeing this collaboration continue to grow.”
Dennis Mulder, CEO, WVE International, said:
“This partnership brings together WVE’s expertise in bridging strategy and execution through industry proven architectural excellence with Grant Thornton’s technical delivery capabilities, creating a truly unique value proposition for our clients. By combining our strengths, we’re empowering organizations to navigate digital transformation with confidence, achieving tangible outcomes that drive long-term success.
To underline our commitment to this partnership, and the importance of Ireland in WVE’s global growth plans, we have already appointed a General Manager for Ireland, David Jones, a seasoned CIO and Chief Architect.
Working closely with Grant Thornton, Mulder will be instrumental in building this partnership in Ireland and internationally, ensuring successful outcomes for WVE and Grant Thornton clients wherever they may be.
Shane O’Neill, Technology and Digital Consulting Partner, Grant Thornton, added:
“This collaboration will offer an approach that differs from traditional models, by offering a true end-to-end offering. By offering complementary services and skills we can deliver important value-added outcomes for clients.
“Through this partnership we will deliver a unique service offering for our clients – bringing expertise together that allows us to solve for any technological problem – from ideation through to implementation and embeddedness. Our shared goal is to bridge the gap between strategy and digital execution, delivering tangible business results for our clients.”