BDO acquires international authority in risk management
BDO has acquired the internationally acclaimed authority on risk management: Chapelle Consulting (founded by the Belgian Ariane Chapelle), thus firmly expanding its corporate risk management know-how. The advisory practice will use academically-sound practice models to help businesses become better prepared for the risks of today and tomorrow. In addition, BDO will train and upskill (future) risk managers from Belgian and international companies, primarily targeting the financial sector with its comprehensive offering.
The Covid pandemic not yet behind us, businesses are now faced with the pressure of rising energy costs and the war in Ukraine. Supply chain issues, cyber-attacks and highly cautious consumers keeping a close eye on their spending… These are all risks that can jeopardise a company’s survival if it does not prepare properly, which is why BDO is further expanding its expertise in risk management with the Chapelle acquisition. For many years, the firm has been advising the financial industry and international organisations such as the Worldbank, the IMF, the European Investment Bank (EIB), ING, Degroof-Petercam, and Ethias on how to better manage their risks.
“Identifying business risks and devising strategies to guard against them is becoming increasingly important in a rapidly changing world where crises follow each other in swift succession. We are therefore pleased to bring the Chapelle international risk management authority on board. Not only are we gaining additional experts, but we’re also getting all the proven methodologies and training that Ariane Chapelle and her team have developed over the past decades.”
— Koen Claessens, Managing Partner Risk Advisory at BDO Belgium
Focus on financial sector
Companies are facing a deluge of additional laws and regulations, making their operating environment increasingly complex. This is certainly true in the financial sector. Banks and other financial institutions are searching for solutions to the risks posed by new regulations and new risk exposures, how to maintain a global oversight, and how to integrate new regulations with existing ones. Added to this, they often lack the expertise and capacity within their own company to cope with the impact of the new legislation on their operations.
“BDO already has a lot of know-how concerning how companies should address individual risks such as compliance and cybercrime. With the Chapelle acquisition, we are adding a strategic layer of risk management to these individual risks. The methodologies provide an overarching risk framework for companies, which is how we’ll link all the existing puzzle pieces of risk management and individual business risks together.”
— Steven Cauwenberghs, Partner, Risk Advisory at BDO Belgium
Established know-how and practical experience in Brussels
BDO now has a team of 40 risk specialists following the acquisition of Chapelle Consulting. After the acquisition, Chapelle’s experts will move from Avenue Louise to BDO’s new, recently opened building on Rue Stassart in Brussels, and will operate under the name BDO Chapelle.
“Joining forces with BDO Belgium is a key step forward for Chapelle Consulting. It gives us the opportunity to further disseminate our experience in risk management within a large international network; creating a compelling value proposition to our clients and to the consultancy services BDO offers.”
— Ariane Chapelle, founder of Chapelle Consulting and associate professor at University College London
