GERESO strengthens its offering in the finance sector with the acquisition of FinHarmony

The GERESO Group, a major player in continuing education, announces the acquisition of 100% of the shares of FinHarmony, an expert in the field of finance. This acquisition marks an important step in the GERESO Group’s ambition to diversify its offering and strengthen itself in new sectors of key skills for businesses. The newly formed group generates nearly €16 million in revenue, reinforcing its position in the professional training market.

Founded in 2001, FinHarmony provides a comprehensive catalog of more than 100 training programs across 11 specialized areas, with a focus on serving CAC40 corporations. Their wide-ranging portfolio encompasses subjects from management and financial strategy to accounting and controlling. The company has a proven track record of staying ahead of emerging trends, and this is further evident in their strong positioning in areas such as extra-financial reporting and, notably, the CSRD.

The GERESO Group, a long-standing leader in continuing education since 1978, with a focus on human resources and management, has strategically expanded its capabilities. The 2021 leveraged buyout (LBO) with Capital Croissance bolstered their governance and provided the resources for their growth strategy, including acquisitions in the fragmented training market. The addition of FinHarmony aligns with this strategy, enhancing GERESO’s training portfolio with top-tier financial expertise.

In 2024, the group’s partners tasked PAX Corporate Finance with identifying potential targets that aligned with the group’s business and development plans. The complementary nature of their offerings and the shared values of their leaders quickly led to prioritizing discussions with FinHarmony in the second half of the year. Furthermore, other discussions are underway to continue expanding the group’s offerings.

Vincent CHEVILLOT, Director of the GERESO Group, states, “The acquisition of FinHarmony aligns with our development plan and our commitment to providing our clients with a comprehensive and integrated view of their organization’s strategic challenges. By combining our expertise, we strengthen our ability to offer innovative and cross-functional training paths.”

Vincent DROUILLARD, President of FinHarmony, states, “For FinHarmony, the goal of this merger is to find business synergies, accelerate our development, and write the next chapter of our story together, for the benefit of our clients. We are happy and enthusiastic about joining the GERESO Group, whose approach fully aligns with ours: collective, entrepreneurial, and humanistic.”

Simon MORIN, Partner at PAX Corporate Finance, states, “The complementarity of offerings and people allowed us to successfully conclude this merger under very good conditions, which bodes well for the future of both structures. We are particularly pleased to complete this new operation for one of our long-standing clients and to implement, alongside them, the strategy defined in 2021 during the group’s capital opening.”

About PAX Corporate Finance

As an independent investment bank, PAX Corporate Finance combines financial expertise and sector specialization, enabling it to effectively support SMEs and their leaders through the various stages of their development. With over 30 professionals, including 9 partners, the firm has completed more than 400 transactions since its founding in 2003.