DuPont Sustainable Solutions buys Boston-based KKS Advisors
Dupont Sustainable Solutions (DSS), a global operations consulting firm, has acquired KKS Advisors, a Boston-headquartered firm specializing in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consulting.
Founded in 2011, KKS helps clients integrate material ESG issues into corporate and investment strategies. The firm’s approximately 18 professionals provide services in strategy, corporate governance, corporate reporting, sustainable and impact investing, and ESG training.
Clients of KKS Advisors include investors, corporations, and non-profts, among others. The firm has offices in Boston, London, and Athens.
KKS is led by co-founder and senior partner George Serafeim, a leading academic and consultant in the area of sustainable business development and investing. Serafeim has taught at Harvard Business School since 2010, where he is currently the Charles M. Williams Professor of Business Administration. An expert in accounting, finance, and strategic management, Serafeim has authored more than 100 articles and business cases, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars.
He holds a doctor of business administration from Harvard Business School, a master’s degree in accounting and finance from The London School of Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in banking and financial management from the University of Piraeus, Greece.
The acquisition of KKS will give Dupont Sustainable Solutions new IP, methodologies, tools, and capabilities in ESG and sustainability. Spun off from chemical giant DuPont in 2019, DSS supports industrial companies with advisory services in operations and workplace safety. The firm’s core operations advisory offering includes asset productivity/maintenance, production systems, capital project management, contractor management, and energy efficiency.
“At DSS we believe that managing risks and improving operations are fundamentally linked to sustainability and societal impact,” said Davide Vassallo, CEO of DSS. “Our acquisition of KKS Advisors enables DSS to provide its clients with deeper insights, strategy expertise, and integrated capabilities to develop and implement their ESG and sustainability plans so they can successfully protect people, improve operations, and create a sustainable future.”
KKS will retain its name and brand following the completion of the acquisition. The deal will bring Geneva-headquartered DSS’ headcount to more than 1,000 people across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
“DSS is a world class leader in creating safer workplaces, mitigating risk and achieving operational excellence,” said Serafeim. “KKS Advisors looks forward to working with DSS to help its clients find the value of incorporating ESG into their business models to contribute to a more sustainable future.”
The KKS deal follows DSS’ March 2020 acquisition of Lodestone Partners, a Canada-based operations consultancy serving the resource sector.
