Leading Edge sells Climeaction through management buyout

The buyout was led by Paul Murphy, who co-founded the climate action consultation business in 2021

The team at Climeaction. Tim Cramer, Annie Duffy, Paul Murphy, Jerry Murphy and Paul Kealy.

Cork management consultancy firm, the Leading Edge Group has confirmed the sale of its business Climeaction through a successful management buyout.

The buyout was led by Paul Murphy, who co-founded the climate action consultation business, alongside a management team comprising Jerry Murphy, Annie Duffy, Paul Kealy and Tim Cramer.

The firm has already worked with more than 400 customers and its expertise spans various sectors of the economy through companies in food & dairy, automotive, power generation and the semiconductor industries. It helps firms reduce emissions, cut costs and enhance overall ESG performance.

The sale of the business will allow Leading Edge to further invest in its core business offerings. It currently operates across Europe, the UK, the Middle East and North America. The group has identified specific opportunities, particularly in Canada, and intends to invest further in developing this market. This will include developing new digital products and expanding its management consultancy offering. The business is executing a strategic plan aiming to double its turnover within three years.

Leading Edge's clients date include An Post, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Port of Cork, UCC Aquatera and Ottawa Public Health.

"Climeaction has been a great addition to our business since we established it in May 2021, opening up a new client base and market for our multiple service offerings," Joe Aherne, CEO of Leading Edge said. "This sale will allow us to continue to invest in our core markets and focus on innovative strategies to grow international markets for our Lean transformation framework. We have big plans for the future and are on track to double our group turnover within three years."

"This strategic sale will enable us to make big strides in Canada specifically where we are a market leader in the Lean training space in the Municipal and Healthcare sectors. There are significant opportunities in Canada to target other sectors while also expanding our training and consulting offerings," he said.

Paul Murphy said the buyout represents a new era of growth and innovation for Climeaction. "We are thankful to Joe and the team at Leading Edge Group for their support over the last few years and look forward to our continued excellent working relationship," he said.