Sitel Group, a provider of customer experience (CX) products and solutions, will acquire Sykes Enterprises, a provider of global customer experience management services, multichannel demand generation, and digital transformation, for $2.2 billion.
The combined contact center outsourcing company will employ 155,000 employees in 39 countries, serving more than 600 clients in more than 50 languages.
"We are committed to our people and the legacy of Sitel Group in the business landscape; by joining forces with such a healthy, profitable, and financially solid U.S. brand that also has a stellar reputation, we will further enhance our global reach," said Laurent Uberti, president, CEO, and co-founder of Sitel Group, in a statement.
"With our expanded geographic footprint and greater capacity to serve customers, we will be better equipped to help our customers navigate the rapid changes within the industry. This acquisition is a fantastic opportunity for Sitel Group to enhance and accelerate our CX products and solutions within EXP+, especially with the addition of SYKES' CX solutions in digital, social media, and robotic process automation (RPA), through their suite of digital transformation capabilities such as Clearlink and Symphony."
"This combination marks a major milestone in our more than 40-year operating history," said Sykes' president and CEO, Chuck Sykes, in a statement. "As we embark on the next phase of our journey, there is an opportunity to take the business to historic heights with a proven partner. I am confident that we have a valuable partner with a solid heritage of deep industry knowledge and experience, credible industry reputation, shared vision, and an employee-first culture to further advance our leadership position as a leading global provider in a highly fragmented customer experience marketplace."