Irish executive recruitment firm MERC Partners has been acquired by Spencer Stuart, the Chicago-headquartered recruiter. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MERC Partners was founded in Dublin in 1980 and is led by managing partner Ruth Curran (pictured). The headhunting firm specialises in finding and appointing senior business executives – it recently put forward Gabriel Makhlouf as the new governor of the Central Bank.

MERC Partners Limited had accumulated profits of €1.5m in May 2018 and cash reserves of €840,000. The firm employed 16 staff and directors Ruth Curran, John Glenny and Kieran Duff shared directors’ emoluments of €843,000. The business’s parent company is Walhalla Partners Limited, with Glenny, Curran and Duff as its shareholders prior to the Spencer Stuart acquisition.

Curran will continue lead MERC Partners following the firm’s acquisition. “This combination will enable our team and our clients to access an expanded portfolio of capabilities globally across Spencer Stuart’s many offices and practices,” she said.

Spencer Stuart operates more than 50 offices in 31 countries. The firm has maintained a corporate operations team in Dublin for several years, focusing on technology, legal and intellectual property. The acquisition of MERC Partners gives the firm its first client-facing team in Ireland.

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“By formally establishing a client-facing presence in Ireland, we will be better able to serve our clients around the world in this significant and dynamic European market,” said Henrik Maartensson, EMEA region co-lead for Spencer Stuart.

Pic: Kieran Hartnett