RSM Joins Forces with Andculture to Launch Human-Centered Design Practice
Transaction brings marketing strategy, design and technology solutions to the firm’s middle market clients
CHICAGO – (May 5, 2022) – RSM US LLP (RSM) – the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market – announced today that the firm will launch a human-centered design practice through the acquisition of Andculture, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based firm that provides client-facing marketing strategy, design and technology services. The firms have signed a definitive agreement for RSM US LLP to acquire substantially all the assets of Andculture, with the transaction expected to close on June 1, 2022, subject to certain terms and conditions.
Founded in 1999, Andculture offers a full range of marketing solutions, from strategic marketing campaigns to website and platform design, user experience design, demand generation and more. Andculture’s solutions are grounded in a human-centered design approach to solving marketing and business challenges with customer-centric candid conversations, strategic thinking and collaboration.
Establishing the new practice within RSM’s consulting line of business are Andculture Founder and CEO David Hickethier, President Joshua Benton, Chief Experience Architect Evan Keller, and the Andculture team of nearly 60 strategists, designers, engineers, client advisors and support staff. The transaction adds a new RSM location in downtown Harrisburg.
“Andculture brings a highly creative, skilled and dynamic team to RSM. Their integrated human-centered design approach to marketing aligns with RSM’s purpose to deliver the power of being understood,” said Pat Vance, consulting leader for RSM US LLP. “Our clients are increasingly looking to RSM for go-to-market strategy and support as a companion to the operational services we provide to power the engines of their business. We are thrilled to introduce the Andculture team and our new human-centered design practice to the middle market. We are also eager to consider opportunities for applying human-centered design more broadly within the services we provide today and in new services we may add in the future.”
“We are excited to establish and lead a human-centered design practice at RSM,” said Hickethier. “We look forward to bringing RSM’s clients marketing strategy, design and technology capabilities to craft end-to-end experiences that help them achieve and exceed their business goals. Similarly, we are pleased to make RSM’s world-class audit, tax and consulting services available to our clients, and happy for the opportunity to help our people grow in their careers with access to new training, development and advancement opportunities at RSM.”
Hickethier, Benton and Keller, who will join RSM as consulting principals, and the Andculture team will transition to RSM upon closing.
RSM was represented in this transaction by martinwolf, a leading M&A advisory firm serving the middle-market IT industry.
About Andculture
Redesigning the world around us sets our hearts and minds on fire. Our dynamic, multifaceted team — organic and linear, analytical and intuitive, visionary and pragmatic — makes light work of design-driven business results by using an agile mindset and an intentional diversity of perspectives. Our open, iterative process informed by deep human-centered design expertise delivers real value to our clients.
About RSM US LLP
RSM’s purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues and communities through world-class audit, tax and consulting services focused on middle market businesses. The clients we serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and we are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.
RSM US LLP is the U.S. member of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms with 51,000 people across 123 countries. For more information, visit rsmus.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and/or connect with us on LinkedIn.
