UK – UK based specialist government consultancy firm, Callund Consulting (CC), has formed a “strategic alliance” with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), one of the world’s leading professional services organisation, to offer international pension reforms advice.

Under terms of the deal, PWC have acquired a 30% shareholding in CC. “We have been talking to each other for a while and decided to go ahead,” says David Callund at CC.

He says that the joint venture will bring CC access to range of geographical resources and enable them to bid in countries where they wouldn’t have done so otherwise because of the small nature of the social security and benefit structures there, whilst PWC will acquire the “specific expertise” that CC has built up by advising governments in emerging and developing markets on pensions and health financing reform.

CC is currently very active in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Russia, East Africa and Kazakstan.

Callund adds that PWC do not intend to increase their shareholding and that CC will remain a separate business “The fact that they took the 30% demonstrates their conviction to the venture,” says Callund.

Says Trevor Llanwarne, partner at PWC : “Time is running out for countries struggling to finance state pension schemes, whose future generations will not be able to sustain current pension levels.”
Even countries in the EU should be looking for advice on setting up alternative systems he adds.
The joint venture reinforces the breadth of coverage that PWC can offer to multinationals, as well as governments across the globe.

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