Consulting firm Amaris opens offices in Medellín and Bogotá

Technology and management consulting firm Amaris has opened offices in both Medellín and Bogotá. The expansion signifies that the firm has its sights set on a greater presence in Latin America. Colombia will now play host to two of Amaris’ offices across the region with the others situated in Mexico D.F. and São Paulo. 

The Geneva based consulting firm will provide the region with a comprehensive range of services in recruitment, human resources, administration, finance, and technical support. Beginning in 2007 with around 20 people, Amaris’ growth in the past decade has been exponential, stretching to 65 offices around the world and now employing 3,500 professionals. 

Today, Amaris boasts five area’s of expertise including business & administration, information technology/information systems, engineering and high technology, biotechnology and telecommunications. The firm claims that their success stems from managerial innovation which has led to a growth rate of over 80% a year. Just under half of this existential growth is internal with the firm only acquired a small handful of likeminded companies.

With an annual turnover of €187 million, Amaris’ goal in 2018 is to grow its team to 5,000 employees and thus solidify its position as a world leader in independent consulting. For Amaris, Colombia has a strategic location to serve the region in search of this growth with access to both Central and South America. Both Medellín and Bogotá are approximately 5 hours from New York and have direct flights to major European hubs including Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam.

The new offices will service the Latin American market and afford the firm the agility to react quickly and proportionately to it's growing client base in the region. 

Ruta N in Medellín

The office in Medellín will serve as the firm's home of innovation in the country and will be located in the Ruta N innovation tech hub. Ruta N is a technology based district which aims to lead innovation in the city and facilitate economic development and entrepreneurship. 

Medellín is commonly known as the regions innovation hub due to a large number of projects aimed at improving the quality of life for its citizens. One such project is Ruta N, a public-private partnership between the city’s government and multiple investors including Hewlett Packard. The building is designed to bring in social entrepreneurs and tech start-ups, and in the process laying the foundations of the city’s transition to a technology based economy. 

The business complex houses 32 businesses which range from entrepreneurs and start-ups and to MNEs like Amaris. The common goal is to create an environment which promotes synergy between established businesses and new ones facilitating a developing tech sector. The space also plays host to an accelerator & mentoring program and provides entrepreneurs access to venture capital, all in the hope of turning Medellín into Latin Americas next tech hub. 

“Ruta N offered us a pleasant work environment. Thanks to other companies in the district, we are surrounded by an innovative and challenging environment. We are constantly interacting with the members of other foreign companies in Ruta N’s business ecosystem which had been settled here for months or even years. This as an excellent opportunity to benefit from their knowledge of the Colombian market,” said Sara Mondragón, the Platform Manager for Amaris in Medellin.

Colombia is also highly proficient in digital technology and has a skilled and educated labour force. “Before making this decision, we made a deep analysis of the environment and the quality of life in Latin America. Medellín was the best decision related to cost, safety, quality of life, institutional support and human talent,” continued Mondragón.