Ricardo operates in more than 20 countries across Europe, Australia, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. It works on projects in the air quality, water management, energy resilience, policy strategy, and advisory services and Rail and Mass Transit (Rail) business segments, as well as the automotive and Industrial (A&I) and Performance Products (PP) business segments.
WSP operates in 50-plus countries and manages projects in the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water, and mining and metals sectors.
“In keeping with WSP’s 2025–2027 Global Strategic Action Plan, the acquisition both accelerates growth in advisory, energy transition, water solutions and rail, and strengthens WSP’s presence in key markets such as the UK, Australia and the Netherlands,” reported WSP, which announced reaching agreements to acquire Ricardo in June.
Following shareholder approval and the successful sanctioning of the transaction at a UK court hearing on Oct. 7, the acquisition became effective Oct. 9.
“We are pleased to bring Ricardo into WSP and welcome new colleagues across the globe,” said Alexandre L’Heureux, President and CEO of WSP. “The team’s deep, differentiated expertise in areas that are increasingly critical to our clients—air quality, water management, energy resilience, policy strategy and rail—enhances our offering and accelerates our momentum toward our strategic ambitions in high-growth sectors and markets. We will now focus on integrating our teams and building on our combined strengths. Our complementary capabilities and shared passion for technical excellence position us to drive greater innovation and deliver added value as we support our clients through complex transitions.”
“Today [Oct. 9] marks a significant milestone for Ricardo as we proudly join WSP,” commented Graham Ritchie, CEO of Ricardo. “WSP’s belief in our strategy and support for our continued journey reflects the strength of what we have built over the past few years since we launched our strategy focused on sustainable growth in key markets. Ricardo and WSP share values and a purpose-led culture, so this acquisition accelerates our ability to deliver a broader, more impactful offering to our clients. It also opens up exciting new opportunities for our talented teams—opportunities that would not have been possible without this partnership. We are committed to supporting WSP’s dynamic strategic vision and look forward to shaping the future together.”
Gleacher Shacklock served as financial adviser to Ricardo in connection with the transaction with WSP. Investec plc acted as the company’s broker, while Ashurst LLP provided legal counsel throughout the process, according to Ricardo.
