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Heidrick & Struggles, a Chicago-based recruitment and recruitment company, has acquired Business Talent Group (BTG), a Los Angeles-based online marketplace for independent consultants.

Established in 2007, BTG was one of the first to enter the independent consultancy market, which now includes companies such as Comatch, Catalant and Talmix. BTG provides on-demand access to professionals for intermediate roles and project-based work. This enables companies to tackle pressing challenges in the areas of strategy, e-commerce and supply chains, among other things.

More than 7,000 professionals who have worked for top consulting firms and more than 3,000 experienced project and program managers work on BTG’s marketplace. The company matched more than 50% of the Fortune 100 with curated and verified experts.

The takeover of BTG by Heidrick & Struggles expands the range of talent solutions to include an on-demand marketplace for freelance consultants. The core of the company’s business since its inception in 1953 has been finding interim and permanent positions. Heidrick & Struggles also offers advice in the areas of leadership development and cultural design.

“Heidrick & Struggles was a forerunner in the executive search industry when it was founded more than 65 years ago,” said Krishnan Rajagopalan, President and CEO. “The seismic changes over the past year have accelerated the future of work and underscored its importance.” We are excited to be the first global executive consulting firm to enter the on-demand space for independent talent and to partner with BTG, a leader and pioneer in the high-end independent talent market. “

The consulting firm previously had a two-year exclusive relationship with BTG before closing the acquisition earlier this month. BTG will continue to be led by co-founders Jody Greenstone Miller and Amelia Tyagi and will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Heidrick & Struggles.

The challenges of the pandemic have driven the demand for freelance specialists in supply chain, corporate strategy, digital marketing, data analysis, and program and project management. Rival matchmaker Catalant posted record earnings in the second half of 2020 due to strong demand and attracted an additional $ 35 million in funding.

Freelance marketplaces had a strong second half overall, with Upwork and Fiverr beating expectations in late 2020.

“Companies are increasingly realizing the need to recruit independent, on-demand talent for key project-based roles, a trend that the pandemic has propelled,” Miller said. “Heidrick & Struggles’ executive search capabilities combined with our independent on-demand talent market bring companies the future of work now.”

A recent Harvard Business School report found that 90% of business leaders believe leveraging on-demand talent will be key to staying competitive in the future. Managers are increasingly turning to freelance professionals. 69% of all inquiries come from Vice Presidents and above (30% from the C-Suite), an increase of 67% over the previous year.

More and more consultants are also opting for the independent way, as it offers more flexibility, the possibility of selecting projects and often higher pay to take away than with large companies.