Chicago-based professional services firm Sikich has struck a nine-figure deal to bulk up its consulting bench, acquiring Jefferson Wells U.S., the professional-services unit of ManpowerGroup, in a transaction valued at $100 million. The purchase, which closed on April 30, 2026, pulls Jefferson Wells’ risk-and-compliance, finance-and-accounting, and tax teams into Sikich’s platform and adds more than 300 U.S. staff to its roster. Jefferson Wells generated roughly $76 million in U.S. revenue in 2025, giving Sikich instant heft in tightly regulated and highly governed industries.
Deal terms and why ManpowerGroup walked away
According to ManpowerGroup, the transaction carried a $100 million price tag and officially closed on April 30. ManpowerGroup expects net cash proceeds of about $88 million after working capital and other adjustments and plans to recognize a gain on the sale in the second quarter. The company pitched the divestiture as a portfolio clean-up move, letting it double down on its Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions brands while shoring up the balance sheet.
What Sikich is actually buying
Sikich says the deal pulls in Milwaukee-based Jefferson Wells’ U.S. business and its more than 300 U.S. employees, all of whom are being folded into Sikich’s consulting platform. Jefferson Wells generated about $76 million in U.S. revenue in 2025. “This acquisition enhances existing capabilities across our business,” Sikich Chairman and CEO Christopher Geier said in the company’s announcement, framing the buy as more of an upgrade than an overhaul.
How the deal fits Sikich’s buy-and-build game plan
Sikich has been shopping aggressively since it secured a $250 million minority growth investment from Bain Capital in May 202with the proceeds earmarked to expand the firm’s consulting and technology offerings. The Jefferson Wells pickup instantly deepens Sikich’s capabilities in risk, compliance, and tax services that cater to regulated sectors such as healthcare and financial services, giving the firm more firepower with clients that live under constant scrutiny.
Local impact and the integration tightrope
Jefferson Wells has long called Milwaukee home, and Sikich says it plans to keep that local footprint intact while plugging the firm’s specialists into a larger national platform. The real test comes next: integrating systems, teams, and client work without dropping any balls. Sikich has emphasized that continuity for existing clients is a top priority. National coverage of the sale has highlighted the more than 300 employees involved and the $100 million purchase price, as noted by Investing.com.
What to watch from here
Investors and local clients will be eyeing ManpowerGroup’s second-quarter results for details on the gain from the sale and any early hints on how the roughly $88 million in net proceeds will be redeployed. On the other side of the table, Sikich now has to prove it can smoothly absorb Jefferson Wells’ people and clients without losing momentum. The transaction was first flagged for Chicago-area readers by Crain's Chicago Business, which broke the news on the deal.
