|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A Tri-Valley accounting and business advisory firm has announced its acquisition of an Australian cybersecurity company with the goal of expanding privacy and security services for its clients.
The acquisition of AssuranceLab by Sensiba was announced by the local company this week, during the relocation timeframe between the last day of Sensiba’s operations at its previous headquarters at 5960 Inglewood Dr. in Pleasanton on April 16 and the opening of its new headquarters at 2700 Camino Ramon in San Ramon May 12.
“We’re honored to welcome AssuranceLab to Sensiba,” Managing Partner John Sensiba said in an April 30 announcement. “Their reputation in the market is well-earned, driven by innovation, credibility and a commitment to raising the bar for cybersecurity audits. What makes this such a strong fit is the alignment across our values and client service philosophies, as well as our vision for the future.”
The two companies combined now serve more than 2,300 clients, primarily startup and technology focused companies, throughout the globe, with the acquisition billed by Sensiba officials as a means of expanding its “international reach” and deepening its “security, privacy, and compliance framework capabilities.”
“Both of our firms have built deep relationships with startups and technology companies – businesses that increasingly recognize how cyber threats, ESG risk, and privacy concerns impact investor confidence, market relevance, and talent retention in a global landscape,” Sensiba continued. “AssuranceLab’s technology-forward approach and entrepreneurial spirit will be central to how we continue supporting clients with the insight, scale, and expertise they need for rapid growth.”
AssuranceLab’s founders and CEOs – now Sensiba partners – also heralded the move and pointed to its alignment with their company’s goals.
“What excites us most about coming together with Sensiba is the opportunity to build on our tech-forward foundation while tapping into new expertise, geographies, and ideas,” said Nicholas Lew Ton, cofounder and co-CEO of AssuranceLab in Sensiba’s announcement. “The compliance and risk landscape is changing rapidly, and clients value innovation as we lead the next wave of modern, meaningful audits.”
The acquisition means that Sensiba clients will now have access to a “broader range of services,” such as cybersecurity consulting and testing. While existing Sensiba clients will continue to work with the same teams, the acquisition will mean a “expanded scale, broader framework coverage,” and increased “global footprint” in markets across North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to Sensiba officials.
“We’re excited to take this next step in AssuranceLab’s journey,” said Paul Wenham, cofounder and co-CEO of AssuranceLab. “Sensiba shares our client-first and technology-led approach to client service, and their people radiate the kind of values we deeply respect. Joining Sensiba gives us a platform to bring our innovative programs, audit models and tech to a broader audience, and to have more impact as our clients navigate increasingly complex assurance and compliance challenges.”
Lew Ton and Wenham are among a total of six new partners for Sensiba, with officials there announcing the firm’s “largest single-year partnership expansion” in its history Thursday, bringing its total number of partners to 30.
“We’re proud to welcome this outstanding group of professionals to our partnership,” Sensiba said in Thursday’s announcement. “They’ve all shown an unwavering commitment to our clients, our colleagues, and the communities we serve. Their leadership will help drive our focus on tech-enabled innovation as we work with clients to navigate their evolving security and compliance challenges across dynamic markets.”
The acquisition, partnership expansion, and the move to San Ramon are both described by Sensiba officials as “milestone” developments as the 48-year-old consulting firm moves towards its 50th anniversary and seeks to continue a trajectory of recent growth.
The move to San Ramon comes after nearly a decade at Sensiba’s previous Pleasanton location, which it moved to in 2016 amid ongoing growth which caused the firm to “outgrow” its previous headquarters on Hopyard Road. Its San Francisco offices were closed in 2021 amid the shift to remote work brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, with other Bay Area offices continuing to operate in San Mateo and San Jose.
