Clients of London-based employee engagement and leadership development agency benefit from US parent group expansion into Australia and New Zealand
London, UK; West Des Moines, Iowa; Sydney, Australia – 30 April 2024 — London-based NKD, an experiential learning and leadership development agency with a global portfolio of customers including Australia Post, CSR, Brambles CHEP, DHL Group, Hillebrand Gori, IAG Cargo and KWS Seed is expanding its services to the APAC region following the strategic acquisition of a Sydney-based market specialist by parent company ITA Group.
US-based ITA Group, a global leader in engagement solutions, acquired NKD Learning in 2022, bringing it into the ITA Group community of companies to enable leading global brands to embed custom learning and development initiatives into their employee, channel partner and customer engagement programs, driving increased engagement and performance.
The acquisition of Sydney-based Performance Incentives supports ITA Group’s global growth goals and enables NKD to offer its clients – many of whom are already conducting business in the region – culturally relevant and locally managed engagement solutions to inspire and motivate employees, channel partners and customers in Australia and New Zealand.
According to Michael Faulkner, chief executive officer of NKD, an ITA Group company, this strategic expansion is welcomed by NKD clients and team members alike. “NKD has experienced significant growth in programming and participants in the Australia and New Zealand markets. Having a local presence will only improve our service delivery for our clients and provide more opportunities for our team members. We’re looking forward to working closely with our new team members in Sydney.”
Seasoned B2B marketing specialist Mari Kauppinen has been appointed as Managing Director of ITA Group’s Australia office, bringing over 25 years of award-winning B2B demand generation and category marketing expertise. She previously held senior marketing leadership roles at IBM.
Since 2022, ITA Group global expansions have resulted in a 556% increase in the number of participants served. ITA Group’s new and existing clients will experience immediate benefits from the Australia expansion.
- Strengthened global perspective on engagement programs with informed cultural insights and sensitivity, ensuring tailored solutions that resonate with the local audience
- In-region, local program management throughout Australia and New Zealand
- Enhanced global technology, communications and award capabilities
- Access to a strong network of Australian support partners
Hear more from Michael Faulkner and Mari Kauppinen about this acquisition and the benefits clients can expect.