Brilliant aligns with the Evanston-based firm to lead its recapitalization
CHICAGO, Illinois – (March 27, 2018)— Brilliant™, an award-winning search, staffing and management resources firm specializing in accounting, finance and information technology, has aligned with private equity leader Silver Oak Services Partners, LLC (“Silver Oak”), along with management and co-investors, to lead its recapitalization.
Since its inception in 2009, Brilliant has become one of the leading professional staffing firms in Greater Chicago and South Florida by demonstrating unprecedented growth and success – often rivaling more well-known staffing powerhouses in the public sector.
As part of the recapitalization, Jeff Mariola will transition from President to CEO while Jim Wong will transition into a Board of Director role.
Mariola explains, “Brilliant has experienced great success and has been recognized regionally and nationally for our rapid growth, service quality and colleague engagement.” He adds, “We realized that to continue growing our business, we needed a strategic partner that shared our 2020 vision to continue to far outpace the industry in our core markets and expand into new markets over the next five years.”
Brilliant is excited to form an alliance with Silver Oak, particularly given their success investing in the staffing space and track record of partnering with management.
What attracted Silver Oak to the professional staffing sector was the strong demand for accounting, finance and IT professionals that continue to exceed the supply of these individuals, as well as the highly fragmented nature of the industry and attractive cash flow dynamics.
Greg Barr, Managing Partner at Silver Oak, says, “Brilliant is well regarded in the industry for its excellent client service and ability to identify top talent to meet their clients’ needs. We’re very excited to partner with such an experienced management team. We look forward to working with them to execute on their strategy to grow our existing offices and enter new geographies where we believe our unique approach will continue to resonate with clients and candidates.”
Evanston-based Silver Oak focuses exclusively on service businesses and invests in lower, middle-market companies, typically with EBITDA of $4 million to $20 million.
To learn more about Brilliant, visit www.brilliantfs.com or follow @BrilliantFS on social media.
About Brilliant™ | Connecting People and Opportunities
Brilliant is an award-winning search, staffing and management resources firm specializing in accounting, finance and information technology for the Greater Chicago, South Florida and soon Dallas-Fort Worth labor markets. The firm represents high-quality accounting, finance and information technology talent and matches them with hiring companies throughout various industries including manufacturing, distribution, health care, professional services, retail, legal, technology, real estate, nonprofit organizations, software and hospitality, among others. Many of Brilliant’s team members include former hiring managers, and accounting and finance professionals from the Big 4 accounting firms, as well as other leading professionals in the industry. Since its inception in 2009, Brilliant has ranked on various award lists including No. 6 on Forbes 2017 America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms and No. 25 on Forbes 2017 America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms, Crain’s Chicago Business Fast 50 for three straight years including No. 1 in 2015, Staffing Industry Analysts Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms in the United States for three straight years including No. 2 in 2015, Inavero’s Best of Staffing Talent for North America three years in a row, Inc. 5000 for three straight years, Best Places to Work South Florida, 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® for four straight years, and others.
Media Contact:
Laurie Vicente, Brilliant,
312.582.1812
Lvicente@brilliantfs.com