Sinecure.ai acquires Grace Blue Partnership

Sinecure.ai, a software-as-a-service company specialising in talent discovery through AI, has acquired headhunting business Grace Blue Partnership.

Grace Blue has been using Sinecure's products since 2022 and the acquisition will aim to streamline the recruitment process and reduce bias through Sinecure’s AI-powered search technology. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Grace Blue has offices in New York, London and Singapore and works across consumer brands and agencies, as well as sports, media and entertainment.

Ian Priest, co-founder of VCCP and global chairman of Grace Blue, has stepped down from his role at the firm and left his position on the Sinecure board. He has been with Grace Blue since 2015. The Grace Blue board of directors was dissolved concurrent with the acquisition.

“We saw a growing need from clients and customers to expand our offering into the executive search space, and of course, Grace Blue was a logical fit for us,” Joel Wright, chief executive and co-founder of Sinecure.ai, told Campaign.

“One, because I knew the founders and I had a lot of respect for them, but two, they've obviously got an amazing reputation in the business and have terrific customers who sing their praises.”

Grace Blue has harnessed Sinecure since its first major product release in June 2022, using its generative AI and Large Language Model technology.

Wright added: “The overall objective is to try to provide our customers with the greatest capabilities possible from a wide range of talent acquisition solutions, ranging from technology, which we build in Sinecure, to services, which Grace Blue can provide.

“The idea is to try to make one plus one equal three and grow their business while growing our core software business.”

Sinecure and Grace Blue have a global roster of clients including Interpublic Group, Havas, Wasserman Media Group, All England Lawn Tennis Club (Wimbledon), Publicis Groupe, Sony PlayStation, Endeavour Group, Lego and Amazon.

Wright told Campaign: “We believe very strongly that the future of the talent acquisition and talent management business will have to involve AI and technology, there's just inevitably going to be disruption within the category.

“We felt like it was a great opportunity to couple the extraordinary service and offering that Grace Blue provides its customers, but layering technology to create a far greater speed and precision and predictability around results – and in the process, eliminating some of the unnecessary elements of subjectivity that have often gotten in the way.”

Jay Haines, global chief executive of Grace Blue Partnership, said: “The combination of technology, strategic thinking, and a commitment to building strong relationships is a potent recipe for success in the ever-changing landscape of executive search.

“Bringing Grace Blue’s industry expertise and proficiency together with Sinecure’s AI-powered technology results in a next generation firm uniquely positioned to provide our clients with an expanded level of service that now delivers exceptional talent across a much broader range of roles and career grades.”

The leadership team post-acquisition will be made up of Wright, chief executive of Sinecure Inc; Haines, who will become president and oversee the recruitment services business as well as taking a seat on the Sinecure board; and Sarah Skinner, who will move from her role of EMEA chief executive and global managing director of Grace Blue to global managing director. They will lead more than 50 members of staff.

The acquisition follows Sinecure appointing Wenda Harris Millard, former vice chairman of MediaLink, as chairman of the board in October 2023.