Wendel, a European investment firm, has entered an agreement with Colibri Group, a Gridiron Capital firm, to purchase the financial services segment of Adtalem Global Education.
Following the deal, Wendel will acquire the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists while Colibri will separately purchase Becker Professional Education and OnCourse Learning. The deal values ACAMS at $500 million.
ACAMS is a provider in training and certifications for anti-money laundering and financial crime prevention professionals. The firm has a global membership base totaling 90,000 members across 175 countries.
“We look forward to partnering with Wendel in this next phase of ACAMS’ history,” said Scott Liles, ACAMS’ CEO. “Wendel’s long-term investment philosophy and shared values are well suited to support ACAMS’ mission, our people, and our commitment to our global membership. We are appreciative of the support and investment Adtalem has provided over the past several years and look forward to working with Wendel as we transition to a stand-alone business and seek to further expand our reach and impact.”
Macquarie Capital served as Wendel’s financial advisor, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP as its legal advisor in the acquisition of ACAMS.