After a remarkable rebound in its activity in 2021, the Cegos Group has strong growth ambitions for 2022-2025

Published on : 26/05/2022

A European and international leader in Learning & Development, the Cegos Group has already erased the effects of the health crisis. In 2021, the Group achieved consolidated revenues of €195 million (+37% vs. 2020) and generated an EBITDA of €27 million (vs. 0 in 2020).

The momentum has continued since the beginning of 2022, with activity up by 13% at the end of April compared to the end of April 2021.

The Cegos Group is a leading Learning & Development partner of both private and public sector companies and is now rolling out its 2022-2025 strategic roadmap. Its strong growth ambitions have already been reflected in two major steps forward: the start of exclusive discussions with Bridgepoint Development Capital with a view to the investment fund acquiring a minority stake in the Cegos Group; and the acquisition of Next Group, a specialist in professional retraining and work-linked higher education.

Ahead of schedule, the Cegos Group has returned to its pre-crisis level of activity by 2021

In 2021, the Cegos Group achieved revenues of €195 million, up 37% compared to 2020 and almost at the same level as 2019.

This sustained activity throughout 2021 was driven by all activities, enabling the Group to generate an EBITDA of €27 million, a record profitability in the company's history.

International training projects (deployment of large multi-country training programmes), a need for which the Cegos Group supports many multinational companies, performed particularly well in 2021, with revenues of €15 million.

An ambitious 2022 - 2025 roadmap to serve the Group's mission: to train and support individuals and organisations to meet their development challenges.

The Cegos Group's strategic roadmap to 2025 is based on two main areas:

  • Gain market share by accelerating organic growth. To achieve this, Cegos intends to:
  • Strengthen its sales and marketing teams, notably through numerous recruitments
  • Accelerate synergies between the Group's various activities (soft skills training, IT and digital, training outsourcing)
  • Develop its BtoC business (around 5% of revenue in 2021)
  • Continue to enrich its offer and the Cegos learning experience
  • Position itself more proactively on the job-seekers market.
  • Consolidate the Group's position in the medium and long term by making strategic acquisitions. In this area of external growth, Cegos could consolidate its profile as a "global learning partner" by:
  • Acquiring additional expertise
  • Strengthening its position in the BtoC training market
  • Enhancing its asynchronous digital offering
  • Consolidating its geographical positions in major markets.

To support this development and growth strategy, the Group announced in March that it had entered into exclusive discussions with Bridgepoint Development Capital with a view to the investment fund acquiring a minority stake in the capital of the leader of the L&D market.

In early April, Cegos also announced the acquisition of Next Group (€14 million in revenues by 2021), a French company specialising in work-linked higher education and professional retraining for the workforce and the job-seekers. This transaction allows Cegos to begin to realise its ambitions in the BtoC training market.

Benoit FELIX, CEO of the Cegos Group, comments:

"Over the last two years, the Cegos Group has shown its resilience by withstanding the impact of the health crisis and has proven that it is well equipped to seize all the opportunities linked to the economic recovery. Our performance attests to the importance of our mission, which is to train and support people and organisations to meet their development challenges. We carry out this mission to support our clients in the face of the many transformations underway: questions about the future and the meaning of work, professional retraining for jobs in short supply, climate issues, diversity and inclusion...

In a particularly buoyant and dynamic Learning market, we have defined an ambitious roadmap for 2025. Our experience and international scope, the richness of our offer and our innovation capacity should enable Cegos to reach a new milestone in its history. The momentum observed since the beginning of 2022 confirms our strategic choices and our ambition for growth.”

The Cegos Group is positioned in a particularly buoyant L&D market in the coming years:

  • Training needs are massive and constantly increasing: the challenges of employability and competitiveness are major, in the private as well as in the public sector. All over the world, it is crucial to support changes in professions, professional retraining, and the emergence of new key skills (technical, digital, environmental, managerial, behavioural, etc.). With a broad and adaptable range of solutions, Cegos is positioned to address both upskilling and reskilling issues.
  • Demand is particularly increasing in certain areas of expertise, such as IT and digital, sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility issues. Cegos is focusing in particular on these major themes and is strengthening its offer in these areas, particularly with leadership courses and sales training.
  • The health crisis and the rise of remote working have only accelerated the development of distance learning, which now appears to be a fully effective solution in itself. As a player in digital training for more than 20 years, Cegos will continue to invest in enriching the learning experience, which is more than ever played out online and/or in the classroom.
  • A BtoC market for certified training courses is emerging, in addition to the historical BtoB market, which is still buoyant. Cegos intends to develop its position both with its clients and with individuals who wish to develop their skills on a regular and lasting basis.

Press contacts:

Shawn D'Cotta, L&D Consultant & Key Account Business Partner /

Emilie MARLE, Key Account Business Partner

(+65) 8202 4600  |  learn@cegos.com.sg

About the Cegos Group

Created in 1926, the Cegos Group is a worldwide leader in Learning & Development. The Group now has its own operations in 12 countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America. It is also present in over 50 countries through its network of partners and distributors, leading training providers and top-tier technology experts.

Thanks to a staff of 1,200 and over 3,000 partner consultants, the Group trains 250,000 people throughout the world every year, generating revenues of €200 million.

Cegos deploys a global offer, including turnkey and tailored training and development, operational consultancy, Managed Training Services and international training projects. Its ‘blended learning’ approach aims to provide the most suitable and competitive learner experience by combining multiple learning formats (classroom training, e-learning modules, videoconferences, webcasts, e-training programmes and more).