BISYS, the acquisitive provider of out-sourcing services to fund managers, has enlarged its most profitable business – financial training – with the acquisition of Louisiana-based Dalton Publications, a supplier of educational materials and training solutions for candidates preparing for the Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP™) certification examination. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Acquiring Dalton Publications expands BISYS’s financial training solutions with a portfolio of advanced designation courses, including both classroom-based and self-study formats of the industry’s most widely used curriculum for CFP exam preparation. More than 10,000 financial services professionals have achieved their CFP designation using Dalton’s materials and reviews, which represents approximately 30 percent of the nation’s Certified Financial Planner certificants. Dalton also is partnering with 20 of the country’s leading universities to offer financial planning programs. Dalton’s advanced designation curriculum will be combined with BISYS’ existing education and licensing solutions.
According to Dennis Sheehan, BISYS’s president and chief operating officer: “The acquisition of Dalton Publications, which is our fourth education-related acquisition since 1999, provides complementary products and services, extends our geographical reach, and generates significant cross-selling opportunities with our respective clientele. This acquisition also enhances BISYS’ position as the leading provider of advanced designation and career development training solutions, which insurance agents, registered representatives, and other financial industry professionals obtain for marketing purposes, competitive differentiation, and professional advancement.”
Michael Dalton, chairman of Dalton Publications, reported, “We are excited to join BISYS and look forward to the opportunity to become a strategic and complementary component of its industry-leading education services. Integrating Dalton Publications’ specialized and unique curriculum with BISYS’ unparalleled training solutions will immediately enhance BISYS’ competitive distinction, while expanding Dalton Publications’ client relationships with the ability to leverage BISYS’ extensive resources and educational offerings.”
Following this acquisition, Dalton’s requisite expertise will be used as the basis to develop a more complete Chartered Financial Analysts™ (CFA™) curriculum.