On July 1, four former principals of the consultancy ZweigWhite announced the formation of a new business, Rusk O'Brien Gido + Partners, that will offer consulting to AEC firms on business planning, ownership transition, and mergers and acquisitions. The new company will be led by Ian Rusk, Michael O'Brien, Steve Gido, and Russ Ryan, who formerly led the financial advisory services of Zweig White.

Principal Gido, who was the director of merger and acquisition services at ZweigWhite, commented in an e-mail to ARCHITECT that the new team "sees a tremendous need for ownership/leadership succession planning and sound exit strategy management, including mergers and acquisitions, for architects seeking to pass the baton and ownership mantle to the next demographic of future design leaders." He added, “We draw on years of experience and hundreds of successful engagements to our clients in a solutions-oriented manner."

Rusk O'Brien Gido + Partners will operate from offices in the Boston and Washington, D.C., areas.