What Avida International does

Avida International is a privately held specialist advisory firm focused on pension management and investment governance, serving large institutional pension funds, corporate pension sponsors, and public pension schemes throughout Europe. Founded in 2004 by Paul Boerboom, the firm operates from three offices in Amsterdam (primary European entity, Avida International BV), London (UK headquarters, Avida International Organisational Performance & Governance Ltd), and Munich (Avida International GmbH), with a partnership-owned structure and regional managing partners in each geography. The firm reports 70+ large asset owner clients, 120+ advisory engagements, and €1 trillion in client assets under advisory across the UK, Netherlands, and German-speaking markets.

The firm's core offering is professional services across six interlocking pillars: strategic advisory tailored to organizational goals; optimised operational model design; effective board dynamics and governance support; external provider benchmarking (OCIOs, fiduciary managers, consultants, custodians); structured provider selection; and crisis management and resilience workshops delivered in partnership with Strategia Worldwide. The firm also offers investment strategy consulting, implementation and controlling support, and modular service products such as Incident Preparedness Planning (IPP), Crisis Management Workshops (CMW), and a virtual tender process for remote provider selection. Avida has developed proprietary benchmarking scorecards in collaboration with the International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM) in Toronto, and it operates an executive program at Nyenrode Business University on 'Strategic Outsourcing in the Pensions Sector'.

Avida generates revenue through fee-based advisory and consulting engagements, structured as either per-project or ongoing retainer relationships negotiated individually with each institutional client. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales: direct outreach to pension fund trustees, boards, and corporate sponsors, supplemented by thought leadership content marketing (English and German-language blogs, email newsletter), industry event hosting and participation (e.g., LGPS Lunch & Roundtable, IPE Conference), executive education at Nyenrode, and peer referrals from existing clients. The customer base is entirely business-to-business, segmented horizontally across the institutional pension market, with no channel partners, resellers, or self-service distribution. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and engagement scope is bespoke, reflecting the customized nature of governance, benchmarking, and crisis management work in the European pension sector.

Name

Avida International

Legal name

Avida International BV

Website

https://avida-int.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Avida International is a privately held pension management and investment governance advisory firm founded in 2004, serving institutional pension funds and large asset owners across the UK, Netherlands, and German-speaking Europe with bespoke advisory, benchmarking, and crisis management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pension Management and Investment Governance Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Pension Funds (52511)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG), Corporate Retirement Plan Advisory RIAs (ERISA 401(k)/403(b)) (FSAAACAF)

Keywords

• Pension governance advisory
• Investment governance consulting
• Pension provider benchmarking
• Fiduciary manager selection
• Pension crisis management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advisory and Consulting Fees: Avida International generates revenue through fee-based advisory and consulting engagements with institutional pension clients. Services include strategic advice, investment governance consulting, provider benchmarking and selection, crisis management workshops, and organizational change support. Engagements are structured around specific client projects and ongoing advisory relationships with large asset owners throughout Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Avida International is a specialized pension management and investment governance advisory firm that provides independent strategic advice, operational model optimization, board effectiveness support, external provider benchmarking and selection, governance and compliance reviews, and crisis management and resilience workshops to institutional pension funds and asset owners across Europe. Engagements are tailored to trustees, boards, and corporate sponsors and are delivered through a cross-border team of senior advisors based in Amsterdam, London, and Munich.

Product overview

Avida International is a specialized pension management and investment governance advisory firm offering consulting services rather than a software product. The core offering consists of strategic advisory, operational model optimization, governance enhancement, and crisis management services delivered through experienced consultants. Key service pillars include Strategic Advisory, External Provider Benchmarking, Structured Provider Selection, Investment Strategy Consulting, Crisis Management and Resilience workshops, and Implementation & Controlling. The firm also provides proprietary benchmarking tools and offers modular service offerings such as Incident Preparedness Planning (IPP) and Crisis Management Workshops (CMW). Services are delivered through a team of experienced advisors with expertise across pension governance, investment management, and organizational change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Advisory Independent strategic advice tailored to organisational strategy, preparing pension fund clients for various future scenarios and ensuring adaptability.
• Optimised Operational Model Expert guidance on target operating models for pension investment organisations to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, streamlining operations and aligning with strategic goals.
• Effective Board Dynamics Support for board composition and dynamics, leading to more effective governance and decision-making by pension trustees and boards.
• External Provider Benchmarking Provider assessment service that benchmarks external service providers against market standards, including OCIO and fiduciary managers, to achieve better pension outcomes.
• Structured Provider Selection Structured and transparent selection process to help pension clients choose best-fit external service providers including fiduciaries, OCIOs, consultants, administrators, and custodians.
• Improved Governance and Compliance Assessment and enhancement of governance effectiveness around investment and risk management, ensuring legal and regulatory compliance for pension organisations.
• Crisis Management and Resilience Stress testing and crisis management workshops that prepare pension organisations to handle crises effectively, increasing operational resilience and stakeholder engagement.
• Investment Strategy Consulting Support for all investment topics including ALM, strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and implementation across liquid and illiquid asset classes for pension clients.
• Implementation and Controlling Post-project support for process alignment, documentation of interfaces, and monitoring of efficiency measures for pension organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 advisory engagements conducted with institutional pension clients across Europe
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Strategia WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvida International partners with Strategia Worldwide to deliver crisis management workshops and simulations for pension fund clients. The collaboration combines Avida's pension governance expertise with Strategia Worldwide's military-grade crisis management methodologies. Joint engagements have been conducted for clients including Royal Mail Pensions and Pensioenfonds PGB, providing realistic crisis scenario training for trustee boards.
• International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvida International collaborates with ICPM (International Centre for Pension Management) in Toronto on benchmarking frameworks. The firm leverages ICPM's best-in-class evaluation framework for assessing business models for procuring (strategic) asset management services, which Avida applies in its provider benchmarking and fiduciary management assessments for European pension clients.
• Nyenrode Business UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvida International developed and leads the 'Strategic Outsourcing in the Pensions Sector' executive program at Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands. This program serves leading pension trustees in the Netherlands and has been used as a platform for case study advisory engagements. Faculty includes Paul Boerboom (Founding Partner) as program manager.
• Oxford University (Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvida International has collaborated with Oxford University, specifically the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and the Saïd Business School, on governance research and pension fund governance frameworks. Advisory board member Professor Gordon L. Clark serves as Director of the Smith School. The collaboration has informed governance model development for clients including a German industry pension fund (Borchsenversorgungswerk).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Redington: UK-based investment consultancy advising defined benefit pension schemes and corporate sponsors on investment strategy, manager selection, and governance. Highly comparable in client base (UK DB pensions, trustees, sponsors) and service mix (investment strategy, governance advisory, fiduciary oversight). Avida recently hired Redington MD Karen Heaven as a Senior Advisor.
• Hymans Robertson: UK actuarial and pensions consultancy offering investment advisory, risk management, and governance services to DB and DC schemes and their sponsors. Comparable in client segment (UK institutional pensions) and in advisory scope (investment strategy, governance, risk).
• Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP): UK actuarial and pension consultancy providing investment, risk, and governance advisory to trustees and sponsors of DB and DC pension schemes. Comparable in serving UK and European pension clients across strategy, governance, and provider benchmarking workstreams.
• Cardano: UK pension advisory and investment management firm serving defined benefit and defined contribution schemes with strategic advisory, fiduciary management, and governance services. Directly comparable in target market (UK and European pension trustees) and several Avida senior advisors previously held senior roles at Cardano.
• bfinance: Independent investment consultancy specializing in manager research, portfolio construction, and benchmarking for pension funds and other institutional asset owners across Europe. Closely matches Avida's OCIO and fiduciary manager benchmarking proposition and target institutional client base.

Broad incumbents

• Russell Investments: Global investment firm offering OCIO, manager research, and investment consulting services to institutional asset owners including pension funds. Overlaps with Avida in OCIO benchmarking and investment governance advisory; Avida advisory board member Don Ezra is the former co-chair of Russell's global consulting practice.
• WTW (Willis Towers Watson): Global advisory firm providing actuarial, investment, risk, and governance services to pension schemes and corporate sponsors worldwide. Competes with Avida on European pension governance mandates, particularly with large multinational sponsors.
• Aon: Global professional services firm offering actuarial, investment consulting, and pension risk transfer services to institutional asset owners. Competes with Avida on governance and provider benchmarking mandates for European pension schemes and sponsors.
• Mercer: Global consulting leader (part of Marsh McLennan) offering investment advisory, actuarial, and governance services to pension funds and large institutional asset owners. Overlaps Avida across European pension governance and OCIO benchmarking but operates at much greater scale and with bundled multi-service offerings.

Regional players

• Meketa Investment Group: US-headquartered investment consulting firm serving public and corporate pension funds with investment advisory, OCIO, and governance services. Comparable in service model (boutique-focused investment governance advisory) but primarily serves North American clients rather than European pension schemes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avida-international
• Xx.com/avidaint

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Avida International