DuPont's advisory arm DSS splits off as an independent consultancy

The consulting arm of famed chemical company DuPont has spun out on its own – with its Asian regional headquarters to be based in Singapore.

In operation for half a century, DSS currently employs more than 900 operations executives and consultants across 40 offices worldwide, with Singapore serving as its Asia Pacific regional headquarters.

“For over 50 years, DuPont and DuPont Sustainable Solutions together have been helping to make the world a safer place by collaborating with and implementing solutions for clients. Today DSS is excited to begin its next chapter as an independent firm,” said DSS CEO Davide Vassallo, who prior to joining the firm spent over seven years with management consultancy Arthur D. Little.

The advisory entity – previously a part of DuPont’s Specialty Products division – has traditionally served clients operating in industries such as oil and gas, chemicals, utilities, mining and metals, and manufacturing, with a range of offerings in operations management, workplace safety, compliance and healthcare compliance, innovation, and learning and development among other areas.  

According to the firm, the decision to split from parent DuPont (in a deal backed by private equity group Gyrus Capital) was driven by the unfolding digital revolution – widely dubbed Industry 4.0 – and the need for focused attention for clients on advancing technologies, maturing systems and processes, and the evolving workforce – with the industrial sector among those most subject to automation.

Vasallo continued; “In a world where global economic changes and disruptions can have a significant impact on the safety and continuity of organisations and their global supply chains, DSS will now have increased flexibility and agility to provide its industry-leading consulting services and bring innovative solutions to market faster for our clients.”

As part of the deal – which sees Gyrus Capital founders Guy Semmens, Robert Watson and Cedric Perlet join the DSS board alongside Vasallo, DSS CFO Vladimir Kral, and DuPont Safety & Construction President Rose Lee – DSS will retain the intellectual property rights related to its services along with ongoing access to the DuPont logo, sites, capabilities and resources for a defined period of time.

“DuPont is extremely proud of the industry-leading work we have done with DSS to achieve lasting safety and operational improvements for companies worldwide,” commented DuPont CEO Marc Doyle. “DSS is well-positioned to continue providing its clients with world-class services as an independent company, and we are proud of our former colleagues as they begin this exciting new endeavor.”