Williams Lea

Williams Lea
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryBusiness support, creative and marketing services, backoffice transformation solutions and workplace and office services.
Founded1820
Headquarters
Chicago
,
US
Key peopleKiran Shankar (president)
ServicesHigh volume pitchbooks and presentations, creative and marketing services, intelligent document processing, digital mail and mailroom services, legal e-billing and office services
Number of employees
15,000+ (2026)
ParentRR Donnelley
SubsidiariesThe Stationery Office
Websitewww.williamslea.com

Williams Lea, is a subsidiary of RR Donnelley that offers tech-enabled business process outsourcing (BPO) to companies. Founded in 1820 as a company providing printing services to the financial industry, Williams Lea went through a number of changes to its business model and now provides services including presentations and creative services, business and administrative support, and office services.

History

Williams Lea was founded in 1820 by John Wertheimer, who opened a printing business in London.[1]

Williams Lea has grown through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions:

  • In October 2004, it acquired US-based Bowne Business Solutions, a long-term joint venture partner, from Bowne & Co. for $190.8 million.[2]
  • In August 2005, it acquired US-based Uniscribe for $36.1 million[3] and Australia-based Creatis for $7.7 million.[4]
  • In November 2006, it acquired UK-based The Stationery Office for £130 million.[5]
  • In November 2007, Deutsche Post, Williams Lea's owner, acquired legal process outsourcing (LPO) company Centric LPO for an undisclosed sum.[6]
  • In July 2011, Williams Lea purchased the design and production agency Tag Worldwide for an undisclosed sum.[7][8]
  • In June 2023, Tag was sold to by Japanese marketing giant Dentsu Group Inc.[9]

The company's ownership has changed several times over the past twenty years:

  • In 2006, Deutsche Post acquired a majority stake in Williams Lea in a transaction valuing the company at approximately £450 million.[10]
  • In 2017, Williams Lea Tag was acquired from Deutsche Post by Advent International, a private equity firm.[11][12]
  • In January 2025, Williams Lea was acquired by RR Donnelley.[13][14]

Scams

Williams Lea has been cited as the commissioning organisation in a series of scams aimed at editors and translators.[15] Victims receive an email from an individual (or bot) claiming to represent Williams Lea and offering work. Typically, this might be to translate or edit an academic text. This is not authorised by Williams Lea, which is being used as a front for the scam. The work involved has not been authorised by the copyright holder of the text mentioned and is not a genuine work offer.

References

  1. ↑ "History of Williams Lea". Williams Lea. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Williams Lea Acquires US-Based Bowne Business Solutions for GBP100m (US$180m)". PR Newswire. 8 October 2004.
  3. ↑ "Company Overview of Uniscribe Professional Services, Inc". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "Williams Lea". Archived from the original on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2006.
  5. ↑ Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback MachineWilliams Lea Tag
  6. ↑ "Williams Lea expands legal offering with LPO business". Post & Parcel. 14 November 2007.
  7. ↑ Williams, Matt (12 July 2011). "Production company Tag acquired by Williams Lea". Campaign. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Nias, Simon (12 July 2011). "Williams Lea to acquire Tag Worldwide". Print Week. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  9. ↑ "Dentsu Completes Acquisition of Tag". 30 June 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Deutsche Post buys Williams Lea". BBC News. 13 February 2006. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  11. ↑ "Deutsche Post sells British unit Williams Lea to Advent". 24 August 2017 – via www.reuters.com.
  12. ↑ "Deutsche Post DHL Group sells Williams Lea Tag to Advent International". DPDHL Group. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  13. ↑ "RRD finalizes acquisition of Williams Lea to strengthen business services". Williams Lea. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  14. ↑ Stuart-Turner, Richard (20 December 2024). "RRD to acquire Williams Lea". Printweek. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "Confirmed Scam: Academic History Text translation from Williams Lea Ltd. (Scams)". www.proz.com. Retrieved 21 August 2026.

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