WSP’s history | Discover our evolution into a top professional services and advisory firm

WSP’s history, like our presence today, bridges continents. From our beginnings in Quebec, Canada — still home to our global headquarters in Montreal — we have evolved into a top international professional services company, powered by some of the world’s brightest minds. We have kept growing by joining forces with top expert firms, shaping a rich shared legacy and an expanding range of expertise.

Key stages of our evolution

Over the years, we have welcomed dozens of expert firms large and small that helped shape who we are today. Each one brought new ideas, deep expertise, and local insights that expanded our capabilities and impact.

Collectively, our history spans over 150 years—but we are just getting started.

Quartier des spectacles — Montréal, Canada

1993

Our roots

After several mergers and acquisitions, Genivar was founded in Quebec. The firm grew rapidly in Canada and soon began an international expansion that continues today.

2012

A pivotal expansion

In 2012, Genivar acquired William Sale Partnership Ltd. (WSP), a UK-based international building consultancy with a decades-long legacy. This created a global professional services firm with 15,000 employees in 300 offices worldwide.

The Shard — London, United Kingdom

New York Subway — United States

2014

WSP gets its name, and makes another historic acquisition

In January 2014, Genivar reorganized as WSP Global Inc., uniting thousands of experts around the world under one name. In the same year, the acquisition of the US-based global consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff was a bold step that established one of the largest pureplay professional services firms in the world.

2021

WSP becomes a leading global environmental consulting firm

The acquisition of Golder Associates, a global consulting firm with in demand expertise in earth sciences and environmental consulting, gave us a transformational advantage in this growing market.

Exploring and protecting the seabed — Porto Pino, Italy

Denny Substation — Seattle, United States

2024

Ready for the world’s energy transition

Adding POWER Engineers to WSP’s fold cemented our company’s position as a top consulting firm in the Power & Energy sector.

WSP’s global presence today

Strongly rooted in over 50 countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, we are leveraging our global scale and local expertise to deliver remarkable projects for our clients around the world. Thousands of WSP’s professionals—known as Visioneers—are driven by a passion for impact and a common purpose: to shape communities to advance humanity.

Who we are Our offices

WSP's UK and European journey

WSP’s UK heritage dates back to the late 1800s through firms like MRM Partnership, Kennedy & Donkin, and Merz & McLellan — later integrated into Parsons Brinckerhoff. Founded in 1969, William Sale Partnership (WSP) was acquired by Genivar and grew rapidly across the UK, South Africa, and the Nordics. Since the 2000s, WSP has expanded its global footprint with strategic acquisitions in Sweden, Finland, the Middle East, and France.

The addition of Golder in 2021 enhanced our geotechnical and environmental expertise across Europe. In 2022, we welcomed 1,700 experts through acquisitions including BOD in Spain and Wood’s Environment & Infrastructure business across many countries. BG Consulting Engineers joined in 2023, strengthening our teams in Switzerland and France. In 2024, Proxion and 1A Ingenieros reinforced our capabilities in Nordic rail and Spanish energy. Most recently, the 2025 acquisition of Lexica expanded our advisory services and solidified our leadership in healthcare and life sciences.

FAQ

How did WSP get its name, and what does it mean?

In 2014, two years after Genivar’s acquisition of the UK-based William Sale Partnership that created a world-class global professional services firm, the company reorganized as WSP Global Inc., and adopted WSP as the corporate brand name. While William Sale Partnership was previously commonly known as WSP, our company’s name is no longer considered an acronym.

Who is the CEO of WSP?

The President and Chief Executive Officer of WSP is Alexandre L’Heureux. He joined WSP in July 2010 as Chief Financial Officer and held this position until he was promoted to President and CEO in October 2016. Discover WSP’s Global Leadership Team.

Is WSP a Canadian company?

WSP is a global company with headquarters in Montréal, Quebec (Canada). The company evolved from a group of Quebec-based expert firms that joined forces and continue to grow through strategic international acquisitions.