--- title: durhamlane think differently with acquisition description: durhamlane, a successful North East business, has announced an acquisition deal that expands its expertise and range of pioneering services. image: https://blog.durhamlane.com/hubfs/Richard-Lee-Alison-sofa3.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.durhamlane.com/durhamlane-think-differently-with-acquisition#content) [durhamlane-logo durhamlane | Sales Training, Sales Outsourcing & Sales Recruitment durhamlane Logo | Sales Training, Sales Outsourcing & Sales Recruitment](http://durhamlane.com/) - [What We Do](http://durhamlane.com/sales/) - [Outsourcing](http://durhamlane.com/sales/outsourcing/) - [Training](http://durhamlane.com/sales/training/) - [Recruitment](http://durhamlane.com/sales/recruitment/) - [How We Work](http://durhamlane.com/how-we-work/) - [About](http://durhamlane.com/company/) - [About Us](http://durhamlane.com/company/about-us/) - [Our Team](http://durhamlane.com/company/team/) - [Blog](https://blog.durhamlane.com/) - [Careers](http://durhamlane.com/company/current-vacancies/) - [Our Work](http://durhamlane.com/our-work/) - [Contact](http://durhamlane.com/company/contact-us/) +44 (0) 191 481 3800 - [Created with Sketch.](http://www.twitter.com/durhamlane) - [Created with Sketch.](http://www.linkedin.com/company/durhamlane) - - [tel:+44%20(0)%20191%20481%203800](tel:+44%20(0)%20191%20481%203800) # Blog ![](https://blog.durhamlane.com/hubfs/Janine%20Rupf.png) ##### durhamlane think differently with acquisition Posted by [Janine Rupf](https://blog.durhamlane.com/author/janine-rupf) on 08/09/16 13:00 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) durhamlane, a successful North East business with a growing international client base, has announced an acquisition deal that expands its expertise and range of pioneering services. ![durhamlane_acquisition_of_Thinkfreer.jpg](https://blog.durhamlane.com/hs-fs/hubfs/durhamlane_acquisition_of_Thinkfreer.jpg?width=462&name=durhamlane_acquisition_of_Thinkfreer.jpg) *Powerful trio: Richard Lane, Alison Freer and Lee Durham* durhamlane has announced the [acquisition of *Thinkfreer*](http://www.thinkfreer.com/)*,* a company established for more than 15 years, which specialises in leadership development across multiple sectors, including digital and technology, health, manufacturing and engineering. Lee Durham, co-founder of durhamlane, said: “We are delighted to reach a position in the life of the company when we are able to acquire fantastic organisations like *Thinkfreer,* expanding our knowledge base and service offer into new markets across the world.” **Alison Freer**, who founded *Thinkfreer* in 2000, will join durhamlane as **Director of Consulting, Learning and Digital Transformation**. Alison’s role will see her take a lead on guiding clients as they **adapt to commercial leadership in the digital age**. “durhamlane works with ambitious businesses in fast paced industry sectors including digital, software, high tech, engineering and biotech,” Alison explains. “These are industries which are experiencing and capitalising on disruption. Business leaders who are operating in those environments need to learn and adapt very quickly and anticipate rapidly emerging opportunities and changes.” Together with Richard Lane and Lee Durham, Alison has designed a programme which will help [business leaders to successfully navigate their teams through digital transformation](http://durhamlane.co.uk/services/developing-people/leadership/), which means to capitalise on all the opportunities that digital innovation present in terms of quality of delivery and operational agility. Alison said: “It’s about how you learn, lead and live in the digital age and often how you adapt to do that at light speed.” Alison continued: “I’m delighted to be bringing Thinkfreer’s leadership development legacy to complement durhamlane’s centre of excellence in sales and commercial performance.” “With more than 25 years of experience working with all types of organisations, I can honestly say, that durhamlane is the most energetic, talented and professional team of commercially-minded business people I’ve come across. I’m hugely excited about what we have to offer the business community together, through the durhamlane brand and network.”   **Do you want to know more about our Leadership programme? Call us for a confidential review of your leadership strategy ** **0191 481 3800**   Related sales leadership articles... [*Grounded Leadership in Volatile Times*](https://blog.durhamlane.com/grounded-leadership-in-volatile-times)[*Unlock Business Success through Sales Transformation*](https://blog.durhamlane.com/change-or-die-unlock-business-success-through-sales-transformation)   ##### Topics [News,](https://blog.durhamlane.com/topic/news) [business transformation](https://blog.durhamlane.com/topic/business-transformation) [durhamlane-logo durhamlane | Sales Training, Sales Outsourcing & Sales Recruitment durhamlane Logo | Sales Training, Sales Outsourcing & Sales Recruitment](https://blog.durhamlane.com/) Sales Training, Sales Outsourcing & Sales Recruitment - [What We Do](http://durhamlane.com/sales/) - [How We Work](http://durhamlane.com/how-we-work/) - [Our Work](http://durhamlane.com/our-work/) - [Blog](https://blog.durhamlane.co.uk) - [Company](http://durhamlane.com/company/) - [Contact Us](http://durhamlane.com/company/contact-us/) - [Our Team](http://durhamlane.com/company/team/) - [Current Vacancies](http://durhamlane.com/company/current-vacancies/) - [Sales Outsourcing](http://durhamlane.com/sales/outsourcing/) - [Market Intelligence](http://durhamlane.com/sales/outsourcing/market-intelligence/) - [Data Building & Cleansing](http://durhamlane.com/sales/outsourcing/data-building-and-cleansing/) - [Outsourced Sales & Lead Generation](http://durhamlane.com/sales/outsourcing/outsourced-sales/) - [Early Stage Business Development](http://durhamlane.com/sales/outsourcing/early-stage-business-development/) - [Sales Training](http://durhamlane.com/sales/training/) - [Our Methodology](http://durhamlane.com/sales/training/our-methodology/) - [Sales Strategy & Process Review](http://durhamlane.com/sales/training/sales-process-review/) - [Sales Masterclasses & Bespoke Training](http://durhamlane.com/sales/training/sales-masterclasses-and-training/) - [Consulting & Leadership Development](http://durhamlane.com/sales/training/leadership-development/) - [Sales Recruitment](http://durhamlane.com/sales/recruitment/) - [Experienced Sales Hires](http://durhamlane.com/sales/recruitment/experienced-sales-hires/) - [Sales Graduate Programme](http://durhamlane.com/sales/recruitment/sales-graduate-programme/) ##### Send a Quick Message - [Created with Sketch.](http://www.twitter.com/durhamlane) - [Created with Sketch.](http://www.linkedin.com/company/durhamlane) - - [tel:+44%20(0)%20191%20481%203800](tel:+44%20(0)%20191%20481%203800) © 2011 - 2016 durhamlane Ltd. brand & web design by [Powerhouse Software](http://powerhouse.software/)