Is the Communications Industry Prepared for Mergers, Private Equity, and Major Shifts?
CommPRO and CommunicationsMatch™ will host an in-person Executive Roundtable Breakfast titled Capitalizing Communications: Trends in Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Raising Capital, and Agency Financing. The event, scheduled for January 30, 2025, at Davis+Gilbert in New York City, comes at a time of significant shifts within the communications industry.
The industry is seeing unprecedented consolidation with the recently announced merger between Omnicom and Interpublic, the largest M&A deal in the sector to date. This development, coupled with private equity firms actively acquiring PR agencies, has sparked widespread interest in how these trends will shape the future of communications. The roundtable aims to provide critical insights into these developments and their implications for agencies, clients, and stakeholders.
Reed Phillips, CEO of Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips, will lead discussions with his extensive expertise in media and marketing M&A. His firm is widely recognized for guiding businesses through complex mergers and acquisitions, offering a unique perspective on market dynamics. Barri Rafferty, CEO of Sodali & Co, brings a wealth of experience in shareholder engagement and governance. Rafferty’s background in global public relations and her leadership in sustainability initiatives provide valuable insight into how financial strategies intersect with communications goals. Brad Schwartzberg, Co-Head of Davis+Gilbert’s Corporate and M&A Practices, rounds out the panel with a legal perspective on navigating corporate strategy and agency financing in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Davis+Gilbert, a renowned law firm with over a century of experience, is a fitting host for the event. The firm is well-known for its focus on advertising, marketing, and communications, making it a trusted advisor in legal and financial matters affecting the industry.
The roundtable format will allow senior executives to directly engage with these speakers, providing a platform to discuss challenges and opportunities presented by current industry trends. Topics expected to dominate the discussion include the implications of the Omnicom/IPG merger, the role of private equity in reshaping the PR landscape, and strategies for raising capital in an increasingly competitive market.
With its focus on critical industry issues and insights from leading experts, this roundtable is likely to set the tone for discussions on agency financing and strategic growth in 2025. Attendance is by invitation only, reserved for CommPRO + CommunicationsMatch™ members and C-suite executives. This exclusivity underscores the high stakes and strategic importance of the topics being addressed.
