Fri, 06 Dec 2024 | BUSINESS SALE
Marketing and communications agency Brandnation has transitioned to employee ownership. The company will now be owned by its 30 employees through an employee ownership trust (EOT).
Founder and managing director Mary Killingworth has sold her majority stake in the company whose clients include trainer firm Saucony, supermarket Tesco and property group OnTheMarket.
Following the acquisition, the recently formed EOT will acquire a 75 percent majority stake in the business. Killingworth and minority stakeholders, including deputy managing director Eva Ringwood and creative director Joe Murgatroyd, will retain the remaining 25 percent stake in the agency.
Killingworth, Ringwood, and Murgatroyd will all remain at the helm of the agency and continue to oversee its strategic view. Under the new ownership structure, they will work alongside EOT-appointed employee representatives and an independent trustee.
The move, Brandnation said, represents a pivotal moment in the agency’s two decades history, emphasising its dedication to employee empowerment, sustainable growth, and long-term stability. Employees with over a year of tenure are now eligible for profit-sharing, including partially tax-free bonuses calculated based on their role, salary, and time with the company.
“Over the last twenty years, Brandnation has proudly built a reputation for delivering a flawless client experience and has an impressive track record of long-term client retention - a result of fostering collaborative relationships and delivering on our word,” said Killingworth in a statement.“Whilst this remains a constant, Brandnation has evolved to become a creative, dynamic, and future-focused agency that’s underpinned by our Creativity. Multiplied. Philosophy – one that harnesses creativity and service integration to deliver measurable brand impact for our clients.”
She said the group was actively recruiting to bolster its boardroom ‘ with our sights set on senior hires across social, strategy, and content to help us realise our ambitions and share in the team’s success’.
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