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Kreab and Gavin Anderson Merge to Create a Leading Worldwide Strategic Communications Consultancy

Kreab Gavin Anderson
2009-02-16 20:07 649

LONDON, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-Asia/ --

Kreab Group and Gavin Anderson & Company announced today that they have formed one of the world's leading specialist financial, corporate and public affairs communications consulting firms.

The merger brings together two strongly complementary businesses into a single company with the strength, scale and global reach to deliver significant benefits to clients. Kreab Gavin Anderson will have over 350 professionals of 40 nationalities serving more than 500 clients in 25 countries. This talent and expertise will enhance Kreab Gavin Anderson's ability to meet the growing demands of clients in a globalized and increasingly competitive world.

Kreab and Gavin Anderson have independently been leaders in the fields of financial and corporate communications and public affairs for many years. The strategic rationale of the merger is that Gavin Anderson and Kreab strengthen each other in the financial and corporate communications and public affairs practices and round out each firm's geographical expansion goals.

Providing expertise across these practice areas in the world's major financial and political centers is increasingly important to clients confronting evolving government and market regulatory regimes across the world.

Both companies have been growing strongly over the past few years. The combination represents a step change in business size and geographical spread, providing a foundation for even greater growth in the future in the existing major financial and political centres around the world and in developing markets, particularly in Asia, India and the Middle East.

Magnora AB and Omnicom Group Inc. are the parent companies and majority owners of Kreab and Gavin Anderson respectively. The new firm will be majority owned by Magnora and Omnicom.

Peje Emilsson, Chairman of Magnora and Kreab will become the Executive Chairman of Kreab Gavin Anderson while Richard Constant, Chairman & CEO of Gavin Anderson will be the President & CEO. Charlotte Erkhammar, President & CEO of Kreab will be Executive Vice President & Deputy CEO of the new firm and Gene Golembeski, CFO and COO of Gavin Anderson will be the new Group's Chief Financial Officer.

Richard Constant, President & CEO of Kreab Gavin Anderson, commenting on the merger, said:

"This merger fulfils a mutual and long-held ambition to combine our strengths for the benefit of our clients. The balance and complementary fit between our financial communications, public affairs and corporate communications practices, together with the breadth of our international network means that our new firm has an even stronger talent base from which to deliver outstanding results for clients."

Charlotte Erkhammar, Executive Vice President & Deputy CEO of the combined firm, said:

"This is a merger of equals, bringing together a team with unparalleled expertise. We know each other well. We have similar values and cultures, and we have a joint understanding of this business. We will continue to have the backing of our long-term shareholders. We will benefit from the commitment of Magnora, a major privately-owned Group with over 40 years of experience in the industry, the reach and strength of Omnicom, a global leader in advertising and marketing communications, and the direct involvement of key employees through the Partnership."

Peje Emilsson, Chairman of Magnora and Executive Chairman of Kreab Gavin Anderson, and Dale Adams, President of DAS, a Division of Omnicom Group Inc., and Vice Chairman of the new firm, said:

"Today we have created a new competitive force in this industry. The combined talent and experience of Kreab Gavin Anderson can only be matched by few. We can provide our clients with outstanding communications advice and solutions on a worldwide basis. Leveraging all these strengths in one company has extraordinary potential and it creates a platform for tremendous growth in the future."

Notes to editors

Kreab Gavin Anderson (http://www.kreabgavinanderson.com) is a leading worldwide specialist financial, corporate and public affairs communications firm, with over 350 professionals of 40 nationalities serving more than 500 clients in 25 countries. Kreab Gavin Anderson's consultants advise on issues of strategic importance to business and political leaders, helping clients to solve complex communications challenges, often in critical situations.

Operating in the world's key business centers, the company is represented in Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Beijing, Brussels, Canberra, Copenhagen, Dubai, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Jeddah, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, New York, Oslo, Paris, Riyadh, Sao Paolo, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, and Washington DC.

Source: Kreab Gavin Anderson
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