NEW YORK – Petsky Prunier is pleased to announce that it has advised S&E Sponsorship Group Inc. (“S&E”), the leading Canadian independent sponsorship consultancy focusing on the sports and entertainment industries, on its sale to Dentsu Aegis Network, a multinational media and digital marketing communications company. Dentsu Aegis Network is part of Dentsu Inc., the largest agency brand and third largest media-buying agency group in the world.
S&E will be fully integrated into MKTG, Dentsu Aegis Network’s global lifestyle marketing agency, firmly positioning the group as a leader in Canada in sports and entertainment sponsorship and activation. As the sports and entertainment sponsorship market continues to grow and evolve in Canada, the acquisition of S&E is of strategic relevance for Dentsu Aegis Network, as it continues to deliver superior value propositions to clients in the market.
Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Toronto, S&E provides a comprehensive suite of insight-driven sponsorship solutions, from strategic consulting to activation. With a team of more than 30 experts, the agency serves a variety of top brands, including Scotiabank, Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Boston Pizza, and Molson Coors. S&E’s integration into MKTG will provide entry to the Canadian market and further extend MKTG’s global footprint, which has grown from primarily a US-based agency with long-standing clients, including Diageo, Google, and Apple/Beats by Dre, to an international network brand operating in 20 countries with more than 1,400 specialists.
Following the acquisition, Brian Cooper, president and CEO of S&E, will report to Annette Warring, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Canada. Brian, who is regarded as one of Canada’s leading sponsorship experts with more than 30 years of experience, will continue to lead his team as CEO of MKTG Canada, together with S&E COO Matthew Logue and SVP Cori Woolley.
Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of ten global network brands, including Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope, and Vizeum, and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands. Dentsu Aegis Network is innovating the way brands are built for its clients through its best-in-class expertise and capabilities in media, digital, and creative communications services. Offering a distinctive and innovative range of products and services, Dentsu Aegis Network is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with approximately 35,000 dedicated specialists.
“Petsky Prunier has tremendous sports marketing expertise and deep relationships with global strategic buyers, which resulted in several great options for our company. They did an outstanding job in driving this highly efficient cross-border transaction. We are very pleased to partner with Dentsu,” commented Brian Cooper, president & CEO of S&E Sponsorship Group.
Petsky Prunier, with a team led by Michael Petsky and Anil Kuruganti, served as exclusive financial advisor to S&E Sponsorship Group.
About Petsky Prunier LLC
Petsky Prunier is one of the leading investment banks to the technology, media, marketing, eCommerce, and healthcare industries. Our firm’s merger and acquisition advisory and private placement capital raising services reflect a unique blend of product specialization and industry expertise. Together with strategic consulting firm Winterberry Group, a Petsky Prunier company, our organization represents one of the largest industry-specific advisors providing strategic and transactional services. We offer global reach supplemented through our partnerships with investment bank The Mountain Capital Group in China, as well as Allegro Advisors and o3 Capital in India. Securities transactions are processed through Petsky Prunier Securities LLC, a member of FINRA and an affiliated entity. For more information, visit www.petskyprunier.com.
