Top Canadian PR firm redefines its corporate platform to focus on further growth and innovation
MONTREAL, Nov. 8, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada's leading public relations firm and one of the world's leading independent integrated communications firms, today announced a redefined corporate platform, with the introduction of AVENIR GLOBAL. This new holding company will manage the Firm's five operating brands: Canada's NATIONAL Public Relations, including NATIONAL Equicom, the Investor Relations and Financial Communications practice; international healthcare specialists AXON Communications; U.K.-based strategic communications consultancy Madano; and SHIFT Communications, an integrated communications agency with offices in Boston, San Francisco, New York and Austin.
"The reshaping of operations under AVENIR GLOBAL reflect the Firm's presence as an innovative global company with a management philosophy that values a long-term growth strategy and that puts its people and clients at the centre of decision-making", said Jean-Pierre Vasseur, President and CEO of AVENIR GLOBAL. "Our vision is to build the global footprint of our Firm by aggregating companies and talent to deliver value for our clients."
The Firm, which began as two-person Montreal-based public relations consultancy in 1976, is now ranked among the top 25 largest PR agencies in the world, with 550 employees and 60% of revenue coming from outside of Canada. In addition to sustained organic growth over the years, key recent acquisitions include Madano (2013), TMX Equicom (2015) and SHIFT Communications (2016).
"NATIONAL is the right name for our Canadian operations, but was becoming less relevant as a name for our platform as we expanded internationally. The AVENIR GLOBAL name represents our ambition while recognizing our heritage−'Avenir' being the French word for 'future'", added Mr. Vasseur.
"This is a great Canadian story", said Andrew Molson, Chairman of AVENIR GLOBAL. "We have successfully charted the course from local to national to global over the last 40 years, all the while helping our clients make meaningful connections in the communities in which we operate. The NATIONAL brand will remain strong in Canada while we pursue our long-term growth strategy through AVENIR GLOBAL, seeking out acquisitions which will help us maintain and diversify our international client base and capabilities."
The Firm will retain the same leadership team based at the head office in Montreal, with Andrew Molson as chairman and Jean-Pierre Vasseur as president and CEO of AVENIR GLOBAL. The Firm's brands will continue to operate within the same business models, seeking out a best teams' approach of discipline and sector experts across the network to best meet the needs of their clients.
AVENIR GLOBAL is a Montreal-based holding and management company with an active operations mindset and a hands-on approach to all its investments. With 550 staff and 17 offices in Canada, the U.S. and in Europe, it is considered one of the 25 most important public relations firms in the world. In Canada, AVENIR GLOBAL owns NATIONAL Public Relations, the country's leading public relations firm, servicing clients across a wide range of sectors, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax and St. John's, and NATIONAL Equicom, the industry's foremost investor relations and financial services practice with offices in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary. The AVENIR GLOBAL network also includes healthcare specialists AXON Communications, with offices in New York, Toronto, London, Copenhagen and Zug (Switzerland); Madano, a strategic communications consultancy based in London; and SHIFT Communications, an integrated communications agency with offices in Boston, San Francisco, New York and Austin.
AVENIR GLOBAL is owned by RES PUBLICA Consulting Group.
FACT SHEET - Profile of a top 25 PR company: AVENIR GLOBAL
- 550 employees in 17 offices across Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Europe
- Founded: 1976 in Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
- Brands:
- NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada's leading PR firm, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax and St. John's; along with NATIONAL Equicom, the #1 Investor Relations and Financial Communications practice in Canada;
- AXON Communications, listed as the #2 Healthcare Communications agency in the U.K., with offices in New York, Toronto, London, Copenhagen and Zug (Switzerland);
- Madano, a strategic communications consultancy based in London; and
- SHIFT Communications, an integrated communications agency with offices in Boston, San Francisco, New York and Austin
- Industry award-winning work: includes for 2017, the IABC Best of the Best Award for Social Media Program; the IABC Jake Wittmer Award; CPRS National Awards of Excellence in Canadian Digital Communications Campaign of the Year and Canadian Advocacy and Social Marketing Campaign of the Year; 10 Bell Ringer Awards including Gold for Superior Achievement in Research and Planning Brand Building or Re-Branding, One-Time Special Event and B2B Publicity Campaign
- Best place to work: ranked among the top 20 2017 Best Workplaces in the U.K. (Madano and AXON U.K.), a Morneau Shepell 2017 Employee Recommended Workplace (NATIONAL in Toronto) and a PR News Top Place to Work in PR for 2017 (AXON in New York and SHIFT Communications)
- A diverse and educated workforce: 31 languages spoken; 90% of employees have a university degree and 40% completed graduate school
- 40% of partners are women
- 5,500 pro bono hours given back to local communities across our network in 2016
- Senior leadership team:
- Andrew Molson, Chairman;
- Jean-Pierre Vasseur, President and CEO;
- Royal Poulin, Executive Vice-President and CFO;
- Valérie Beauregard, Executive Vice-President
SOURCE NATIONAL Public Relations
For further information: Marc Poisson, NATIONAL Public Relations, mpoisson@national.ca, 514-843-2366
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