NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following their announcement on October 13, 2021, Finsbury Glover Hering and Sard Verbinnen & Co. (“SVC”) have completed their merger to create the world’s leading strategic communications firm advising clients in navigating critical opportunities and challenges.
The firm brings together over 1,000 communications professionals, operating from 25 offices in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, including its global headquarters in New York.
The new firm is a leader in all aspects of strategic communications, including government affairs, corporate reputation, crisis management and transformation and change, as well as the leading force in financial communications worldwide. Its professionals have deep sector knowledge within rapidly growing industries, such as Health, Tech, Food and Agriculture and Renewable Energy, as well as expertise in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), litigation and regulatory communications and cybersecurity.
Alexander Geiser, CEO, said: “We have created a true global partnership between two leaders in strategic communications that will allow us to meet the complex, rapidly changing needs of our clients. We are eager to get started and look forward to capitalizing on our depth of capabilities as one united firm.”
SVC Co-Founders George Sard and Paul Verbinnen added: “We are excited to bring together two firms with such complementary strengths and compatible cultures to create a new firm that will be far more than the sum of its parts. We have the expertise and experience to deliver reputation advisory services that address virtually all critical C-suite needs, with the scale to bring the right team to any situation, anywhere, at any time.”
Equity in the new company is owned by nearly 40 percent of the firm’s employees. WPP remains the majority investor. Golden Gate Capital, which was a significant minority investor in SVC, has converted its equity in SVC and remains an investor in the new firm.
The new firm will announce a new name and brand in early 2022.
It will serve its global client base from 25 offices in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington D.C. and Zurich. A South Florida office will open shortly.