Leicestershire-based digital and brand agency Cite DMS has transitioned to an employee ownership trust (EOT), giving staff an indirect stake in the business and setting out a long-term succession plan.<\/p>\n
The agency, founded in 2000, operates as a full-service business delivering brand, strategy, creative and digital services across multiple sectors. The move to employee ownership has now been completed, with day-to-day operations continuing unchanged.<\/p>\n
Managing director Laura Bent said the decision followed a period of transition for the business and ruled out a trade sale.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmployee ownership felt like the right fit for where we are as a business,\u201d she said. \u201cWe wanted a model that protected our independence and our culture, while also giving the team a genuine sense of ownership in what we\u2019re building together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bent joined Cite DMS in 2021 after merging her own brand and creative consultancy with the agency, combining digital delivery with strategic brand capability.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelling to a big group never felt right for us,\u201d she added. \u201cIt would have changed how we work and what the agency stands for. Employee ownership gave us a way to plan for succession without disrupting our clients or losing what makes Cite what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
The transition was supported by Chris Maslin, founder of Go EO, which advises SMEs on employee ownership. Maslin previously transferred his own accountancy firm into an EOT.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving gone through the process myself, I felt it was, in many cases, far more complex and costly than it needed to be,\u201d he said. \u201cI came up with a more streamlined approach to help others transition to this business model.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the EOT structure, ownership of the company is held in trust on behalf of employees, allowing founders to exit either immediately or over time.<\/p>\n
Bent remains managing director, supported by the existing senior management team. The agency said early feedback from staff shows higher engagement since the transition.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmployee ownership isn\u2019t about changing everything overnight,\u201d Bent said. \u201cIt\u2019s about building a future where the people doing the work have a real stake in how the business grows.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Trust structure replaces traditional ownership as agency prioritises independence, succession and staff retention<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2107022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127714],"coauthors":[95],"class_list":["post-2107019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital","tag-featured-story","tag-leicestershire"],"yoast_head":"\n