£16m revenue agency snapped up by global firm
Leeds-based We are Vista, a creative communications agency which last year reported a turnover of £16.4m and pre-tax profits of £2.1m, has been acquired by global consulting and digital services firm.
We are Vista will join ICF’s Growing Global Marketing and Communications Practice as part of the deal. The firm, which employs 100 people across Leeds and London, has been recognised for their work in communications strategy, research, digital engagement, content development, design and art direction.
The team includes some of the industry’s top strategic communicators who have developed campaigns for well-known brand names in the technology, financial, retail, transportation, telecommunications and energy industries.
Sudhakar Kesavan, CEO of ICF, said: “We have created an integrated set of advisory and engagement marketing capabilities to better serve our North American customers, and the acquisition of We are Vista expands this strategic intent into Europe.
“They will enhance the support we offer both our public and private sector clients in Europe.
James Wilkins, CEO of We are Vista, added: “In a time of significant change and disruption to how we communicate, it’s critical for brands and organizations to focus on building trust and loyalty with audiences through meaningful experiences that are integrated across multiple channels.
“As part of ICF, we will offer an unmatched set of marketing and communications services, supported by industry-leading analytics, that will help our clients successfully navigate transformative engagement strategies to maximize the impact of these experiences.”
The acquisition of We are Vista represents the latest in a series of recent announcements that showcase ICF’s commitment to strengthening its global marketing, technology, communications and digital services portfolio.
This includes last year’s acquisition of London-based loyalty strategy and marketing company The Future Customer and the recent addition of John Armstrong, a former founding executive of IBM iX, to lead ICF Olson, the company’s commercial marketing and communications division.
We are Vista will become a part of ICF’s full marketing and communication team.
We Are Vista was advised on the transaction by Green Square Corporate Finance and by Jonathan Simms and Sarah Harrison of Clarion.
