ICR completes an investment from institutional investor Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec to support the agency’s growth and expansion. Global provider and manager of alternative investment products Investcorp, which first invested in ICR in 2018, will also remain an investor in the firm. “ICR has created a remarkable value proposition for companies and their leadership teams thanks to its unique portfolio of services, high-quality network and the distinctive profile of its client-facing team members,” said CDPQ executive VP and head of private equity and capital solutions Martin Laguerre. Jefferies LLC served as lead financial advisor, while William Blair also served as financial advisor for Investcorp and ICR. Credit Suisse served as financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP as legal counsel for CDPQ.

MARCO, a Madrid-based agency with offices in cities including Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris and Mexico City, acquires a majority stake in Africa Communications Media Group, an African-owned agency with headquarters in Johannesburg. ACG has worked with such clients as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mercedes Benz, Bloomberg and Ethiopian Airlines. ACG founder and CEO Mimi Kalinda will work with MARCO founder and CEO Didier Lagae on company branding, and she will also lead the communications operation to support MARCO clients in the sub-Saharan market. “The acquisition of ACG with their direct presence in three key markets plus an indirect presence in another 40 delivers the expansion we were looking for,” said Lagae. Kalinda added that “being part of the MARCO family translated into real opportunities for our clients to not only build their brands and reputations in Africa but also well beyond the continent’s borders.”

North 6th Agency’s #Pitching4Purpose initiative, which was launched in 2019, reaches the $50,000 mark in contributions made to non-profit organizations. Each month, N6A firm tallies the total number of client results secured across the agency, which include everything from digital and print articles to broadcast, radio, and podcast segments, and reflects those results in donations to a selected charity. In addition to such national charities as the American Cancer Society, the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Meals on Wheels, N6A staff chose to contribute to such groups as the WIN Foundation, which supports individuals and families in addiction recovery and Operation Backpack, which provides grade-specific school supplies to students living in New York City homeless or domestic violence shelters. “We launched this initiative as a way for the agency to backup its hard work with actions that impact positive changem” said N6A chief executive officer Daniela Mancinelli.