Transaction Combines Sloane’s Corporate and Financial Communications Expertise with SKDK’s Nationally Leading Public Affairs Platform
Sloane & Company to Retain Leadership Structure and Operate as Independent Subsidiary of SKDK
NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 20, 2020 – The nation’s leading public affairs firm, SKDKnickerbocker (SKDK), (https://skdknick.com/) today announced it has acquired Sloane & Company, (Sloane), (https://www.sloanepr.com/), an industry-leading corporate and financial communications firm, from MDC Partners. Under the transaction, Sloane will retain its current leadership structure and all key personnel and operate as an independent subsidiary of SKDK.
“This acquisition – the first in our history – makes perfect strategic sense,” said Josh Isay, CEO of SKDK. “We will now be able to offer our current and future clients best-in-class expertise in corporate and financial communications, transaction support and special situations work. Sloane will be able to offer its clients SKDK’s nationally recognized leadership in public affairs, in-house research and analytics, award-winning digital and traditional advertising strategy and creative, and enhanced C-suite media training and speech writing. Together, SKDK and Sloane will use our uniquely comprehensive suite of services to help clients around the country and across the globe.”
Darren Brandt and Whit Clay, who will continue to operate Sloane & Company as Co-CEOs, stated, “By coming together with SKDK we will be able to advance the distinctive approach, values and commitment to exceptional work that have defined our firm’s success – while providing our clients and partners access to the counsel and services of the best political and public affairs firm in the business. As we began to discuss the idea of a deal with SKDK’s leadership, it quickly became apparent that this was a perfect cultural fit and the right move for both of us. Our business has exceptional positive momentum coming out of 2019 and the time is right for our team to grow and capitalize on the many opportunities in front of us. We are even more excited about what we will be able to do in 2020 and beyond by joining SKDK.”
Through the combination, the wide breadth of services available to clients will include:
corporate positioning and media relations, public affairs, political campaigns, research and polling, M&A support, shareholder activism and governance, regulatory issues, investor relations, restructurings, media campaigns and media buying, digital media and analytics, and crisis communications.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About SKDKnickerbocker:
SKDKnickerbocker (SKDK) is a top national communications and political consulting firm bringing unparalleled strategic communications experience to Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, philanthropic organizations and labor unions, as well as political committees and candidates. With offices in Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Albany, SKDK offers strategic support to managing a crisis, protecting a brand, advocating an issue or winning an election. The influential Holmes Report once again named SKDK as the North America Public Affairs Agency of the Year in 2019, following wins in 2015, 2016, and 2018. To learn more about SKDK, visit our website at www.skdknick.com.
SKDK is a proud member of The Stagwell Group, a collaborative group of agencies who are out to “reinvent the holding company,” according to the Wall Street Journal. The Stagwell Group portfolio includes more than a dozen best-in-class, digital-first agencies who are focused on what modern CMOs need. Learn more about Stagwell at www.stagwellgroup.com
About Sloane & Company:
Founded in 1998, Sloane & Company is an industry-leading strategic communications firm focused on Corporate Communications, Media Relations, Investor Relations, Crisis Communications and Issue Management, Shareholder Activism and Proxy Contests, Transaction Support and Public Affairs. The firm’s senior leadership is actively involved in all aspects of client work, utilizing a deep understanding of the media, capital markets, and global political and social issues to build, enhance and execute communications strategies. Sloane & Company has previously been recognized by The Holmes Report as Global Corporate Agency of the Year; and Crisis Agency of the Year, and in 2019 was ranked by Bloomberg #2 among communications firms for shareholder activism support, based on total number of campaigns.
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Media Contact:
Sloane & Company
Roger Sauerhaft, (212) 446-1876
SKDK
Steph Reichin, (617) 549-3745