A Cardiff creativity agency has been acquired by its senior management team for an undisclosed fee.
S3 Advertising founder Matt Jones has sold the business to Mike Webb (commercial director), Rebecca Campbell (senior client account director), Mel Matthews (HR director) and Louise Evans (finance director).
The deal, which was led by advisors Verde Corporate Finance and Greenaway Scott, acting together within the integrated GS Verde Group structure, was part-funded by SME investment specialists Caple.
From a three-person start-up the agency has gone on to win the business of clients that include the University of South Wales, Airbus, NHS Wales, Deliveroo and S4C.
Mr Jones says he is leaving having achieved the goals he set nine years ago, which he says was to create a national, truly creative and disruptive agency in Wales.
The business has won Fast Growth 50’s sustainable growth award in 2016, 2017 and 2018 – and recently reported an increase in annual turnover from £4.43m between 2016-17 to £6.6m between 2017-18; up 48.98%.
Mr Jones said: “Selling via
an MBO to my team, the very
people who have been through all highs and lows with me is a dream come true.
“Each pillar of agency operation is represented by the new managing partners, with Mike, Rebecca, Louise and Mel each specialising in cornerstones of the business across sales, client service, finance and HR respectively.”
Business director Rebecca Campbell, who in her new role will look to drive forward the business strategy as well as retaining oversight of some of the agency’s largest accounts, said: “Our award wins go to prove we provide the brightest recruits from Wales and beyond a nurturing environment to produce outstanding work and campaigns for our clients that disrupt the traditional way of thinking.”
HR and operations director Mel Matthews added: “Our staff, Team S3, are the absolute bedrock of everything we do and protecting them – and our culture – is key as we continue challenging the notion that true talent can only be found in London.”
Ms Matthews added: “We plan to grow even further, and are currently recruiting for a number of key roles to come and work in what’s often recognised as one of the coolest offices in the Ƶ.”
Featuring a ball pit containing 18,000 balls, a 32-metre-square stadium-style cinema that can be screened off for private presentations, an 18-hole mini-golf
course a sandpit meeting room with its own blackboard wall and a bar, the “Lion’s Den” in Cardiff’s One Central Square development has previously been recognised alongside companies such as Google for its imaginative working environment.
