Spirit Media Scotland has been acquired by a holding company set up by 2 former MediaCom executives.
Danny Donovan (pictured) and Jamie Venerus will become Joint CEOs of the agency, with co-founder Graham Milne moving into the position of Chair. Philip Jones has left the business.
Milne and Jones set up Spirit Media Scotland in 2002 and its client list includes the Scottish Government, University of Edinburgh, Scottish Police Authority, the National Gallery of Scotland and a number of local councils in Scotland and England.
It’s been acquired through the Donovan and Venerus’ E&B Holdings operation.
Donovan is a former MediaCom London and MD and UK CEO of MediaHub, while Venerus is an ex-Board Director of MediaCom Edinburgh and Managing Partner at Mindshare and Maxus.
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“Spirit has been one of the foremost agencies in Scotland for as long as most can remember,” explained Danny Donovan – Joint CEO of Spirit.
“When the opportunity came to join forces with my old MediaCom colleague Jamie, and lead Spirit into its next phase it was an opportunity too good to miss. The fantastic client list clearly demonstrates the breadth of expertise and represents a huge opportunity for growth. Graham and Phil have done a magnificent job, and it is fantastic that we are able to have Graham continue to be part of the agency in the position of Chair. I am sure everyone in the company and indeed in the industry in Scotland wish Phil all the best for the future.”
Their own businesses, Build Media and ENDVR will continue to operate separately and are unaffected by the acquisition.
“Spirit Media has built something genuinely impressive over more than two decades – a truly independent Scottish agency with a blue-chip client list and deep roots in the communities it serves. I’ve long admired what Graham and Phil created, and I’m excited to work alongside Danny to build on that foundation. Scotland is a dynamic and distinctive market, and we see enormous potential to grow Spirit’s offer and reach. This is a brilliant next chapter,” added Venerus.
