Avenir Global, a Montreal-based holding and management company of public relations and communication firms, today announced that it has acquired Cherry, a large independent healthcare creative agency in the UK

This marks a sustained European expansion for Avenir Global, whose operating companies in the region already include Axon Communications and Madano. London-based Axon has been providing public relations, medical communications and clinical trial support services to a wide range of leading pharmaceutical and medical devices companies since 2003, and has expanded in recent years to New York, Copenhagen, Zug and Brighton. Its sister communications consultancy Madano joined Avenir Global in 2013 and operates in complex, highly regulated sectors, with a specialist focus on energy, healthcare, technology, and investment, development and regeneration. Both entities were recently named 'Best Places to Work' in the UK.

“We are delighted to welcome Cherry to the Avenir Global family. From brand strategy to social and interactive, our teams will be able to draw on Cherry’s award-winning creative and digital expertise to help brands engage with the right people, at the right time,” said Ralph Sutton, international managing partner of Avenir Global. “With the transaction, Avenir Global’s combined operations in the UK place us among the country’s top 20 PR consultancies, and a global leader in healthcare communications. We are very excited about the opportunities we now have to provide new thinking and the highest quality innovative service to our clients across the group.”

Founded in 2005, Cherry has annual revenue of £9.2m and 80 employees. Cherry seamlessly integrates creativity, strategy and the latest technology to better connect brands with healthcare professionals and patients. Its client listing includes Baxter, Biomarin, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eisai, Reckitt Benckiser, Shire, SOBI and Vifor. The agency’s leadership team, led by John Goundry, managing director, will remain in place following the transaction.

"Avenir Global is exactly who we were looking for in a partner,” says Goundry. “Both companies share common values and a complimentary expertise. Madano’s bespoke data science techniques and innovative qualitative insights, for example, will further help our clients obtain measurable communications impact. At the same time, we see exciting synergies with AXON to expand the services we offer clients. Avenir Global has a proven record of helping businesses grow, with the organizational reach to propel our client offering and growth in the EU, US and Canada.”

Avenir Global’s long-term growth strategy is focused on diversifying its geographic reach, deepening its talent pool and expanding its service offering. With today’s announcement, Avenir Global solidifies its global leadership position in the industry, moving from 22nd to the top 20 in worldwide PR agency ranking.