About the company
Sefiani is a leading corporate and financial communications, public relations and crisis and issues management firm based in Sydney, Australia. Sefiani is now part of Clarity Global Group.
The Challenge and Opportunity
When Robyn Sefiani, Founder and CEO of strategic communications and reputation firm Sefiani began thinking about an eventual exit strategy, she turned to Cameron Martin at William Buck for advice.
Over 23 years, Robyn had built Australia’s Midsize PR Agency of the Year (2022 CommsCon Awards) which had received several other accolades, including Robyn being named Australia’s PR Leader of the Year. As she contemplated transitioning to the next phase of her career and sought Cameron’s advice a little over two years ago, Robyn’s goal was to ensure ongoing business success and growth for Sefiani, vibrant career pathways for Sefiani’s talented people, and expanded services for top-tier clients within a new agency-owner model.
To prepare Robyn and her firm for the next stage, one necessary step was to strengthen the leadership bench by hiring a Managing Director who reflected Sefiani’s purpose-led culture and shared Robyn’s strategic ambitions for the agency’s future. A critical component of this was to structure an attractive executive equity scheme with a potential future transaction in mind.
The Solution
Robyn reached out to Cameron Martin, her trusted William Buck accountant and business advisor of 18 years, for advice on how to set up an executive equity and options scheme, how to prepare the business for a successful future transaction and how to navigate the due diligence process and tax considerations. Cameron had a deep understanding of the business and knew that considering all issues upfront could mean the difference between a successful exit and a difficult one where value may be lost.
To help prepare Sefiani for exit, Cameron:
- developed an executive equity and incentive scheme for the incoming Managing Director.
- recognised the need for a broad client list with a mix of retainers and projects that would be attractive to a potential acquirer, with not too much reliance on any single client. He worked closely with Robyn over the years to ensure that this was firmly in place.
- tapped into his professional network of trusted advisors and introduced Robyn to a lawyer who became a key advisor on the transaction. A trio of advisors was completed by a Singapore-based corporate finance firm that specialised in acquisitions in the media and communications sector.
- Cameron also brought in specialist William Buck tax advisor, Raffi Tenenbaum, to provide structuring and tax advice.. As a fully integrated firm, William Buck provides greater value for its clients who have access to experts across the full suite of accounting and advisory disciplines.
The Outcome
Robyn sold her agency to digital marketing and communications agency Clarity Global Group in January 2023 achieving her goal for the business: ensuring a legacy and ongoing vibrant communications agency to serve clients into the future and exciting career pathways for employees within a global firm culturally aligned with Sefiani. Robyn has joined Clarity’s board, contributing to the firm’s global growth strategy and guiding expansion into Asia.
“From the start, I wanted to find the right global partner for a strong and sustainable future beyond my leadership both for the business and the incredible people in our agency. I also needed to find an acquirer that would offer me continued professional growth opportunities on a global level, while continuing to do the work I love, providing reputation and crisis management counsel to C-suite clients and mentoring younger colleagues. Cameron understood this well and helped me achieve my end goal.”
“From the start, I wanted to find the right global partner for a strong and sustainable future beyond my leadership both for the business and the incredible people in our agency. I also needed to find an acquirer that would offer me continued professional growth opportunities on a global level, while continuing to do the work I love, providing reputation and crisis management counsel to C-suite clients and mentoring younger colleagues. Cameron understood this well and helped me achieve my end goal.”
