M+C Saatchi ANZ breaks away in management buyout deal
M+C Saatchi ANZ is set for independent ownership after its leadership team secured backing from Parc.
M+C Saatchi's Australia and New Zealand business is set to become independently owned after its leadership team signed heads of terms for a management buyout backed by growth investment firm Parc.
The transaction is expected to complete on 1 October 2026 and will result in the ANZ business exiting the global M+C Saatchi plc structure.
The buyout group is led by CEO Dani Bassil and includes Chief Strategy Officer Simon Wassef, Executive Creative Director Jeremy Hogg, Chief Client Officer Anita Zanesco, Re Managing Director Remi Couzelas and Head of Sport and Entertainment Jack Playfair.
Leadership team takes control
M+C Saatchi said the transaction would enable local decision-making and future investment in areas including customer experience, connected communications, AI and automation.
The business will continue to operate across brand, creative, consulting, customer experience, design, sport and entertainment.
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Bassil called it an “exciting moment for our business, clients and partners”.
“We have outstanding client relationships and a team of exceptional creative talent across Australia and New Zealand. The transaction will allow the locally-led management team to focus entirely on the opportunities in front of us and to shape our future with speed and ambition,” she said.
M+C Saatchi plc simplifies structure
The deal forms part of M+C Saatchi plc's ongoing efforts to simplify its operating model.
Dame Heather Rabbatts, Executive Chair of M+C Saatchi plc, said she was “delighted that the business in Australia and New Zealand will begin a new chapter”, adding the change comes as the company “continues to simplify our operational structure”.
"This proposed transaction is intended to provide the best platform for our clients in the region, while enabling the M+C Saatchi brand to remain present in the market. I would like to thank our teams across Australia and New Zealand and wish them every success for the future.”
Parc backs the deal
The management buyout is being supported by growth investment firm Parc.
Adam Pozniak, co-founder of Parc, said they were “delighted to back Dani and the leadership team in this next chapter”.
"M+C Saatchi Group ANZ have built a genuinely differentiated offer in the region, and we see significant opportunity to support their growth ambitions, both organically and through further investment. This is exactly the kind of founder- and management-led opportunity Parc was set up to support."
Upon completion, the business will continue to operate under its existing brands and leadership structure, with no changes for clients.
The transaction remains subject to customary conditions and approvals.
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