By Greg Hazley
Cossette Communications, the Canada-based advertising and PR conglomerate acquired in a private equity deal at the end of 2009, is being restructured into two entities – an integrated agency focused on Canada and a group of specialty firms for the U.K. and North America.
The holding company is also taking on the new name Vision7 International.
Claude Lessard, chairman and CEO of the Quebec City organization, said the move is intended to keep it ahead of an industry “that is experience a major reshuffling of its global business landscape.”
The integrated Canadian operation will retain the Cossette name and operate as a streamlined agency under CEO Brett Marchand.
The second entity, named Esprit de Corps Communications and containing its PR and social media operations Paine PR, Optimum PR and Band & Brown, among other units, includes specialty operations for the U.K., U.S. and Canada led by Gregor Angus in Europe and Colin Schleining in North America.
Cossette was taken private in a $115M acquisition led by Lessard and Mill Road Capital in December 2009.
The holding company has 1,450 staffers in Canada, the U.K. and U.S.
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