• by Larissa Faw , March 11, 2020

Havas Group is acquiring a majority stake in Cicero Group, a full-service PR and market research agency to bolster the company’s expertise in public affairs and policy.

Under the agreement, Cicero will be integrated into Havas’ global strategy advisory network AMO under the newly rebranded name, Cicero/AMO. The PR shop will work closely alongside Maitland/AMO, one of AMO’s founder members, to provide comprehensive strategic advice covering public affairs, corporate communications, research and campaigns, investor relations and media relations in the UK and EU.

This is part of a broad strategic move as governments around the world are becoming more interventionist in corporate affairs, particularly around M&A and governance, explains Angus Maitland, Chairman, AMO. He points out Abernathy Macgregor, AMO’s U.S. partner, opened its government affairs office in Washington last year, and Cicero’s presence in London, Brussels and Dublin will complement its public affairs presence in France and Germany, delivered by Havas Paris/AMO and Deekeling Arndt/AMO respectively.

Adds Iain Anderson, Executive Chairman, Cicero/AMO, “The need for expert, political, research-led and corporate communications counsel has never been greater. Specialist market and regulatory understanding has become a “must-have” for businesses looking to navigate today’s political and media landscape. This deal ensures we will stay ahead of the curve.”

AMO is now present in 11 countries, with consultancies in London, Paris, New York, Washington, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Berlin, Stockholm, Zurich, Montreal, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and Milan. 

Last year the AMO Network advised on 237 M&A deals with a value of $354 billion.