• by Larissa Faw , June 30, 2020

Martin Sorrell isn’t letting COVID-19 curtail the M&A strategy for S4 Capital, the mini-holding company he now runs.

The company is acquiring data and analytics consultancy Lens10, which will be folded into S4’s programmatic business MightyHive. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2010, the Australian-based Lens10 employs more than 25 data specialists with a client roster that includes Australian Ballet and National Rugby League. The company is also a certified partner in Alphabet Inc.'s Google Analytics, Google Cloud and Google Marketing Platform. 

Company founders Michelle McGrath, Dean Gingell and Robin Jowett will remain active in the business.

“COVID-19 has clearly accelerated the existing digital transformation trends affecting consumers, media owners and enterprises,” stated Sorrell. “As a result, data analytics will be even more important as marketers seek to fast-track digital transformation plans and we have certainly seen that in the explosive demand from our clients for these services."

The deal marks the second S4 acquisition during the Covid-19 lockdown period. Back in May, it bought Digodat, a data and analytics consultancy in Latin America, which was also merged with MightyHive.

Back at the home office the UK, Sorrell is reuniting with ex-WPP colleague Miles Young by appointing him a non-executive director at S4 Capital. Young was global CEO of Ogilvy from 2008 to 2016.

Sorrell says Young’s contacts with and knowledge of clients and people are among the “best” in the advertising and marketing services industry. “He will be of great value in achieving our objective of conversion at scale.”

He is thrilled to be back in touch with his former coworker. “Obviously, I was disappointed when he chose to step down from WPP in 2016, as CEO of Ogilvy, albeit to take the prestigious role as Warden of New College, Oxford,” says Sorrell. “But now at S4 Capital, he has an opportunity to re-apply his deep understanding, in particular, of outstanding creative work and talent, new technologies and Asia Pacific, honed over almost 35 years at Ogilvy and WPP.”