Cattaneo Zanetto & Co., a leader in government affairs services, and Community, a leading group in communication and reputation management services, today announced that they have joined forces to create the holding company Excellera Advisory Group.
The name chosen for the new reality, Excellerabest represents the DNA of the two companies, inspired by the highest standards of excellencecombined with the ambition to speed up together with its customers in facing crucial moments of challenge or opportunity in the financial, political and social spheres. The two brands will remain independent, with the same current governance.
The operation brings a world best practice model in the sector to Italy for the first time: thanks to the financial and strategic support of Xenon Private Equityin fact, this agreement constitutes the first step towards the creation of a broader aggregation of professional realities to compete, as a leader, also in Europe.
Excellera Advisory Group will be able to count on an aggregate turnover of more than EUR 25 million in 2022, which puts it at the top of the sector in Italy, and a workforce of 140 professionals spread across its offices in Rome, Milan, Treviso and Brussels. The Group now serves more than 300 clients, including national and global leaders in the finance, industry, energy, healthcare, infrastructure, media and telecommunications, retail, and platform economy sectors, as well as not-for-profit companies, public bodies, and trade associations.
Alberto Cattaneo, Claudia Pomposo e Paolo Zanetto for Cattaneo Zanetto & Co., will reinvest equally in the holding company and retain their positions in the company. Auro Palomba will remain CEO of Community and, together with Giuliano Pasini, Roberto Patriarca, Marco Rubino, Giovanna Benvenuti and Pasquo Cicchinicollected in the Always On company will reinvest in the holding company.
Auro Palomba, CEO of Communityin over twenty years of existence, Community has always distinguished itself for being a forerunner in the sector, and this has allowed us to achieve Italian leadership in communication and reputation management. With this operation we bring to Italy a model that will give us the financial and industrial support to continue growing and to acquire other realities in our country and abroad. With Cattaneo Zanetto & Co., whose founding values of independence, transparency and professional ethics we share, we create a true national champion capable of interpreting clients' needs, offering strategic vision and operational support in relations with all market players."
For Alberto Cattaneo, Claudia Pomposo and Paolo Zanetto of Cattaneo Zanetto & Co.“Over the last few years we have consolidated ourselves as the leading lobbying and government affairs company in Italy, proudly contributing to the growth of the entire sector in size, professional capacity and transparency. Thanks to the trust of our clients, we first built a successful case history, then attracted the attention of important investors, both financial and banking, and now we can face the new challenge of creating a national champion capable of competing also on international markets. The birth of the Excellera Advisory Group renews this pact of trust with our clients, providing them with new services, new skills, and guaranteeing, together with Community, that ambition for excellence that has always been our hallmark;
Franco Prestigiacomo, CEO of Xenonour characteristic is to be financial investors with a strong focus on industrial issues that accompany entrepreneurs to build national champions in fragmented sectors. All over the world, leading Government and Reputation Affairs companies are participated by funds that support their growth also through acquisitions. We started with the two best Italian companies in their respective sectors, Cattaneo Zanetto & Co. and Community: Excellera will be a platform on which we will build excellence in the sector, in Italy and abroad, joining them with other advisory champions".
The Xenon team that worked on the operation consists of Gianfranco Piras, who will also be President of Excellera, Giorgio Pastorelli and Francesco Banfi.
Banco BPM, Banca Ifis and Banca Sella financed the transaction. Legal advisors were BonelliErede, Pavia and Ansaldo, PwC TLS and Pierfrancesco Bencivenga; Deloitte, Marco Rovello of FMR and PwC acted as financial advisors.
