Dentsu Aegis strengthens sports marketing offering in France with acquisition of Keneo

Dentsu Aegis Network today announces the acquisition of Keneo, a leading French sports marketing agency. Keneo will be fully integrated into Dentsu Aegis Network’s lifestyle marketing agency MKTG, further strengthening the brand and the network’s sports consulting and marketing offering.

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Paris, Keneo provides a complete service offering from strategic consulting to execution, both in France and internationally. With a strong team of 30 sports marketing experts, the agency serves a large variety of professional clubs and organising committees, including the French Football Federation, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024, Paris Saint-Germain and the National Rugby League, among others.

Following the acquisition, Edouard Donnelly, Chairman of Keneo, and Franck Ladouce, CEO of Keneo, will continue to lead their successful team, becoming CEO and Deputy CEO of MKTG France respectively. Both will report to Thierry Jadot, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network France, Benelux and MENA, and work directly with Charlie Horsey, Global Brand President of MKTG, on integration, collaboration and business development.

Thierry Jadot, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network France, Benelux and MENA, commented: "Keneo complements and strengthens an area of expertise already present in Dentsu Aegis Network’s DNA. This is a fantastic opportunity to project ourselves with even greater strength and speed into the sports marketing and communication sector with an agency that has become a reference in the field. The addition of Edouard and Franck to the Board of MKTG is an important asset for our network, and together we will be able to deliver a wide range of sport and entertainment campaigns and enable greater collaboration within our regions."

Charlie Horsey, US CEO and Global Brand President MKTG, said: “Providing innovative, insight-driven sports marketing and consulting services to our clients is a huge priority at MKTG and we are thrilled to welcome the Keneo team in France to the MKTG family. Having the ability to leverage and collaborate with our global network of experts and resources will benefit not only everyone at MKTG, but our clients and our partners across the Dentsu Aegis Network as well. We look forward to working with Edouard and Franck and their entire team to achieve great things across France and around the globe.”

Edouard Donnelly, CEO of MKTG France said: "I am delighted to be joining MKTG and Dentsu Aegis Network. It was an obvious step for us to join an impressive network that shares our values and commitment to being at the forefront of sports marketing and we are delighted to join forces”.

Franck Ladouce, Deputy CEO of MKTG France, added: "We are particularly proud to join a group which is renowned for its innovation and creativity. This partnership represents many new opportunities for our people and our clients, combining the expertise of our teams with the strength and know-how of the group's international network.''

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For further information contact:

Sylvain Moulene
Director, Corporate Communications
Dentsu Aegis Network France 
T: +33 (0)1 41 16 17 80
E: sylvain.moulene@dentsuaegis.com

Stephanie Rudnick
Global Brand Communications Director
MKTG
T: +1 212-366-3400
E: srudnick@mktg.com

Notes to Editors:

About Dentsu Aegis Network

Part of Dentsu Inc., Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of ten global network brands - Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands. Dentsu Aegis Network is Innovating the Way Brands Are Built for its clients through its best-in-class expertise and capabilities in media, digital and creative communications services. Offering a distinctive and innovative range of products and services, Dentsu Aegis Network is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with around 35,000 dedicated specialists. 

About MKTG

MKTG, part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, is a global lifestyle marketing agency that specialises in delivering strategic, business-oriented marketing solutions for leading brands via sport and entertainment, live experiences, retail marketing, enterprise/B2B engagement and sponsorship marketing. We are committed to constantly evolving, refining and inventing innovative brand engagements through deeper understanding of how people think, work and live their lives. Headquartered in New York City, we have 1,450 employees and 7,000 Brand Ambassadors operating in 19 countries across the Americas, EMEA and APAC. Visit http://www.mktg.com for more information.