For 48 years, we have built our reputation on providing clients with the trusted counsel and the bold thinking that help shape businesses, communities and culture. We value a diversity of experiences and thinking in solutions required to connect and engage audiences. This “best team” approach of discipline and sector experts continues to put us at the centre of issues and industries, leading change for today and tomorrow.
Our entrepreneurial spirit and long-term vision have allowed us to assemble, first in Canada, and then in the U.S., in Europe and in the Middle East, a team of extraordinary people who are building a company that reflects their aspirations—and that puts its people and its clients at the heart of any decision that matters.
NATIONAL Public Relations, Montreal office
1976
NATIONAL Public Relations is founded by Luc Beauregard in Montreal on September 22
1986
Toronto office opens
1987
Quebec City office opens
1988
Ottawa office opens
1995
NATIONAL Public Relations acquires the Canadian operations of Burson-Marsteller across the country, including an office in Vancouver and the Canadian activities of Cohn & Wolfe, two subsidiaries of Y&R. Y&R becomes a minority owner of NATIONAL Public Relations
1997
NATIONAL enters the Calgary market
2000
WPP Group acquires Y&R and becomes a minority shareholder in NATIONAL-Canada (now called RES PUBLICA)
2001
NATIONAL enters the Vancouver market
2003
London, U.K. office opens under the name AXON Communications
2005
NATIONAL acquires Communication et Stratégie, which is merged into the Montreal office
NATIONAL extends its network coast to coast and acquires an interest in Halifax-based MT&L Public Relations
2006
NATIONAL celebrates its 30th anniversary and is proclaimed “Public Relations Firm of the Year” by Marketing magazine
2007
The holding and management company NATIONAL-Canada changes its name to RES PUBLICA Consulting Group Inc.
NATIONAL acquires Communication Incorporated of Calgary
2008
NATIONAL opens an office in Saint John, New Brunswick
2009
NATIONAL is recognized with a SABRE Award by The Holmes Report as Canadian Public Relations Agency of the Year
2010
AXON Communications opens an office in New York
2011
NATIONAL celebrates its 35th anniversary
2012
The Firm opens and office in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and a satellite office in Copenhagen
2013
NATIONAL acquires Madano Partnership, a strategic communications consultancy firm in London, U.K.
2015
NATIONAL acquires TMX Equicom, which becomes NATIONAL Equicom
2016
NATIONAL celebrates its 40th anniversary
AXON Communications opens an office in Denmark and Switzerland
NATIONAL acquires SHIFT Communications with offices in Boston, San Francisco, New York and Austin
Cohn & Wolfe | Montreal joins NATIONAL’s Montreal office
2017
The holding company AVENIR GLOBAL is created. It owns 100% of 5 operating companies at its inception (NATIONAL, NATIONAL Equicom, AXON, Madano and SHIFT)
2018
NATIONAL acquires Octane Strategies, which is merged into the Montreal and Ottawa offices
AVENIR GLOBAL acquires Padilla, including FoodMinds, Joe Smith and SMS Research Advisors, with offices in Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Richmond, Washington D.C. and San Francisco
AVENIR GLOBAL acquires London-based Cherry
NATIONAL Equicom becomes NATIONAL Capital Markets
2019
AVENIR GLOBAL acquires Hanover, with offices in London, Brussels, Dublin, Dubai and Abu Dhabi
2022
AVENIR GLOBAL repurchases WPP’s minority ownership and Cohn & Wolfe | Canada joins NATIONAL’s Toronto office
2023
AVENIR GLOBAL acquires Time & Space, a leading media agency headquartered in Halifax
CDPQ becomes a minority investor in AVENIR GLOBAL