AVENIR GLOBAL, the Montreal-based holding and management company, has today announced that Michael Evans has been promoted to President and Managing Partner of Cherry, the award-winning healthcare communications agency. Evans will be taking over from John Goundry – Cherry’s founder before the business was sold to AVENIR GLOBAL in 2018 – who is retiring. Evans is currently Managing Partner of strategic communications firm, Madano, a role he will continue to fulfil.
AVENIR GLOBAL has 1,000 staff and operates in eight countries. Alongside Cherry and Madano, AVENIR GLOBAL also owns Hanover, who they bought in 2019, NATIONAL and Time & Space, located in Canada, as well as Padilla and SHIFT in the United States and AXON Communications, located in Europe and North America.
In his new role, Evans, will oversee both Cherry and continue in his role at Madano. The two businesses will have a combined turnover of £22m and approximately 160 people, mainly located in London. Both businesses will continue to operate separately from its headquarters in London, with the aim of bringing together deeper collaboration between the two businesses.
Speaking about his appointment, Evans said:
“The opportunity to lead Cherry is amazing, and I am delighted to be joining a business that has had stellar growth and success over the past few years. I can’t wait to help steer the business to the next level of growth. With Cherry’s creative expertise and Madano’s expertise in broader healthcare, this brings together two leaders in their field to really deliver something very innovative for our clients.”
Jean-Pierre Vasseur, President and CEO of AVENIR GLOBAL said:
“Michael has been leading Madano for almost ten years and built it up to be one of the top communication consultancies in the U.K. His leadership qualities are close to AVENIR GLOBAL’s values, which made him an ideal and logical candidate to take over as the leader of Cherry. His energy, drive, and focus on culture will bring great strengths to Cherry as well as continuing his work with Madano.”
Evans will start the new role with immediate effect and Goundry will retire at the end of April.
About AVENIR GLOBAL
AVENIR GLOBAL is a Montreal-based holding and management company with an active operations mindset and a hands-on approach to all its investments. A global powerhouse of specialist communications firms, AVENIR GLOBAL has 1,000 staff and offices in 23 locations across Canada, the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, and ranks among the top 25 largest communication firms in the world.
In Canada, AVENIR GLOBAL owns NATIONAL Public Relations, the country’s leading public relations firm, servicing clients across a wide range of sectors, and Time & Space, a leading insights, media strategy, and execution agency. In the United States, AVENIR GLOBAL owns SHIFT Communications, a data-driven integrated communications agency; and the public relations and communication company Padilla, which includes the brand consultancy Joe Smith and the food and nutrition experts at FoodMinds. In Europe, AVENIR GLOBAL owns the London-based strategic communications consultancy Madano and Hanover, one of the leading strategic communications and public affairs consultancies in Europe and the Middle East, with offices in London, Brussels, Dublin, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. The AVENIR GLOBAL network also includes healthcare specialists AXON, with offices in Toronto, the U.S., the U.K. and Europe and healthcare creative agency Cherry, based in London.