Investment

YFM Equity Partners (YFM) is backing the management buyout of specialist foodservice marketing agency Omne.

YFM’s £8.7m MBO investment will help Omne to enhance its team of sector and discipline experts to pursue further growth through new customer wins.

The MBO is being led by incumbent Omne CEO, Michael Gividen, who said: “Following a period of really exciting growth, YFM is propelling the next phase of our company’s journey.

“With their financial and strategic support, we can harness our unrivalled expertise in the food, beverage and hospitality markets to build long-term strategic and creative partnerships with new clients, in the UK and internationally.”

Headquartered in Bedfordshire, Omne has developed a global client base since its founding in 2001, servicing major names such as Unilever, McCain and Arla.

The full-service B2B agency provides a range of marketing solutions, including end-to-end strategic consulting, insight and trend forecasting, brand campaigns, ABM demand generation, specialist trade communications and an award-winning incentive/rewards software solution.

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David Wrench, partner at YFM added: “Omne is an impressive business and excellent investment prospect. We are excited to be backing an incumbent management team that is well embedded within its niche and at the helm of a high-calibre, high-profile agency.

“With YFM’s backing the Omne team can accelerate growth plans for the business, support its highly-skilled team and build the capacity needed to pursue more prestigious client wins.”

The YFM team included: David Wrench, Zach Francis and Jamie Roberts.

Advisers on the deal included: Birketts (Legal), HMT (Buyside Advice), James Cowper Kreston (Financial and Tax DD and Tax Structuring), Plural (Commercial DD), Grant Thornton (Technology DD), Confidas (Organisational DD) and Lockton (Insurance DD).