WASHINGTON, D.C., March 21, 2023— Today, Penta announced the acquisition of Copperfield Advisory, a communications, brand, and strategy consulting firm that serves leading institutions in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. This acquisition will further expand Penta’s position as the world’s first comprehensive stakeholder solutions firm, combining analytics and research with deep expertise to drive measurable impact for clients. Copperfield’s client service has centered on founder-led and owner-run institutions. The team hails from a diverse range of professional backgrounds, and brings expertise in disciplines including brand positioning, transaction communications, talent strategy, and crisis preparedness to Penta’s strategy offerings.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Copperfield team to Penta,” said Penta President Matt McDonald. “Their extensive work on reputation management, especially in complex situations, is a great complement to Penta’s capabilities. The team at Copperfield is distinctive in their work and will be a tremendous asset to our clients.” Andy Whitehouse, Copperfield’s founder and managing partner, was previously the chief communications officer at IBM, Willis Towers Watson, and McKinsey & Company. “At Copperfield, we believe that a thoughtful approach to brand and reputation can be transformative for any organization, and that crafting the right institutional narrative is critical to success,” said Whitehouse. “We are very proud of the work we have done with our clients over the past six years and are so excited to bring our experience and expertise to the global Penta team.”
Whitehouse will serve as a senior partner at Penta and managing partner of the firm’s New York strategy practice. Jim McCann, chairman of Copperfield Advisory, founder and executive chairman of 1-800-Flowers.com, and founder of Clarim Holdings, said: “This is a perfect next step for the Copperfield team. It has been a huge pleasure helping them build a great firm that works on critical issues for clients. I look forward to seeing the team go from strength to strength as part of Penta.” Penta comprises over 350 professionals located across New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Vail, London, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore, working to bring data-driven, strategic solutions to hundreds of clients across the globe. To learn more about Penta’s offerings, please visit pentagroup.co.
About Penta
Penta was established in September 2022 following the merger of market-leading firms Ballast Research, Hamilton Place Strategies, Flag Media Analytics, alva, Gotham Research Group, Decode_M and Hume Brophy. Following this latest acquisition, Penta will now comprise more than 350 professionals located across New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Vail, London, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Penta is backed by a majority investment of Falfurrias Capital Partners, the Charlotte-based private equity investment firm founded in 2006 by Hugh McColl, Jr., former Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, and Marc Oken, former CFO of Bank of America. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Penta provides data-driven solutions for stakeholder strategy and engagement. We combine analytics and research with deep expertise to deliver actionable insights, “best practice” solutions, and drive measurable impact for our clients. We work with our clients to define, inform, and strengthen decision-making and understanding between businesses and their stakeholders. To learn more about Penta, visit pentagroup.co.
About Copperfield Advisory
Founded in 2017, Copperfield Advisory is a boutique communications, brand, and strategy consulting firm based in New York City. The firm believes that the most significant challenges and the greatest opportunities facing organizations can be tackled using the power of brand, reputation, marketing, and communications. It helps businesses and non-profit organizations to craft the right narrative and to engage their constituents, managing moments of upside and of adversity. To learn more, visit copperfield.nyc
