Penta expands strategy practice and New York office with the acquisition of Copperfield Advisory

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 firm’s 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 reputation strategy offerings.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Copperfield team to Penta,” said Penta President Matt McDonald. “Their deep work on reputation management and complex situations are a great complement to Penta’s strategy offerings. The team at Copperfield is distinctive in their work and will be a tremendous asset to Penta’s clients.”

Andy Whitehouse, Copperfield’s founder and managing partner, was previously the most senior communications professional at IBM, Willis Group, 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.”

Copperfield Advisory chairman Jim McCann, 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.” 

Whitehouse will serve as a Senior Partner at Penta and Managing Partner of the firm’s New York strategy practice.