ATREVIA, a global Communication and Corporate Affairs company, has launched a Strategic Plan that will chart the company’s expansion route until 2028. It involves organizational changes at the highest level that delve into the path of best practices and the implementation of ‘ESG’ commitments, as well as reinforcing the Group’s global orientation.
Thus, Asunción Soriano, President of ATREVIA Spain, also takes on the position of Global CEO to work alongside the company’s Executive President and founder, Núria Vilanova, in the implementation of the Strategic Plan. Soriano is responsible for the specific task of guiding the multinational Communication and Corporate Affairs company towards achieving the challenges set forth in the plan, which includes both organic and inorganic growth. Meanwhile, Nuria Vilanova as President will oversee strategy and positioning, corporate culture, and the development of new business.
The new Global CEO of ATREVIA, who joined the Company in 1996, has led the business in Spain in recent years and held the global vice presidency of Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs, and Culture and People. She holds a degree in Information Sciences, a Master’s in Corporate Communication from the Complutense University, PLGP, and PDG from IESE Business School (2020). Soriano co-directs the Observatory of Internal Communication and Corporate Culture – with the Institute of Business and Human Capital (WK) – and is a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of Adigital, the Executive Committee of the Spanish Network of the Global Compact (United Nations), the Advisory Board of the Seres Foundation, the board of trustees of the Más Familia Foundation, and the Women in Leadership Committee of the American Chamber /AmCham Spain. She also co-authors the annual report “Women on Boards of Directors and Management Committees in Spanish listed companies”, which ATREVIA has been producing with IESE (Women and Leadership Chair) since 2010. She is a co-author of the books “Communicating for Transformation” (LID/IE, 2014) and “From Zeta to Silver” (Plataforma Editorial, 2021).
A Reinforced Management Committee
The new Strategic Plan also includes strengthening the Company’s Management Committee. Thus, Antonio Fernández-Galiano adds to his position as Chairman of the Advisory Board the role of Vice President of Strategic Projects; Vice President Isabel Lara will be responsible for the Global Brand & Experience division, the creative agency La Luna, and the strategic supervision of ATREVIA Portugal; Isabel Grifoll, Vice President and Director of the Barcelona office, will assume supervision from the Management Committee of the Global Health practice. Fernando Claver will be Vice President M&A, and Caridad Saboya, the current Chief Financial Officer, becomes Global Corporate Vice President, working closely in the structural area with the HR, Marketing and Communication, and Digital Transformation, Data, and AI departments, led by Fernando Galvache, which acquires a vital role in growth plans in a moment of utmost importance of technology.
A Notable Development: Daniela Agra‘s recent appointment as Country Manager at ATREVIA Portugal. The Company has vice presidencies in Latin America in the Andean Region & Brazil, South America, and Mexico, as well as an office in Brussels.
The consultancy also has a Strategic Advisory Board formed by Ignacio Ferrero, Juan Miguel Sucunza, and Javier Vega de Seoane, under the presidency of Antonio Fernández-Galiano.
Transformation to face new challenges
Núria Vilanova, Global Executive President of ATREVIA, sees this new stage as a great opportunity that will benefit customers, always at the center of any strategy. “After 35 years as president and CEO, we take this step that separates ownership from management of the company. This will allow me to focus on my three great passions: strategy, ‘blue oceans’, culture, and anticipation. Another important focus is the CEAPI project – Ibero-American Business Council Alliance – which, as president, allows me to promote the growth of Ibero-America through entrepreneurship, social impact values, and dialogue with politicians and institutions.”
For her part, Asunción Soriano, Global CEO of ATREVIA, points out the main objective of this new stage as “growing and consolidating ATREVIA as an innovative international consultancy and a benchmark in Communication, Public Affairs, Strategic Positioning, and Marketing, helping our clients in environments of opportunities and complexity. From listening and deep knowledge of geopolitical or social environments to design the best strategies, creativity in messages and formats, and of course, technology and digitalization as facilitators of segmentation and impact. At the core of everything, the formidable team of 600 professionals at ATREVIA: talent, diversity, values, and the genuine culture of commitment to the objectives of our clients, which has characterized us from the beginning.”
A year of inorganic growth in 2023
The company closed the past year 2023 with a turnover of 43.8 million euros, 25.1% more than the previous year, when it billed 35 million. It ended the 2023 financial year with an Ebit of 4.08 million euros. The Spanish multinational is one of the only two communication consultancies in Spain that appear in the ‘top 100’ of the largest global agencies (Global PR Agency Ranking PRovoke Media), improving its position compared to previous years.
In the ambitious Strategic Plan, ATREVIA expects to increase the group’s turnover to around 100 million euros by 2028. For the current year 2024, ATREVIA expects to achieve a turnover of 50 million euros.
Throughout the past year, the company gave renewed impetus to its inorganic growth strategy announced in 2022, which includes an initial investment of 10 million euros for the purchase of companies that reinforce or complement its services. Specifically, during 2023, three operations were closed: the acquisitions of Microbio Gentleman, Nueva Comunicación Uruguay, and the Coche Global brand.
With Microbio Gentleman, which has a strong presence in the health sector, ATREVIA particularly strengthens its expertise in Pharma. Among Microbio Gentleman‘s clients are Uriach, PortAventura World, Laboratorios Stada, Danone, Munich, Jean Leon, Grupo Planeta, or Marea.
On the other hand, ATREVIA‘s Mobility division, Grupo Mobilitas, added a new brand, ‘Coche Global’, to those acquired in 2022, ‘Autofácil’ and ‘FórmulaMoto’. With this addition, the practice is strengthened by cross-linking communicative channels that reach three million people with the knowledge of the areas of Sustainability, Public Affairs, Market Research, Creativity, Social Mobilization, and Community Creation of the Company.
Sources in Latin America
In Latin America, ATREVIA closed the acquisition of Nueva Comunicación Uruguay in 2023, a leading corporate communication and Public Affairs agency in the country. This operation allows ATREVIA to expand its presence and broaden its range of communication services in the region, already operating directly in 12 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic.
Nueva Comunicación by ATREVIA, as it is now called, provides strategic advice and comprehensive solutions in communication, PR, influencer marketing, marketing, and corporate affairs management. It has worked for Movistar-Telefónica, BBVA, Globant, Diageo, Tres Cruces, Grupo TATA, Este Arte, Honors, La Buonora, Alcance, BAS, Ibope, Prune, Zadig & Voltaire, and Alsea, among others.
The purchase in Uruguay represents the company’s second acquisition in Latin America in a short time. In 2022, ATREVIA acquired Apple Tree’s digital business in Colombia.
More acquisitions during 2024
ATREVIA has finalized a new acquisition in January 2024, that of Ulises Comunicación, a company with a great track record in Internal Communication, Employer Branding, and CSR. Among its clients are Microsoft, 3M, Mahou, Telpark, Banco de España, Ikea, Makro, Banco Santander, Wolters Kluwer, Farlabo, Anaya, Naturgy, RGA, Generali…
ATREVIA does not rule out new operations. Its focus is currently on continuing to grow in Latin America and also in Portugal, where ATREVIA celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
BCorp company and recognized by Ecovadis
ATREVIA joined the BCorp community in 2023, certifying all its offices worldwide, overcoming a rigorous evaluation process. Another milestone was the silver medal awarded to ATREVIA by Ecovadis, the largest provider of international sustainability certifications.
Also in 2023, the Company became part of the Management Committee of the Global Compact, an alliance to which it joined many years ago, with the Spanish Network joining as a member of the Executive Committee.
