WASHINGTON — Public affairs powerhouse SKDK has acquired Jasper Advisors, bolstering the Stagwell-owned firm’s C-suite advisory services.

Jasper will operate as an independent subsidiary of SKDK under the watch of founders and co-CEOs Julie Andreeff Jensen and David Sutphen, who will continue to worth with their roster of business and sports clients. The four-person firm will keep its name.

Jensen and Sutphen launched Jasper last September, bringing years of in-house and agency experience to the venture.

Prior to founding Jasper, Jensen was senior VP of external affairs & communications at the Washington Football Team and Citadel, where she built the corporate affairs function and oversaw the firm’s reputation, philanthropic, and brand strategy. She joined Citadel from Brunswick where she was a partner.

Sutphen had spent the previous five years as chief communications & engagement officer at digital education company 2U. He led Brunswick’s Washington office and was Viacom’s senior VP of government relations before that.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jasper Advisors to the SKDK family. I have known both Julie and David for nearly 20 years and they are two of the most talented and respected reputation strategists in the business,” said SKDK CEO Doug Thornell. “By joining forces with Jasper we can offer clients an unmatched and even deeper level of senior strategic counsel, breadth of experience, and diversity of executive talent, further strengthening our industry leading capabilities. Our shared values and commitment to working for clients on issues that matter in the world also make this partnership a perfect match for SKDK.”

SKDK’s Jasper acquisition comes roughly three years after its most recent round of agency purchases. In February 2020, SKDK acquired corporate and financial specialist Sloane & Company (the first acquisition in the agency’s history), which merged two groups led by Mark Penn. Two months later, SKDK expanded its digital offering with the acquisition of Washington independent Seward Square Strategies.