Maja Pawinska Sims 25 Jan 2024 // 11:40AM GMT
LONDON — Marketing services and technology growth and M&A advisory firm Waypoint has appointed Alex MacLaverty as a managing drector.
MacLaverty joins after nearly five years as chief operating officer of Clarity, taking the business from revenues of $5 million to $19 million and completing seven acquisitions worldwide across the PR, public affairs, corporate comms, SEO and design spaces. She left the agency in September last year.
Before that, MacLaverty spent 15 years at technology specialist Hotwire, first building its UK business to revenues of £7 million as MD, before taking on the role of global COO and leader of its European and APAC businesses. As Hotwire COO, she was part of the leadership team involved in the acquisition and integration of US agency Eastwick in 2016.
In her new role at 25-strong Waypoint, MacLaverty’s remit it to support agency leaders and owners to achieve their business growth and exit ambitions. The firm worked with more than 50 agencies last year, and its recent deals include advising on the September 2022 acquisition of UK strategic comms agency Lexington by US creative agency group Kyu Collective.
Waypoint partner Phil Gripton said: “To deliver on our ambition of supporting businesses to grow and reach their full potential, it’s vital that we have people on our team who have a deep understanding of the sectors where we operate and the people and companies within them. It’s important that they know what “great” looks like across every aspect of building and running an agency.
“Alex has been there, done that. She has driven growth at ambitious agencies ensuring commercial success, and therefore understands exactly what’s involved and what the pitfalls are along the way. And having done M&A in her prior roles she also knows what it takes to both make a perfect acquisition and engineer a valuable exit. Her broad experience means she’s brilliantly placed to enhance the quality of advice we offer to our clients.”
MacLaverty added: “After working in such fast-growing agencies and really enjoying the M&A side of things too, now feels like the perfect time to help other businesses achieve their goals via consultancy that comes from my time spent at the coalface.
“I love working with founders and boards to make a tangible difference – and Waypoint works with some of the most exciting agencies around. There are so many challenges you face trying to grow and exit an agency and so many opportunities to consider - so I’m delighted to be able to put my experience to good use for our clients.”