Instinctif Partners MENA acquired by Italian corporate affairs advisory Excellera

The MENA business of Instinctif Partners, which has around 60 staff, has been acquired by Excellera, an Italian corporate affairs advisory group.

London-headquartered Instinctif Partners is a corporate and financial communications consultancy founded in 2007. Around 2013, the firm expanded into the Middle East, where it managed to establish itself as a leader player in its field of expertise. The business currently has around 60 staff working from offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

Now, the MENA arm of Instinctif Partners has confirmed it will join Excellera, which has around 300 professionals across offices in Italy (4) as well as in Brussels, London, Berlin, Munich, Paris, Madrid, and New York.

For Instinctif Partners, the divestment is part of its strategy to “focus on our core business and in our core markets” said London-based CEO Julian Walker, while for the MENA business, the cross is part of its ambition to drive its “next stage of growth” said Samantha Bartel, CEO of MENA.

“It has been an amazing 12 years since we established in MENA and I’d like to thank all colleagues for their hard work and dedication and clients for their loyalty, who have made it so special over the years. We are delighted to be joining Excellera Advisory Group for the next stage of our growth journey and look forward to continue to build our value proposition and client network.”

IP Excellera

As part of the deal, terms of which have not been disclosed, Instinctif Partners MENA will rebrand as IP Excellera, offering services such as strategic communications, capital markets and investor relations, corporate reporting, and sustainability.

Paolo Zanetto, CEO of Excellera, commented: “The launch of IP Excellera is another important step in our international development strategy. In an increasingly interconnected world, the EMEA region has become a natural arena for those, like us, who provide strategic advice on complex and global issues. With this deal, we are enhancing our presence in a key market for global finance and business.”

Private equity backed

Excellera was established in 2022 when two Italian brands, Cattaneo Zanetto & Co and Community, joined forces with the backing of Xenon Private Equity. Under the wings of the investor, Excellera grew from its then headcount of 140 professionals in just two countries to its current footprint more than double the size.

Gianfranco Piras, Chairman of Excellera and Partner at Xenon Private Equity, said: “At Xenon, we have believed from the very beginning in the creation of a strong, competitive group capable of establishing itself as a leading player in the corporate affairs sector and serving as a platform for further aggregation. Entering the MENA region strengthens Excellera’s platform and broadens its scope, laying the foundations for long-term growth.”