‘We’re focused on property, healthcare and financial services, and we’re very selective, but our rivals have a far more scattergun approach to acquisitions,’ explains former Savills and de Beers marketing sage – and motorcycle enthusiast – Charles Phillpot, chief executive of marketing and advertising agency Adventis, which he spun out of Savills to float on AIM in 2004.

Phillpot’s astute takeover selection recently prompted backer Oceanwood Capital Management to present him with a reported blank cheque – as part of a £1 million investment into the business alongside UBS and Morgan Stanley – with which to complete further deals.

Adventis, parent to Adventis Financial PR, enjoyed a record 2006 with pre-tax profits powering ahead by 75 per cent to £1.8 million on billings lifted more than 60 per cent to £35.5 million, with the important pre-tax profit margin rising by 24 per cent to 21 per cent.
Growth arose both organically and through the acquisition of businesses such as healthcare agency Roundhouse Advertising and financial services media buyer Adventis Coltman. While Phillpot reckons larger quoted consolidators have snapped up all and sundry, he prefers to ‘kiss plenty of frogs’ before sealing the deal.

Phillpot kickstarted his career in marketing with J Walter Thompson before moving to Ogilvy & Mather, and is a previous regional marketing director for jewellery giant de Beers in the Japanese and European markets.