Mary Killingworth, the founder and Managing Director of creative communications agency brandnation, has sold her majority stake in the business to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
The newly formed EOT will gain a controlling stake of 75%. The remaining 25% stake will be retained by Killingworth alongside minority stakeholders, Deputy Managing Director Eva Ringwood, and Creative Director Joe Murgatroyd.
Under the new ownership model, Killingworth, Ringwood and Murgatroyd will continue to guide the agency’s strategic vision in collaboration with newly appointed EOT employee representatives and an independent trustee.
The decision marks a significant milestone in the company’s history that spans two decades, reflecting a commitment to employee empowerment, long-term stability, and collaborative growth.
Employees who have been with the agency for over 12 months are now eligible for profit-sharing including part-tax-free bonuses based on an employee’s seniority, salary and tenure with the agency.
Killingworth says: “Over the last twenty years brandnation has proudly built a reputation for delivering a flawless client experience and has an impressive track record of long-term client retention – a result of fostering collaborative relationships and delivering on our word.
“Whilst this remains a constant, brandnation has evolved to become a creative, dynamic, and future-focused agency that’s underpinned by our Creativity. Multiplied. philosophy – one that harnesses creativity and service integration to deliver measurable brand impact for our clients.
“The EOT is a natural next step in the brandnation journey, one that reflects our values as a business, empowers our talented team, and lays the foundations for an even brighter future at a time when the agency is focused on ambitious growth plans.
“We’re actively recruiting to bolster our boardroom with our sights set on senior hires across social, strategy and content to help us realise our ambitions and share in the team’s success. Watch this space.”
The move follows the agency recently recruiting industry veteran Andrew Bloch as a Non-Executive Director to support the executive leadership team in delivering future growth across PR, influencer marketing, digital and social media.
Brandnation has 30 staff and a client roster that includes the UIM E1 World Championship, Columbia Sportswear, Bellissima Italia and OnTheMarket.
