Former Weber Shandwick MD Ava Lawler launches holding company and consulting firm
Ava Lawler, the former managing director of Weber Shandwick Australia, has launched a new consultancy and holding company called The Possibility Partnership, Mumbrella can reveal.
Lawler has opened the holding company with three other founders including the former MD of Publicis Mojo Tim Parker, Publicis Sapient’s chief financial officer Andy Bigham and HR executive Gabrielle Tourelle.
The Possibility Partnership team: Parker, Brooks, Tourelle, Bigham and Lawler
In their new roles, Parker is the chairman, Lawler the CEO, Bigham assumes the role of business and finance partner while Tourelle joins as people and culture partner.
The Possibility Partnership will work with enterprises, not-for-profits and agencies.
Before officially launching, the company has already bagged clients including Brave Agencies, Filtered Media and the Immunisation Coalition.
The hybrid consultancy and holding company will take equity in a selected group of the agencies it works with.
Parker told Mumbrella its equity partnerships offering isn’t intended to be “an exit strategy” for agencies and their owners.
Instead, the equity offering aims to help agencies boost their business performance and provides them with a community which will help alleviate the loneliness and frustration agency owners and leaders often experience.
For other businesses, the agency offers consultancy services including strategy planning, content, training, mentoring and business development plans.
The Possibility Partnership will also provide business and communications consulting and coaching to CEOs, marketing teams and agency owners.
“The marketing discipline has been weakened by shrinking resources, intensifying media complexity and broadening responsibilities,” Parker said.
“Burnout is rife and it’s dampening our creative spirit. This not only weakens executive influence but cripples our coaching capabilities and ability to support the next wave of great talent.”
Lawler was most recently the MD at Weber Shandwick
Lawler, Parker, Bigham and Tourelle launched the agency with the intention of providing support for managers and talent and giving marketing a stronger voice in the boardroom.
CEO of The Possibility Partnership, Lawler said with the business’ finance, communications and creative expertise it will deliver clients’ business outcomes through executive coaching.
“We think a consultative and nimble partnership like ours can support industry growth, demonstrate the power of storytelling as a force for good and also show that a people-centric approach builds both health and wealth.
“The banking royal commission has shown us how far people have strayed from the path of purpose-led communications, and we will be part of a new business solution that delivers results and less complexity.”
Lawler departed Weber Shandwick in July after five years as its national MD.
Prior to her stint at Weber Shandwick, Lawler was the global consultancy director at Text 100 for four years.
The company has also already made its first hire, appointing Alex Brooks as head of content.
Brooks joins the business from her previous role as the managing editor for consumer group Choice.
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A very talented team with such a different offering. Congratulations and look forward to watching The Possibility Partnership take off.
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A perfect blend of smarts and hearts – just what business leaders need help to focus on right now. Congratulations to the Possibility Partnership crew.
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If it is a holding company, who is financing their acquisition plays?
Or self funded out of their EBIT?
Genuinely curious… sounds like an interesting offering, not dissimilar to MDC Partners when it first came out.
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