IPG sells R/GA to private equity firm Truelink Capital

New Delhi: Interpublic Group announced the sale of R/GA, its creative innovation company, to Truelink Capital, a private equity firm. 

R/GA, founded in 1977 by Robert Greenberg as a trailblazing digital design and innovation firm, has long been a cornerstone of IPG’s creative offerings. With this announcement, R/GA has once again turned independent after 23 years.

R/GA has served high-profile clients such as Nike, Google, and Samsung.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. However, news reports quoting sources suggest the deal values R/GA in the range of $200 million to $300 million.

The sale comes at a pivotal moment for IPG, which is navigating its merger with Omnicom, announced late last year and currently under review by regulators, including India’s Competition Commission. 

Industry observers speculate that shedding R/GA could ease regulatory concerns by reducing overlap in creative services once the Omnicom deal closes, expected in late 2025. 

Meanwhile, R/GA’s 1,200 employees across its global offices in New York, London, and Singapore will transition under Truelink’s ownership, with current CEO Sean Lyons continuing to lead the agency.

R/GA's Global CEO Robin Forbes and Chair & Global Chief Creative Officer Tiffany Rolfe are two of the global leaders, together with others, who are investing in the company as part of the deal. 

R/GA's next chapter will be fueled out of the gate by a $50M Innovation Fund, enabling the company to invest in new skillsets and talent, and acquire new capabilities, emerging tools and platforms. 

Additionally, R/GA has established a Strategic Advisory Council of senior marketing and technology executives to support emerging AI client transformation opportunities across multiple sectors.

“This strategic move allows Interpublic to further sharpen our focus on our core strategic offerings,” said Philippe Krakowsky, Chief Executive Officer of Interpublic Group. “We wish all the great people at R/GA the best of luck going forward.”

"Today is a landmark moment for R/GA, as we enter an exciting new chapter as a private company supported by our new partners at Truelink Capital. This announcement also signals a stark contrast to a wider trend towards consolidation in the agency business. Most agencies will struggle to make the pivot in this new age, especially at a time when they're operating within complex agency structures, saddled with legacy business models," said Robin Forbes, Global CEO R/GA. "There's never been a better time and there is no better company than R/GA to implement a new model for this new environment."

"At R/GA, change is a feature, not a bug, and we believe in the power of brands to transform—which is what we do for clients, and now we're doing it for ourselves," said Tiffany Rolfe, Chair and Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA. "The dominant industry narrative around AI has focused largely on efficiency gains in the traditional marketing approach, which is only part of the equation. We are leaning into the creative potential to help brands differentiate themselves and exceed rising customer expectations through new kinds of intelligent experiences that haven't been possible before. To us, it's an opportunity to accelerate our world-class creative work through technology and design."

"We see the growth of AI-enabled experiences playing an increasingly important role in unlocking value in marketing services," said Luke Myers, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Truelink Capital. "R/GA is both designed and perfectly positioned to help seize that new opportunity for clients. Which is why we're so excited to back R/GA's global leadership team through our strategic investment."