ICM Partners has acquired Stellar Group, the London based sports agency, creating ICM Stellar Sports, a division of ICM Partners, Chris Silbermann, CEO of ICM Partners and Jonathan Barnett, Chairman of Stellar Group, announced on Thursday.
Jonathan Barnett has signed a long-term contract with ICM and will become Executive Chairman of ICM Stellar Sports, Silberman also announced. David Manasseh, co-founder of Stellar Group, has signed a long-term contract with ICM and will become Executive Chairman of ICM Stellar Sports with Barnett.
Barnett and Manasseh will run the day to day operations of the sports agency.
Silbermann also named ICM Partners Managing Director Ted Chervin Chairman of ICM Stellar Sports, where he will add oversight of the ICM Sports business to his wide-ranging purview at ICM with a mandate to build it, especially in North America.
Jonathan Perelman, who has previously overseen ICM’s Digital Department and Speakers Bureau, will become President, ICM Stellar Sports, with a focus on integrating the strengths of the agencies to maximize the crossover benefits for all clients. Longtime Stellar Group agent Joshua Barnett will become Managing Director of ICM Stellar Sports. All Stellar Group employees will join ICM Stellar Sports and continue to operate the agency as before.
Stellar Group was founded by Jonathan Barnett and David Manasseh in 1992, and today it represents a full spectrum of athletes from emerging players to International superstars. The agency has over 130 employees and offices in 10 countries worldwide including the UK and United States.
The acquisition of Stellar Group is the third deal this year for ICM Partners in Europe, having partnered with London based music agency Primary Talent International in March, then in September partnering with Albatros, the burgeoning European Lit agency based in Stockholm. Last December ICM announced an investment from Crestview Partners in which they announced the agency’s intention to use the capital to fund an aggressive growth strategy with an emphasis on International growth.
Stellar Group shareholders were advised by Chris Treneman and Omar Ismail at Investec Bank Plc.
