Profero acquired by Interpublic Group

Lowe and Partners, a creative unit of Interpublic Group, has swallowed up the once fiercely independent digital agency Profero.Launched by brothers Wayne and Daryl Arnold in 1998, the agency has been building a strong presence in Asia for more than a year, shifting its global CEO role to Singapore, reopening a Hong Kong office and striking key partnerships in Japan.Under the new deal all offices in the Profero network will be renamed Lowe Profero and integrated into the Lowe and Partners network, serving as its global digital offering.The current management team from Profero will lead the Lowe Profero unit, reporting to Lowe CEO Michael Wall and the Lowe and Partners leadership team.Wayne Arnold will serve as Global CEO of Lowe Profero.Michael Roth, chairman and CEO of Interpublic, said embedding digital talent and capabilities throughout the organisation has been a key strategic priority for IPG.“With the launch of Lowe Profero, Michael Wall and Tony Wright, along with Wayne, are putting that approach into action,” he said in a statement.“The opportunities for the new network are tremendous. Coming into this deal, both agencies bring exceptional operations in highgrowth markets; they have a strong track record of successful collaboration on major digital assignments; and the leadership teams have great chemistry with one another that clients can feel. We couldn’t be more excited about this news.”