Ciesco

AI is fundamentally reshaping the marketing agency model and the winners will be those who act now.   In collaboration with Craig Lynch at CIL Strategy Consultants, we explore how AI is driving a shift in value creation across the marketing services landscape: from operational efficiency gains and the automation of templated content, to an increased premium on brand strategy, creative counsel, and proprietary data.   We at Ciesco are seeing a clear bifurcation in investor appetite with AI-embedded agencies commanding elevated multiples, while commoditised providers face growing pressure on both pricing and differentiation. The valuation gap is widening, and the window to position is the next 12–24 months.    💬If you would like to discuss our insights in more detail, feel free to reach out to our CEO Chris Sahota and M&A Director Aika Kussimova.   Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/egcjP6PZ

Procurement is emerging as a powerful lever for portfolio-wide value creation in private equity. In collaboration with Procure Ai, we explore how AI-led procurement platforms enable investors to capture cost savings, standardise workflows, and drive operational efficiencies across portfolio companies - turning procurement into a scalable engine for margin expansion.   From an M&A perspective, we are seeing rising deal values and significant fundraises in the procurement software sector as private equity accelerate investment into platforms delivering tangible ROI for customers.   💬 If you would like to discuss our insights in more detail, feel free to reach out to our CEO Chris Sahota and M&A Director Jack Andrews. Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/gvhg3V5q

We are delighted to announce the successful completion of our latest transaction, advising AiVidens, an AI-driven receivables intelligence platform, on its acquisition by RecVue, the leader in AI-powered billing and revenue management platforms for complex enterprise monetization. Ciesco acted as the exclusive sell-side adviser for AiVidens and its shareholders and was selected based on its specialist expertise in the Office of CFO market, and strong network of senior-level buyer and investor relationships. The Ciesco team led the transaction from start to finish, generating a level of interest and led the deal to completion with US HQ, RecVue. Congratulations to all involved. The Ciesco deal team included Ateesh Srivastava and Jamie Conway Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ec8DhFhC #OfficeofCFO #CashConversion #RevenueManagement

We were pleased to be at Insurtech Insights Europe 2026 in London. Ateesh Srivastava and Jamie Conway from Ciesco joined industry leaders from across the Insurtech ecosystem.   While AI and automation are now firmly at the centre of strategic agendas, a consistent theme throughout the event was the importance of balance - with technology acting as an enabler, rather than a replacement, for human expertise.   What stood out from various conversations: → The acceleration of AI-led transformation across underwriting, claims, and distribution → A growing focus on operational efficiency alongside improved customer experience → Continued investment in scalable platforms, data infrastructure, and automation capabilities → The enduring importance of human judgement, particularly in complex risk assessment and client relationships   As with many sectors, the opportunity lies not simply in adopting new technologies, but in integrating them effectively - aligning innovation with commercial discipline and long-term value creation.   Thank you to the InsurTech Insights team for organising an amazing event.   https://lnkd.in/gnvvek7   #insurtechinsights #insurance #insurtech #ITIEU2026

Agentic AI isn’t just the next frontier - it’s already transforming how organisations operate. At the Ciesco Global Leadership Summit, Matt Bruun (Senior Advisor, Ciesco) highlighted why this shift is profoundly disruptive. Machine identities, agent identities, and uncontrolled data access are emerging as the critical weak points, especially as “shadow AI” grows inside organisations. What organisations need now: - Visibility first - continuously discover what agents exist - Human‑in‑the‑loop for high‑risk actions - Governance as an accelerator, not a brake Agentic AI will reshape how decisions get made. Those who win will be the ones who scale it safely.

At the Ciesco Global Leadership Summit, Margaret Wagner (Senior Advisor, Ciesco) broke down how AI is reshaping customer experience, data strategy, and enterprise growth. AI allows CXM teams to unify every enterprise dataset and model it in new ways - but data migration alone isn’t enough. Brands need to rethink data strategy, investment, and requirements to unlock growth, not just margin savings. The New Marketing Superstar - 1980 → Creative - 1990 → Planning - 2000 → Media Planning - 2010 → Platform Marketing - 2020 → Data Engineering takes the lead AI is transforming marketing and CXM into a discipline where data excellence is the new competitive edge.

At the Ciesco Global Leadership Summit, Daniel Singer (Senior Advisor, Ciesco) offered a candid view on where AI really stands - and where it may take us next. Two years ago, the industry believed: - Truly new AI‑native businesses would be rare - Efficiency would be the primary driver of adoption - Lower barriers to entry would squeeze the middle Looking Ahead: - Efficiency gains will come - but later - New defensible AI businesses will stay rare - And the big question remains: Will agents accelerate progress or break things faster? Daniel ended with a reminder: Our job isn’t to predict the future, but to map the futures we might face - so we can choose wisely.

Convening the right people in the room is often where the most valuable conversations begin.   Last week’s Ciesco Global Leadership Summit was a reflection of something Chris Sahota, Ciesco CEO and Founder, has always envisaged for Ciesco - it is not simply about corporate finance advice - it is about becoming a central node in the Technology, Media and Marketing ecosystem.   Many of the speakers and guests have longstanding relationships with the firm and Chris directly. We have worked alongside Andrew O'Dell on Serviceplan Group’s partnership with Pereira O'Dell, supported Brian Fraser on Accenture Song’s strategic partnership with JLR, and previously advised Daniel Singer when he was CEO of Mavens, on the sale to Kantar, before he later joined Ciesco as a Senior Advisor. The panel was chaired by David Wheldon OBE – with whom Chris previously served on the Advisory Board at Accenture. These are relationships built through collaboration, trust and shared ambition.   The Summit brought together operators, investors and advisers to discuss how AI is reshaping competitive dynamics and capital allocation. Beyond the stage, what stood out was the openness of the debate - leaders sharing perspectives on where value will be created, where discipline will matter most, and how businesses must evolve.   From day one, Chris has believed Ciesco should play a broader role within the sector - helping drive growth opportunities whether through M&A, growth capital, strategic partnerships, or connecting the right people at the right time.   Events like this are simply an extension of that philosophy: building a genuine community across Technology, Media and Marketing - one that supports long-term growth, not just transactions.   We look forward to continuing to strengthen that network in the months ahead.