Formerly ESOP-Owned Barkley Now Owned by Its Leadership Team

September 4, 2019 — Barkley, one of the largest ESOP-owned advertising agencies in the U.S. has transitioned ownership to its leadership team. The ESOP sold 100% of its shares back to the company at an all-time high valuation. As a result, a management group led by its executive team, now owns 100% of the company’s stock.

Prior to this sale, a significant percentage of the stock was held by former employees who no longer work at Barkley. This change brings 100% of the shares back into the company and maintains Barkley’s competitive advantage as an independent agency. Barkley announced that it has retained all of its current leadership team through this process.

“This helps us preserve our strong culture and puts us in a great position to continue attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry,” says CEO Jeff King. “This process helped us create the best possible conditions to continue driving growth and providing exceptional value to our clients.”

“The ESOP was the right tool for the company to grow during the last 22 years,” said Dan Fromm, President & COO. “This new structure will be a catalyst for maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit that has always been at our core.”

About Barkley

Barkley is an independent strategy, design and creative agency that builds potent modern brands, inside and out. In the last decade, Barkley has become one of the preeminent experts on the Modern Consumer.