Public Affairs Advisors, an advisory firm specialising in designing and implementing institutional relations, lobbying and advocacy plans in energy, environment, and infrastructure, with over 10 employees and collaborators, as well as offices in Rome and Milan, joins the Excellera Advisory Group.
Excellera, the biggest corporate affairs advisory firm in Italy, which was established from the combination of Cattaneo Zanetto Pomposo & Co., Community, and – more recently – that of Value Relations, with the support of Xenon Private Equity, has chosen Public Affairs Advisors to strengthen its energy, environment, and infrastructure expertise. Over the years, PAA – the institutional relations company that was founded by Giovanni Galgano in 2012 -, has developed strong skill in public affairs and lobbying, as well as in local acceptability of projects and investments and in environmental communication for sector-related clients, including international ones.
“Just a little over a year into Excellera’s foundation, we can already state that our project was ambitious and that it is proving successful. The Group is still growing, driven by deals that are boosting its value and making Excellera a national benchmark in increasingly strategic areas. Public Affairs Advisors is yet another outstanding player joining the Group, as we aim to provide our clients with even more specialised and increasingly skilled teams of experts,” Gianfranco Piras, Chairman of Excellera Advisory Group and Partner of Xenon Private Equity, said.
“I am delighted to lead Public Affairs Advisors within the Excellera Advisory Group. This is an exciting growth opportunity for our business and for our team, which seals the ten-year-long journey during which Public Affairs Advisors has established itself as a benchmark in lobbying in the energy, infrastructure, and environment sectors. The transaction enables us to present ourselves to the market in an even more effective fashion, while leveraging on synergies and values that are shared among the Excellera Group companies,” Giovanni Galgano, CEO of PAA, added.
“We are proud to be able to welcome our new partners and colleagues from PAA and to be able to add new professionals to our team, so that we can keep strengthening our extensive public affairs background. The lobbying market is – indeed – evolving and, thus, it is becoming increasingly crucial: companies have gained a greater awareness as to the importance of their relationship with public decision-makers, and their dialogue with institutions is becoming even more mature, thanks to the transparency and value of content, which form the foundations upon which this professional career is built. We are confident that, together with our PAA colleagues, we will be able to build up our range even further,” Paolo Zanetto, CEO of Excellera Advisory Group and Partner at Cattaneo Zanetto Pomposo & Co., stated.
The transaction is based on the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Public Affairs Advisors by Excellera Advisory Group. At the same time, Giovanni Galgano, who maintains his role as CEO at PAA, will reinvest in Excellera, thus becoming a partner of the Group.
As for legal aspects of the transaction, Public Affairs Advisors was advised by Parola Associati, with Founding Partner Lorenzo Parola and Associate Federica Re.
Excellera Advisory Group’s legal advisors were Pierfrancesco Gelmetti and Dolores Mugherli from Studio Gelmetti; Deloitte acted as financial advisor of the transaction, with Partner Andrea Casella and Director Gianmarco Ferrari, and PwC TLS Avvocati e Commercialisti acted as tax advisor, with Partner Pasquale Salvatore and Director Alessandro Marzorati.