Avenir Global acquires Time & Space

The holding company buys its first media agency, which is expected to help bolster the offering at its PR and communications shops.
By Josh Kolm
October 5, 2023

From left to right: Kevin McCann, managing partner, National Atlantic; Donna Alteen, founder and CEO, Time & Space; Martin Daraiche, president, National Public Relations; and Shawn Lowe, president, Time & Space.

Montreal-based holding company Avenir has acquired Halifax media agency Time & Space.

Time & Space will continue to operate independently, maintain its brand identity and remain under the leadership of founder and CEO Donna Alteen and president Shawn Lowe.

Time & Space is Avenir’s first media agency acquisition. The company’s other holdings include PR firm National, which Time & Space has previously worked with on shared clients such as Medavie Blue Cross, CAA and Tourism New Brunswick.

In addition to expanding Avenir’s Canadian footprint, the acquisition adds expertise in paid media, consumer insights and analytics to the company’s resources, which it expects to build upon National’s service offering.

“The addition of Time & Space to our portfolio will provide our clients with access to the most comprehensive communications and advertising toolbox in Canada,” said Jean-Pierre Vasseur, president and CEO of Avenir. “Time & Space boasts an entrepreneurial spirit and values that align perfectly with our culture. We know that this transaction will provide great benefits to the clients of both firms, and lead to new business and growth opportunities across our global network.”

Avenir’s agency portfolio is highly focused on PR and communications, owning agencies in the U.S. and Europe that include Hanover, Madano, Padilla and Shift, as well as healthcare agencies Axon and Cherry.

Time & Space was founded in 1988 and currently has more than 40 staff, with the acquisition expected to help drive further expansion.

“We have consistently devoted ourselves to fostering success for our clients, empowering our dedicated team, and contributing positively to the communities we are privileged to serve,” Alteen said. “Joining the Avenir Global family of distinguished brands propels us into an exciting future, solidifying our capacity to create a broader and more significant impact.”