Scotland’s largest and oldest independent creative agency, the Union Group, has become employee-owned after nearly 30 years.
The Edinburgh-based group – which includes Union Direct, Union Digital, Union Data, and Union Connect – will operate under a new holding company, Agents of Change, with all 82 staff becoming beneficiaries of an employee ownership trust (EOT). It will continue to trade as ‘the Union Group’.
The move marks a major generational handover. The last remaining founder and group chair, Ian McAteer and Union Direct’s managing director, Gus Chalmers, will step back from day-to-day roles, after more than two decades. Both will stay involved as trustees of the new EOT.
All current board directors – Michael Hart, Heather Blair, Louise Killough, Emma Campbell and Daniel Batey – remain with the business.
Liz Gilchrist will become independent chair for the trust board. She has a background in commercial banking with RBS and is now a consultant and leadership coach. The other trustees will be Louise Killough and Daniel Batey.
Mr McAteer said: “We built the Union on the idea of a ‘union’ – based on the principles of equality, respect and fairness. An EOT is therefore a natural next step.”
Mr Hart added: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Rather than pursuing a trade sale, the founders have entrusted the agency’s future to its people.”
With £11m turnover and more than 800 awards, the Union ranks among the UK’s top five regional agencies (Campaign 2024) and is one of Scotland’s most awarded creative agencies over the past decade. The agency has been nominated 20 times for the upcoming Marketing Society Scotland Star Awards in June.
Clients have included ScottishPower, Scottish Widows, VisitScotland and the Scottish Government, as well as clients across the UK and overseas.
The transaction was handled by Anderson Strathern (legal) and Azets (accountancy).
Alan O’Riordan, partner at Azets, said: “Despite the added complexities following the October 2024 Budget, EOTs remain an attractive option for many businesses.“
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