Chris Cavanaugh To Become Chief Executive Officer Of The IMAGINE Group

Transformational leader with more than 35 years of experience in operations, client engagement, and innovative technology solutions

The IMAGINE Group, a leading provider of visual communications, today announced that Chris Cavanaugh will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer and join the Company’s Board of Directors, effective April 14, 2021. This completes a comprehensive succession plan, led by the Board with the assistance of Craig Reese, current IMAGINE CEO. Mr. Reese will remain an advisor to Mr. Cavanaugh and the Board through the end of the year.

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“We are pleased to welcome Chris to IMAGINE,” said Rickardo Francis, member of IMAGINE’s Board of Directors and Managing Director at Cerberus Capital Management. “His deep expertise in operations, technology solutions, commercialization, and marketing strategies make him an ideal fit as the Company’s next leader. We are grateful to Craig for setting the foundation for the Company’s transformation and his leadership in navigating the pandemic’s unprecedented business environment.”

Brady Schuck, Managing Director within Goldman Sachs Private Credit and member of IMAGINE’s Board of Directors, added, “We look forward to an exciting next chapter as IMAGINE continues to invest in its business and develop valuable client offerings. Chris is a terrific partner to lead in this phase of growth and innovation.”

Craig Reese, current IMAGINE Chief Executive Officer, stated, “When I first joined IMAGINE, my goal was to establish a transformation plan that would set the Company on a positive, long-term trajectory. I’m proud of the accomplishments we’ve made together towards that goal; the work I came here to do is largely complete. With a new balance sheet, a terrific new equity group, and a highly capable leader in Chris, IMAGINE is ready for the next phase of this transformation.”

Chris Cavanaugh, incoming IMAGINE Chief Executive Officer, commented, “IMAGINE’s customer relationships and ability to deliver visual communications solutions are unparalleled. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring IMAGINE’s market-leading capabilities and other innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of customers. I look forward to continuing to meet with the leadership team and employees in the weeks to come as we build out and execute on our plan to accelerate growth, invest in new capabilities, and make an even greater positive impact on our customers. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves with the talented and dedicated IMAGINE team members at my new home base in the Twin Cities and our additional operations in Charlotte, Chicago, and Los Angeles.”

Mr. Cavanaugh brings more than 35 years of experience and has focused his career on creating transformation strategies and engaging clients with innovative solutions to solve complex business challenges. He spent more than seven years in executive roles at the Freeman Company, the world’s largest event service and logistics company, where he contributed to the total transformation of the business as a part of the company’s executive team. Most recently, he served as CEO of NewSkyxr, a business-to-business virtual events platform, and as President of The Collyer Collective, a consulting agency focused on market intelligence and digital transformation. Prior to these roles and his time at the Freeman Company, Mr. Cavanaugh held executive leadership positions as President of Taft and EVP at Jack Morton Worldwide (part of the Interpublic Group of companies), where he worked for 16 years, 10 of which were as Managing Director of their flagship New York Office.

Earlier this year, IMAGINE successfully completed a recapitalization to eliminate more than $450 million in debt and enhanced its capital structure with new investment. IMAGINE is supported by an ownership group led by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., the Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, and Arbour Lane Capital Management, LP. The Company is now better positioned to support client growth with one of the strongest financial positions in the industry and is set for long-term success.

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